Abhanga 3866
What fills you inside, whether envy and harshness or a calm clear mind, always shows up on the outside, so keep checking daily what is truly good and fitting to do.
The verse
असंत लक्षण भूतांचा मत्सर । मनास निष्ठ अतिवादी ॥१॥
अंतरीचा रंग उमटे बाहेरी । वोळखियापरी आपेंआप ॥ध्रु.॥
संत ते समय वोळखती वेळ । चतुष्ट निर्मळ चित्त सदा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे हित उचित अनुचित । मज लागे नित आचरावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Asanta-lakṣaṇa — mātsara — niṣṭhal — ati-vādī. Inner-ranga — rises-outside — recognized-of-itself. Sant-recognizes-samaya-vēḷa — chitta-chatuṣṭa-nirmaḷa-sadā. Tukā: hita-uchita-anuchita — must-follow-nityā.
What it means
A 3-verse sant-vs-asant contrast. The mark of the non-sant: envy toward beings, harsh-firm mind, over-talker. The inner colour rises to the outside — recognized of its own accord. The mark of the sant: they recognize the right occasion and the right moment; their mind is well-organized and pure always. Welfare, what is fitting, what is unfitting — I must always follow. The line vōḷakhiyāparī āpēm āpa (recognized-of-itself) — the inner-quality reveals itself outwardly, unmistakably.
For someone today
Tukaram draws a clear contrast between two kinds of people. Someone who lacks real goodness shows it through envy toward others, a harsh unbending mind, and talking too much or too aggressively. He notices that whatever color fills a person inside always shows up on the outside eventually, whether they intend it or not, and people recognize it without being told. A truly good person, by contrast, senses the right occasion and the right moment, and keeps their mind organized and clear at all times. Tukaram ends by saying he must always keep asking himself what is actually good for him, and what is fitting or not, and live by that every day.
मराठी: तुकाराम दोन प्रकारच्या माणसांतला फरक स्पष्टपणे मांडतात. ज्याच्यात खरा चांगुलपणा नसतो तो इतरांबद्दलच्या मत्सरातून, कठोर हट्टी मनातून आणि अति किंवा आक्रमक बोलण्यातून दिसून येतो. आतमध्ये जो रंग भरलेला असतो तो कधी ना कधी बाहेर उमटतोच, माणूस मुद्दाम दाखवत नसला तरी, आणि इतर लोक ते सांगितल्याशिवायच ओळखतात असे ते सांगतात. याउलट खरा चांगला माणूस योग्य प्रसंग आणि योग्य वेळ ओळखतो, आणि त्याचे मन नेहमीच नीटनेटके आणि निर्मळ असते. तुकाराम शेवटी म्हणतात की आपले खरे हित काय आहे, काय योग्य आणि काय अयोग्य आहे हे नेहमी स्वतःला विचारून त्याप्रमाणे रोज वागले पाहिजे.
Where this applies
- When you catch yourself feeling envious or harshly judging someone else's success
- When you notice your inner mood leaking out through your tone or actions without meaning to
- When you have to decide whether to speak or act now, or wait for a better moment
- When you want to check your own behavior daily against what is genuinely good and fitting