Abhanga 4030
Tukaram uses two everyday images to make a sharp point: a single stick lodged across a stream can disturb a huge amount of water, and one fly landing in food can spoil the whole dish. In the same way, keeping company with even one wicked or corrupting person can bring ruin to many people around them. He ends with an exasperated question, wondering what kind of person could have raised someone who causes this much trouble. The lesson is about how much damage a small, bad influence can do when it's allowed close.
The verse
आड पडे काडी । तरि ते बहुत पाणी खोडी ॥१॥
दुर्जनाचे संगती । बहुतांचे घात होती ॥ध्रु.॥
एक पडे मासी । तरी ते बहु अन्न नासी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे रांड । ऐसी कां ते व्याली भांड ॥३॥
Literal translation
One-stick-disturbs-water. Durjana-sangati — many-ghāta. One-fly-spoils-food. Tukā: what-rāṇḍa-bore-such-bhāṇḍa.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-durjana-sanga images-text. One stick across (the channel) disturbs much water. With one wicked-companion, many downfalls happen. One fly falls into the food and spoils much. What woman bore such a vessel-of-trouble? The one-fly-spoils-much-food is a precise image of how one bad-actor contaminates the whole.
For someone today
Tukaram uses two everyday images to make a sharp point: a single stick lodged across a stream can disturb a huge amount of water, and one fly landing in food can spoil the whole dish. In the same way, keeping company with even one wicked or corrupting person can bring ruin to many people around them. He ends with an exasperated question, wondering what kind of person could have raised someone who causes this much trouble. The lesson is about how much damage a small, bad influence can do when it's allowed close.
मराठी: तुकाराम दोन साध्या उदाहरणांतून एक तीक्ष्ण मुद्दा मांडतात, एक काडी ओढ्याच्या आडवी पडली तरी ती खूप पाणी अडवते आणि विस्कळीत करते, आणि एक माशी अन्नात पडली तरी ती खूप अन्न खराब करते. त्याचप्रमाणे, एका दुर्जन माणसाची संगत धरली तरी अनेकांचे नुकसान होऊ शकते. शेवटी ते चिडून विचारतात की अशा त्रासदायक माणसाला कोणी जन्म दिला असेल. या अभंगातून एक छोटा, वाईट प्रभाव जवळ आला तर तो किती नुकसान करू शकतो हे शिकवले आहे.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's anti-durjana-sanga images canonical
- Pair with 2930 (anti-durjana-sanga prayer)