Abhanga 4403
The verse
जाली गाढवी दुधाळ । महिमा गाईंची पावेल ॥१॥
श्वान जालेंसे चांगलें । तरी कां सांगातें जेवील ॥ध्रु.॥
जाली सिंदळा चांगली । तरि कां पतिव्रता जाली ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ऐशा जाति । काय उंचपण पावती ॥३॥
Literal translation
Donkey-mare-dudhāḷa — cow-mahima-not-attained. Dog-good — won't-eat-with-us. Sindaḷā-good — won't-become-pativratā. Tukā: such-jātis — what-umcha-paṇa-attain.
What it means
★ A 3-image nature-doesn't-elevate-by-improvement text. A donkey-mare became milk-giving — will she attain the prestige of the cow? A dog has become good-natured — would he eat with (us)? An unchaste-woman has become good — but did she become a pativratā? Tukā says: such-types — what station-of-height do they attain? The 3 culturally-loaded category-pairs — (1) gāḍhavī-gāī (donkey-cow); (2) śvāna-sangāta (dog-table-companion); (3) sindaḷā-pativratā — argue that categorical-class-membership doesn't-transfer by-improvement-alone. Reading-as-anti-fake-renunciate: likely-targets imposters who claim spiritual-status without real transformation (cf. 4299 indrāvaṇa-in-sugar-bowl, crow-baby-with-fondness, gāndhēla-poḷī — same nature-doesn't-change argument). Pair with 4299 (3-image inherent-evil-not-removed).
For someone today
Tukārām: a-donkey-mare-giving-milk-doesn't-become-a-cow; a-dog-becoming-good doesn't-share-the-meal; an-unchaste-woman-becoming-good doesn't-become-pativratā — surface-improvement doesn't-change-inner-nature.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's nature-doesn't-elevate-by-improvement 3-image canonical