Abhanga 4202
A person who has never really examined themselves tends to live driven by restless, comfort-seeking energy, chasing pleasure and ease without much thought. You can hand such a person the finest spiritual teaching, but on their own, without the steady company of good people, that wisdom will not stick. Tukaram's answer is refreshingly simple: keep good company. He says there is no other remedy he can offer beyond that.
The verse
गव्हाराचें ज्ञान अवघा रजोगुण । सुखवासी होऊन विषय भोगी ॥१॥
त्यासी ज्ञानउपदेश केला । संगेंविण त्याला राहावेना ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे संग उत्तम असावा । याविण उपावा काय सांगों ॥३॥
Literal translation
Gavhāra-jñāna-rajōguṇa — comfortable-enjoying-viṣaya. Jñāna-upadeśa-without-sanga-doesn't-stay. Tukā — should-be-uttama-sanga — no-other-upāya.
What it means
A 3-verse sat-sanga-doctrine text. The illiterate-fool's knowledge is all rajōguṇa; he becomes comfort-dwelling and enjoys pleasures. Even if you give him jñāna-instruction, without (good) company he can't stay (in it). Tukā says: there should be excellent company; apart from this, what other remedy can I say? Pair with 4192 (kusanga-corruption), 4186 (whomever-spoken-to-his-guṇas-come).
For someone today
A person who has never really examined themselves tends to live driven by restless, comfort-seeking energy, chasing pleasure and ease without much thought. You can hand such a person the finest spiritual teaching, but on their own, without the steady company of good people, that wisdom will not stick. Tukaram's answer is refreshingly simple: keep good company. He says there is no other remedy he can offer beyond that.
मराठी: स्वतःला कधीच नीट तपासून न पाहिलेला माणूस अस्वस्थ, सुखलोलुप वृत्तीने जगत राहतो आणि विचार न करता सुख-भोगामागे धावतो. अशा माणसाला उत्तम ज्ञान दिलं तरी चांगल्या माणसांच्या संगतीशिवाय ते त्याच्याजवळ टिकत नाही. तुकाराम याचं उत्तर अगदी साधं देतात — चांगली संगत असावी. यापलीकडे दुसरा कुठला उपाय सांगावा, असं ते म्हणतात.
Where this applies
- When you know good advice or good habits but keep sliding back into old comfort seeking patterns
- When you have tried self help or teachings on your own and they never stuck
- When you are choosing which friends or community to spend your time with
- When you notice you act differently, for better or worse, depending on who you are around