Abhanga 4259
Eyes-close-santas — open-paranārī.
The verse
संत देखोनियां स्वयें दृष्टी टाळी । आदरें न्याहाळी परस्त्रीसी ॥१॥
वीट ये कर्णासी संतवाक्यामृता । स्त्रीशब्द ऐकतां निवे कर्ण ॥ध्रु.॥
कथेमाजी निज वाटे नित्यक्षणीं । स्त्रियेचे कीर्तनीं प्रेमें जागे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तुम्ही क्रोधासी न यावें । स्वभावा करावें काय कोणीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Eyes-close-santas — open-paranārī. Ear-disgusted-sant-words — refreshed-strī-words. Sleep-in-kathā — prema-awake-in-strī-kīrtana. Tukā: don't-be-angry — svabhāva-can't-be-changed.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 4-image dual-svabhāva-contrast text. Seeing santas, he closes his own sight; but watches other-women with affection. His ear is disgusted by the sant-words'-nectar; but refreshed by woman's-speech. In the kathā, he feels sleep every moment; but in the woman's kīrtana, he stays awake with love. Tukā says: don't come to anger — what can anyone do with nature? The 3-fold sense-by-sense diagnostic: (1) eyes — close on santas / open on women; (2) ears — disgusted by sant-words / refreshed by women's; (3) wakefulness — asleep in kathā / awake in women's-kīrtana. The pragmatic close svabhāva-can't-be-changed is striking — Tukārām acknowledges the limit of moral-instruction. Pair with 4187 (vēśyā-jāga-vs-harikīrtana-nidrā), 4257 (instructional-futility).
For someone today
Tukārām: the-same-person-closes-eyes-to-santas-but-opens-them-to-other-women; sleeps-in-kathā-but-wakes-in-women's-singing — don't-be-angry, what-can-be-done-with-nature.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE 4-image dual-svabhāva-contrast canonical