संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 82 of 4582

Abhanga 82

This abhang is a sharp diagnostic: when your speech feels full but isn't producing, check for tears and pang. If neither is present, the speech is hot-air regardless of how spiritually-correct it sounds. The master / mentor / divine is not attentive yet because eye has not met eye. The cure is not better speech; it is the body returning to actual feeling. Until the eyes water and the heart pangs, the meeting hasn't happened.

When you've been speaking spiritual words without tears or pang and the words aren't bearing fruit — and you have to recognize the missing element

When you've encountered someone repeatedly and eye has not met eye — and you have to ask whether the meeting has actually happened

When the master / teacher / divine is not yet attentive — and you have to ask what would make the attention turn

The verse

न ये नेत्रां जळ । नाहीं अंतरीं कळवळ ॥१॥ तों हे चावटीचे बोल । जन रंजवणें फोल ॥ध्रु.॥ न फळे उत्तर । नाहीं स्वामी जों सादर ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भेटी । जंव नाहीं दृष्टादृष्टी ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: When no tear comes to the eyes and no pang to the inner heart — these are hot-air words; entertaining people, empty. The answer doesn't bear fruit while the master is not yet attentive. Tuka says: there is no meeting until eye-meets-eye.

मराठी: डोळ्यांत पाणी नाही, अंतरात कळवळ नाही — हे चावटीचे बोल; लोकांना रंजवणारे, फोल. उत्तर फळत नाही — स्वामी अजून सादर नाही. तुकाराम म्हणतात — भेटी जंव दृष्टादृष्टी नाही.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
न ये नेत्रां जळ	"no water comes to the eyes"
नाहीं अंतरीं कळवळ	"no pang in the inner heart"
तों हे चावटीचे बोल	"these are hot-air words"
जन रंजवणें फोल	"entertaining people, empty"
न फळे उत्तर	"the answer doesn't bear fruit"
नाहीं स्वामी जों सादर	"the master is not yet attentive"
भेटी जंव नाहीं दृष्टादृष्टी	"(there is) no meeting until eye-meets-eye"

What it means

The bhakti-diagnostic for real-vs-performed speech is in two body-signs: (1) न ये नेत्रां जळ — no tears in the eyes; (2) नाहीं अंतरीं कळवळ — no pang in the inner heart. Speech without these is चावटीचे बोल — hot-air words — जन रंजवणें फोल — entertaining people, empty. The closing image is precise: भेटी जंव नाहीं दृष्टादृष्टी — no meeting until eye-meets-eye. The master is not attentive until the disciple is seen; the seeing requires the body-signs of real interiority. [T]

For someone today

This abhang is a sharp diagnostic: when your speech feels full but isn't producing, check for tears and pang. If neither is present, the speech is hot-air regardless of how spiritually-correct it sounds. The master / mentor / divine is not attentive yet because eye has not met eye. The cure is not better speech; it is the body returning to actual feeling. Until the eyes water and the heart pangs, the meeting hasn't happened.

मराठी: ही ओवी तीक्ष्ण diagnostic: तुमचं बोलणं full वाटतं पण उत्पन्न करत नाही — डोळ्यांचं पाणी आणि अंतरीची कळवळ check करा. नसतील — कितीही spiritually-correct वाटलं तरी बोलणं हवा-बोलणं. master / mentor / देव अजून सादर नाही कारण दृष्टी दृष्टीला भेटली नाही. उपाय better बोलणं नाही — शरीर खऱ्या भावनेकडे परत येणं. डोळे ओले होईपर्यंत आणि हृदय कळवळेपर्यंत भेट झाली नाही.

Where this applies

Spiritual words not bearing fruit. Check for tears and pang.
Encountered repeatedly without eye-meeting-eye. Hasn't happened yet.
Master not attentive. Eye must meet eye first.