Abhanga 3442
Dhōnḍyāsavē āḍaḷitām phuṭe ḍōke — striking against stone, the head breaks; tōm tōm tyāñcyā sukhe ghāmejenā — but-it doesn't-sweat from-(your)-sukha.
The verse
धोंडएासवें आदळितां फुटे डोकें । तों तों त्याच्या सुखें घामेजेना ॥१॥
इंगळासी सन्निधान अतित्याईं । क्षेम देतां काईं सुख वाटे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आम्हांसवें जो रुसला । तयाचा अबोला आकाशासीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Dhōnḍyāsavē āḍaḷitām phuṭe ḍōke — striking against stone, the head breaks; tōm tōm tyāñcyā sukhe ghāmejenā — but-it doesn't-sweat from-(your)-sukha. Ingaḷāsī sanniddhāna atityāīm — close-proximity to live-coal is ati-tyāīm; kṣema detām kāīm sukha vāṭe — does giving kṣema bring sukha. Tukā mhaṇe āmhāmsavē jō rusalā — Tukā says: one who is rusalā with us; tyāñcā abōlā ākāśāsīm — his abōlā is with the sky.
What it means
A short 3-verse social-observation by Tukārām.
The 3 images: 1. Stone-when-struck breaks-the-striker's-head, doesn't-sweat-from-your-sukha — stone is impassive 2. Live-coal-close-by: greeting-it brings-no-sukha (just-burns) 3. One-who-sulks-with-us, his-silence-is-with-the-sky (= absolute-rejection, no-relation-possible)
The teaching: don't-engage-with-stone-or-coal-types; the-truly-sulky-one is-as-distant-as-the-sky.
For someone today
Tukārām's social-observation. Striking against stone — the head breaks — but-it doesn't sweat from-(your)-sukha. Close-proximity to live-coal is extreme excess; does giving greeting bring sukha (to it)? One who is sulky with us — his silence is with the sky. The verse permits the bhakti-realism: don't-engage-the-impassive-or-the-hostile.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's don't-engage-stone-or-coal types social-observation