Abhanga 3940
Dressing something up or placing it somewhere impressive does not change its underlying nature, Tukaram says; only real inner change does that.
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 claim that inner nature cannot be changed by dressing something up. 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 this bhakti observation: decoration alone never changes one's underlying nature.
मराठी: स्वभाव बदलत नाही, नुसती सजावट फसवी असते, हा तुकारामांचा दावा. गाढवाला कितीही शृंगारले तरी ते घोडा होत नाही. त्याचे भुंकणे थांबत नाही — स्वभावाला काय करणार? कुत्र्याला पालखीत बसवले तरी ते भुंकणे थांबवत नाही. तुकाराम म्हणतात — स्वभाव आणि कर्म कितीही प्रयत्न केला तरी त्याचा धर्म सुटत नाही. या ओवीत हे भक्तीचे निरीक्षण मांडले आहे — नुसत्या सजावटीने खरा स्वभाव कधीच बदलत नाही.
Where this applies
- When you're hoping a new title or position will change someone's underlying character
- When you notice old habits resurfacing despite outward improvements
- When you're evaluating whether real change has happened or just appearances have shifted
- When you need realistic expectations about how much surface changes can transform a person