Abhanga 4232
A stubborn mind that dismisses correction only piles up faults that will trap it later, and the real cure is purifying one's actions, not clever argument.
The verse
शिकवणें नाक झाडी । पुढील जोडी कळेना ॥१॥
निरयगांवीं भोग देता । तेथें सत्ता आणिकांची ॥ध्रु.॥
अवगुणांचा सांटा करी । ते चि धरी जीवासी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे जडबुद्धि । कर्मशुद्धी सांडवीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Śikavaṇe nāka jhāḍī — (when) taught, (he) shakes the nose; puḍhīla jōḍī kaḷenā — doesn't know the future consequence. Niraya-gāvīm bhōga detā — in hell-village, bhōga is given; tethe sattā āṇikāñcī — there sattā is of others. Avaguṇāñcā sāṇṭā karī — (he) makes a sāṇṭā of faults; te chi dharī jīvāsī — that very holds the jīva. Tukā mhaṇe jaḍa-buddhi — Tukā says: jaḍa-buddhi; karma-śuddhī sāṇḍavīm — give it up by karma-śuddhi.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-fool / karma-śuddhi text. The fool dismisses teaching; doesn't grasp future-consequence; piles up faults; in hell, others rule. Karma-śuddhi (purification of action) is the remedy.
For someone today
Tukārām's advice: jaḍa-buddhi is cured by karma-śuddhi (purifying action), not by clever-instruction the fool dismisses.
Where this applies
- When you dismiss advice out of pride instead of considering it seriously
- When you keep repeating the same mistakes without thinking about their future cost
- When you realize a pile of small bad habits has quietly trapped you
- When you try to argue your way out of a problem instead of actually changing your behavior