Abhanga 3788
The verse
दर्पणासी बुजे । नखटें तोंड पळवी लाजे ॥१॥
गुण ज्याचे जो अंतरीं । तो चि त्यासी पीडा करी ॥ध्रु.॥
चोरा रुचे निशी । देखोनियां विटे शशी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे जन । देवा असे भाग्यहीन ॥३॥
Literal translation
Mirror-shamed — snub-face-flees-in-lāja. Guṇa-of-one-in-antara — that-itself-pains-him. Chōra-likes-night — seeing-śaśī-disgusts-him. Tukā: jana — bhāgya-hīna-of-Deva.
What it means
A 3-verse self-confrontation-diagnosis. The snub-faced person flees from the mirror in shame. The (negative) quality one carries within is precisely what pains him (when faced from outside). The thief likes the night — seeing the moon disgusts him. People (like this) are destitute of Deva. Striking psychological observation: we are most disturbed by our own defects when reflected back — therefore we avoid the mirror (truth-telling, sant-sanga, Deva-light).
For someone today
Tukārām: you-flee-the-mirror because-the-mirror-shows-your-own-defects; thief-hates-moon-by-the-same-logic.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's one's-inner-guṇa-pains-when-reflected-outside psychology
- Mirror-thief-moon analogy for self-avoidance