संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3363 of 4582

Abhanga 3363

Correction stings. The bitter is the cure. The one who flinches at criticism is the one most in need of it. The teacher does not slander — he medicates.

Tukārām's santa's-rebuke-is-not-nindā; like-nīma needed-for-inner-anguish canonical defense

The verse

यासी कोणी म्हणे निंदेचीं उत्तरें । नागवला खरें तो चि एक ॥१॥ आड वाटे जातां लावी नीट सोईं । धर्मनीत ते ही ऐसी आहे ॥ध्रु.॥ नाइकता सुखें करावें ताडण । पाप नाहीं पुण्य असे फार ॥२॥ जन्म व्याधि फार चुकतील दुःखें । खंडावा हा सुखें मान त्याचा ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे निंब दिलियावांचून । अंतरींचा सीण कैसा जाय ॥४॥

Literal translation

Yāsī koṇī mhaṇe nimdechīm uttare — nāgavalā kharē tō-chi eka — whoever calls these nimdā-words — he alone is truly stripped-naked. Āḍa vāṭe jātām lāvī nīṭa sōīm — dharma-nīti te-hī aisī āhe — when going astray, puts you on the straight path — such is dharma-nīti. Nāikatā sukhe karāve tāḍaṇa — pāpa nāhī puṇya ase phāra — for one who doesn't listen, strike with joy — no pāpa, much puṇya. Janma-vyādhi phāra chukatīla duḥkhe — khaṇḍāvā hā sukhe māna tyāchā — many janma-vyādhi-duḥkhas will be avoided — break his pride with joy. Tukā mhaṇe nimba diliyāvāñchūna — amtarīmcha sīṇa kaisā jāya — Tukā says: without giving nimba (neem) — how does inner anguish leave?

What it means

A 4-verse text in which Tukārām defends his sharp-rebuke abhangs as medicine, not slander. The medical-image: nimba (neem) is bitter but cures amtarīmcha sīṇa (inner anguish). The corrective is dharma-nīti. Final inversion: the one who calls correction nindā is the one truly stripped.

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