संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3943 of 4582

Abhanga 3943

Some people will find fault with genuine goodness no matter what, Tukaram says, and their harsh judgment reveals their own nature, not yours.

Tukārām's anti-durjana polemic

The verse

अखंड संत निंदी । ऐसी दुर्जनाची बुद्धि ॥१॥ काय म्हणावें तयासी । तो केवळ पापरासि ॥ध्रु.॥ जो स्मरे रामराम । तयासी म्हणावें रिकामें ॥२॥ जो तीर्थव्रत करी । तयासी म्हणावें भिकारी ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे विंच्वाची नांगी । तैसा दुर्जन सर्वांगीं ॥४॥

Literal translation

Akhaṇḍa samta nimdī — constantly blames sants; aisī durjanāñcī buddhi — such is durjana's buddhi. Kāya mhaṇāve tayāsī — what to say to him; tō kevaḷa pāparāsi — he is purely pāparāsi. Jō smare Rāma-Rāma — one who remembers Rāma-Rāma; tayāsī mhaṇāve rikāme — he calls (him) idle. Jō tīrtha-vrata karī — one who performs tīrtha-vrata; tayāsī mhaṇāve bhikārī — he calls (him) beggar. Tukā mhaṇe vimchvāñcī nāngī — Tukā says: scorpion's stinger; taisā durjana sarvāngīm — so is the durjana on every side.

What it means

A 4-verse anti-durjana polemic by Tukārām.

The diagnostic of durjana: constantly-blames-sants; calls-Rāma-rememberer-idle; calls-tīrtha-doer-beggar. Image: scorpion-stinger-on-every-side — durjana's mouth stings whichever direction it turns.

For someone today

Tukārām's anti-durjana polemic. He constantly blames the sants — such is the durjana's mind. What is to be said to him? — he is purely a heap of sin. One who remembers Rāma-Rāma — he calls such a one idle. One who performs tīrtha-vrata — he calls him a beggar. Like a scorpion's stinger — so is the durjana on every side. The verse permits this diagnostic: the durjana is like a scorpion whose sting reaches wherever it turns.

मराठी: तुकारामांची ही दुर्जनाविरुद्धची टीका. तो सतत संतांची निंदा करतो — अशी दुर्जनाची बुद्धी असते. त्याला काय म्हणावे? — तो निव्वळ पापांची रास आहे. जो रामराम स्मरतो, त्याला तो रिकामटेकडा म्हणतो. जो तीर्थव्रत करतो, त्याला तो भिकारी म्हणतो. विंचवाच्या नांगीसारखा दुर्जन सर्वांगी असतो. या ओवीत हा निकष मांडला आहे — दुर्जन विंचवासारखा असतो, जो वळेल तिकडे डंख मारतो.

Where this applies