Abhanga 3332
Welcome honest correction, even public humiliation, if it is what finally tires your wandering mind into settling permanently at God's feet.
The verse
आतां हें उचित माझें जना हातीं । पाहिजे फजीती केली कांहीं ॥१॥
मग हे तुमचे न सोडीं चरण । त्रासोनियां मन येइल ठाया ॥ध्रु.॥
वाउगे वाणीचा न धरीं कांटाळा । ऐसी कां चांडाळा बुद्धि मज ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे जरि माथां बैसे घाव । तरि मग वाव नेघे पुढें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Now-uchita that-some-fajītī-done-by-jana. Then-won't-leave-feet, mana-wearied-comes-to-place. No-revulsion-at-vain-words, such-chāṇḍāḷa-buddhi-mine. Tukā: if-ghāva-on-māthā, no-vāva-ahead.
What it means
A striking 3-verse petition. Let the people give me a thrashing — only then my mind will stop wandering. Companion to 3331's self-reproach.
For someone today
Continuing his self-examination, Tukaram says something startling, it would actually be fitting if people called him out publicly for his faults. He reasons that only a real, humbling correction like that would finally tire out his wandering mind enough to make it settle permanently at God's feet. He is disgusted with himself for feeling no real revulsion toward idle gossip and empty talk, calling this tendency in himself low and shameful. He closes with a blunt, almost bracing insight, once a real blow lands, once you actually face consequences, there is no room left to keep slacking off afterward.
मराठी: आत्मपरीक्षण पुढे नेत तुकाराम एक धक्कादायक गोष्ट सांगतात, माझ्या दोषांसाठी लोकांनी मला उघडपणे फटकारलं तर तेच योग्य ठरेल. असं खरं, नम्र करणारं फटकारणंच माझं भटकं मन थकवून कायमचं देवाच्या पायाशी स्थिरावेल असं ते मानतात. निरर्थक बडबडीबद्दल, गप्पांबद्दल आपल्याला काहीच तिटकारा वाटत नाही याचा त्यांना स्वतःचाच राग येतो, आणि ते स्वतःच्या या प्रवृत्तीला हीन, लाजिरवाणी म्हणतात. शेवटी ते एक स्पष्ट आणि खडा बोध देतात, एकदा खरा फटका बसला, खऱ्या परिणामांना सामोरं जावं लागलं, की पुढे आळशीपणाला जागाच उरत नाही.
Where this applies
- When you would rather be honestly corrected or called out than keep repeating the same mistake unchecked
- When you notice you tolerate gossip or idle talk in yourself that you know is beneath you
- When a hard consequence or public embarrassment actually helps you finally take a problem seriously
- When you want real accountability rather than gentle excuses for a recurring flaw