Abhanga 3780
Rāhe ubhā vādāvādīm — if (one) stands firm in argument; tarī phamdīm sāmpaḍe — one is caught in the snare.
The verse
राहे उभा वादावादीं । तरी फंदीं सांपडे ॥१॥
लव्हाळ्यासी कोठें बळ । करिल जळ आपुलें ॥ध्रु.॥
कठिणासी बळजोडा । नम्र पीडा देखेना ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे सर्वरसीं । मिळे त्यासी गोत तें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Rāhe ubhā vādāvādīm — if (one) stands firm in argument; tarī phamdīm sāmpaḍe — one is caught in the snare. Lavhāḷyāsī kōṭhem baḷa — where is the water-reed's strength?; karila jaḷa āpule — the water makes it its own. Kaṭhiṇāsī baḷajōḍā — the hard (only) joins strength with the hard; namra pīḍā dekhenā — (it) does not see the humble's pain. Tukā mhaṇe sarva-rasīm — Tukā says: in all-rasa; miḷe tyāsī gōta te — whoever mixes — that is his kin.
What it means
A 3-verse humility-wisdom text. Standing-firm-in-quarrel falls-into-the-snare; the-lavhāḷa-water-reed has-no-strength but-the-water-bears-it; the-hard joins-only-the-hard, does-not-feel-the-humble's-pain; whoever-mixes-with-all-rasa, all-becomes-his-kin. Classic Tukārām social-wisdom.
For someone today
Tukārām advises: the-reed-survives-by-bending; the-arrogant-only-feels-other-arrogance; mix-with-all-flavors and-all-become-your-kin.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's lavhāḷa-and-water; mix-with-sarva-rasa canonical humility
- Companion to mūngī-eat-sugar humility (2882)