Abhanga 3914
Tukaram warns that people caught up in illusion and status suffer for it, so keeping a wise distance from such influence protects you better than admiring or seeking closeness with it.
The verse
मायारूपें ऐसें मोहिलेंसे जन । भोगिती पतन नामाकर्में॥१॥
काय याची प्रीती करितां आदर । दुरावितां दूर तें चि भलें ॥ध्रु.॥
नाना छंद अंगीं बैसती विकार । छळियेले फार तपोनिधि ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसें सिकवितों तुज । आतां धरी लाज मना पुढें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Māyā-rūpa-mohila-jana — bhogati-patana-by-nāma-karma. No-prīti-ādara — distancing-far-better. Many-chhanda-vikāra-anga — even-tapō-nidhis-deceived. Tukā: I-teach — hold-lāja-before-mana.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-māyā-affection text. By māyā's form, people are bewildered; they suffer the fall by name and karma. What's the use of showing love and respect to such (deluded) folk? — distancing them far is better. Many tempos and disorders sit on the body; even great treasure-houses-of-austerity have been deceived. I am teaching you thus — now hold a sense-of-shame before your mind. The distancing-better-than-prīti doctrine — the opposite of the universal-love-virtue, applied here to deluded-māyā-bound company specifically (cf. 2787 don't-give-durjana-sanga prayer).
For someone today
Tukaram warns that people who are caught up in illusion and worldly appearances end up suffering for their own actions and their attachment to name and status. He asks what's the real benefit in showing warmth and admiration toward that kind of company, and answers that keeping a healthy distance is actually wiser. He points out that even people who have spent years in serious discipline and austerity have been led astray by these same distractions, so no one is automatically safe from them. His final advice is direct: teach yourself to feel a sense of caution and self-respect before your own mind gets pulled in.
मराठी: तुकाराम इशारा देतात की मायेच्या भ्रमात आणि बाह्य देखाव्यात अडकलेले लोक स्वतःच्याच कृतींमुळे आणि नाव-प्रतिष्ठेच्या आसक्तीमुळे दुःख भोगतात. अशा सोबतीबद्दल आदर आणि प्रेम दाखवण्यात खरोखर काय फायदा आहे असे ते विचारतात, आणि उत्तर देतात की योग्य अंतर राखणे जास्त शहाणपणाचे आहे. ते हेही सांगतात की वर्षानुवर्षे कठोर तप करणारेही याच भ्रमांना बळी पडले आहेत, त्यामुळे कोणीच आपोआप सुरक्षित नाही. त्यांचा शेवटचा सल्ला स्पष्ट आहे, स्वतःचे मन भरकटण्याआधीच सावधता आणि आत्मसन्मान अंगी बाणवा.
Where this applies
- When you're tempted to admire people who are chasing status and appearances rather than substance
- When you notice that closeness to certain company keeps pulling you toward bad habits
- When you assume you're too disciplined or experienced to be led astray by distraction
- When you need to set a boundary with someone instead of trying to win their approval