Abhanga 3212
Standing on the riverbank, don't leap in just because you see others swimming across, ask yourself whether you've actually done the work they did to get there. What looks available or easy from a distance isn't enough on its own, you still have to put in the effort. Tukaram warns that laziness quietly ruins far more than we realize, so check your own preparation before you copy someone else's leap.
The verse
उभा ऐल थडी । तेणें घालूं नये उडी ॥१॥
पुढें गेल्याचे उपाय । करावे ते केले काय ॥ध्रु.॥
दिसतें आहारीं । नये जाऊं ऐशावरी ॥२॥
अळसाची धाडी । तुका म्हणे बहु नाडी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Standing-this-bank — don't-jump. What-those-ahead-did — have-you-done?; visible-āhāra — don't-go-by-that; aḷasa's-raid foils-much, Tukā.
What it means
A 3-verse caution text. Don't-act-on-impulse from-bank; visible-supply alone-not-enough; laziness foils-much.
For someone today
Standing on the riverbank, don't leap in just because you see others swimming across, ask yourself whether you've actually done the work they did to get there. What looks available or easy from a distance isn't enough on its own, you still have to put in the effort. Tukaram warns that laziness quietly ruins far more than we realize, so check your own preparation before you copy someone else's leap.
मराठी: नदीकाठी उभे राहून, दुसरे पोहून पलीकडे गेले म्हणून लगेच उडी मारू नका, त्यांनी जी मेहनत केली ती तुम्ही खरंच केली आहे का, हे आधी तपासा. दुरून दिसणारी संधी किंवा सोय पुरेशी नसते, त्यासाठी स्वतःचे कष्ट लागतातच. तुकाराम म्हणतात, आळस आपल्याला वाटतं त्यापेक्षा खूप जास्त नुकसान करतो, त्यामुळे दुसऱ्याचं अनुकरण करण्याआधी स्वतःची तयारी तपासा.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's don't-jump-blindly caution