Abhanga 84
This abhang is for the moment when you notice you've been talking about giving / generosity / spiritual service while the actual giving stays absent — or when the giving moment comes, the hand trembles. Tukaram's diagnostic: the giving is not in the mind yet. Tongue-words without mind-substance produce no form. The cure is upstream — generate the giving in the mind before the hand. The form follows what is in the mind. Trying to force the form without the upstream is asafoetida-in-milk: it spoils both the offering and the offerer.
The verse
दानें कांपे हात । नाव तेविशीं मात ॥१॥ कथी चावटीचे बोल । हिंग क्षीरीं मिथ्या फोल ॥ध्रु.॥ न वजती पाप । तीर्था म्हणे वेचूं काय ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मनीं नाहीं । न ये आकारातें कांहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: At giving, the hand trembles; the tongue rests on (talking about) it. (He) narrates hot-air words — like asafoetida in milk, false chaff. His sins do not depart; (yet) he says of pilgrimage "what would be the cost?" Tuka says: what is not in the mind — nothing comes into form.
मराठी: दान देताना हात कांपतो; जीभ त्याबद्दल बोलते. चावटीचे बोल बोलतो; दूधात हिंग — मिथ्या फोल. पापं जात नाहीत; तीर्थाला "खर्च काय?" म्हणतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात — मनात नाही — आकारात येत नाही.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दानें कांपे हात | "the hand trembles at giving" |
| नाव तेविशीं मात | "the tongue rests on it" (chatters about it) |
| कथी चावटीचे बोल | "narrates hot-air words" |
| हिंग क्षीरीं मिथ्या फोल | "asafoetida in milk — false chaff" |
| न वजती पाप | "(his) sins do not go (away)" |
| तीर्था म्हणे वेचूं काय | "(yet he) says of pilgrimage 'what would be the cost?'" (= reluctance to spend on tirth) |
| मनीं नाहीं | "(it) is not in the mind" |
| न ये आकारातें कांहीं | "nothing comes into form" |
What it means
The closing line is a manifestation principle: मनीं नाहीं, न ये आकारातें कांहीं — what is not in the mind, nothing comes into form. The visible action is downstream of the inner state; if the inner state has stinginess, the hand will tremble at giving regardless of how the tongue rehearses the gesture. The middle image is sharp: हिंग क्षीरीं — asafoetida in milk — a strong-smelling condiment in pure milk produces immediate spoilage; tongue-words without inner-substance produce the same. [T]
For someone today
This abhang is for the moment when you notice you've been talking about giving / generosity / spiritual service while the actual giving stays absent — or when the giving moment comes, the hand trembles. Tukaram's diagnostic: the giving is not in the mind yet. Tongue-words without mind-substance produce no form. The cure is upstream — generate the giving in the mind before the hand. The form follows what is in the mind. Trying to force the form without the upstream is asafoetida-in-milk: it spoils both the offering and the offerer.
मराठी: ही ओवी अशा क्षणासाठी जेव्हा तुम्ही दान / उदारता / सेवा यांच्याबद्दल बोलत राहता पण प्रत्यक्ष दान अनुपस्थित — किंवा दान देण्याच्या क्षणी हात कांपतो. तुकारामांचं diagnostic: दान अजून मनात नाही. mind-substance शिवाय tongue-words form निर्माण करत नाहीत. उपाय upstream — मनात दान निर्माण करा — मग हात. form मनात जे आहे त्याचं अनुसरण करतो. upstream शिवाय form forced केला तर — दूधात हिंग — offering आणि offerer दोन्ही बिघडतात.
Where this applies
- Hand trembles at giving. Upstream stinginess. Address the mind.
- Talking generosity, action absent. Manifestation requires mind first.
- Form-without-mind. Asafoetida in milk.