Abhanga 3940
Tukārām's svabhāva-can't-be-changed claim. An ass decorated with finery — does not become a horse by any means. Its braying does not stop — what can be done with nature? A dog placed in a palanquin — does not stop barking. Tukā says: nature-and-karma — by no doing does its dharma leave. The verse permits the bhakti-observation that-decoration-doesn't-change-svabhāva.
The verse
गाढव शृंगारिलें कोडें । कांहीं केल्या नव्हे घोडें ॥१॥
त्याचें भुंकणें न राहे । स्वभावासी करील काये ॥ध्रु.॥
श्वान शिबिके बैसविलें । भुंकतां न राहे उगलें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे स्वभावकर्म । कांहीं केल्या न सुटे धर्म ॥३॥
Literal translation
Gāḍhava śrngārile kōḍe — an ass decorated with finery; kāmhī kelyā navhe ghōḍe — by no means becomes a horse. Tyāñce bhumkaṇe na rāhe — its braying does not stop; svabhāvāsī karīla kāye — what can be done with svabhāva. Śvāna śibike baisavile — a dog placed in a palanquin; bhumkatām na rāhe ugale — does not stop barking. Tukā mhaṇe svabhāva-karma — Tukā says: svabhāva-karma; kāmhī kelyā na suṭe dharma — by no doing does its dharma leave.
What it means
A short 3-verse svabhāva-can't-be-changed text by Tukārām.
The 2 images: ass-decorated-doesn't-become-horse; dog-in-palanquin-still-barks. The claim: svabhāva-karma-dharma is-fixed; no-amount-of-decoration changes-it.
For someone today
Tukārām's svabhāva-can't-be-changed claim. An ass decorated with finery — does not become a horse by any means. Its braying does not stop — what can be done with nature? A dog placed in a palanquin — does not stop barking. Tukā says: nature-and-karma — by no doing does its dharma leave. The verse permits the bhakti-observation that-decoration-doesn't-change-svabhāva.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's svabhāva-can't-be-changed-by-decoration canonical-claim
- Ass-as-horse, dog-in-palanquin canonical-animal-images