Abhanga 107
The woman who hasn't given birth performs the post-birth ritual — borrowing authority. The strained burp shows no real meal. Speak only what you've experienced; without it, your hot air carries nothing.
The verse
व्याल्याविण करी शोभनतांतडी । चार ते गधडी करीतसे ॥१॥ कासया पाल्हाळ आणिकांचे देखी । सांगतां नव्हे सुखी साखरेसि ॥ध्रु.॥ कुंथाच्या ढेकरें न देवेल पुष्टी । रूप दावी कष्टी मळिण वरी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे अरे वाचाळ हो ऐका । अनुभवेंविण नका वाव घेऊं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Without having given birth, she performs the shobhan (festive post-birth ritual) — does the foolish business. Why elaborate by watching others? The sugar's sweetness is not made present by saying. The strained burp will not give nourishment; it shows a face strained and impure on top. Tuka says: O chatterers, listen — without experience, do not claim a place.
मराठी: व्याल्याविण शोभनतांतडी करते — गधडी करते. आणिकांच्या देखाव्यावर पाल्हाळ का? बोलल्याने साखरेला सुखी करता येत नाही. कुंथेचा ढेकर पुष्टी देत नाही; वर रूप कष्टी, मळीण. तुकाराम म्हणतात — अरे वाचाळांनो, ऐका — अनुभवेंविण वाव घेऊ नका.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| व्याल्याविण करी शोभनतांतडी | "without having given birth, performs the shobhan (post-birth festive ritual)" |
| चार ते गधडी करीतसे | "she does the foolish business" (गधडी = foolish-show) |
| कासया पाल्हाळ आणिकांचे देखी | "why elaborate by watching others?" |
| सांगतां नव्हे सुखी साखरेसि | "by saying, the sugar (sweetness) is not (made) happy / present" |
| कुंथाच्या ढेकरें न देवेल पुष्टी | "the strained-burp will not give nourishment" |
| रूप दावी कष्टी मळिण वरी | "shows a face strained, dirty on top" |
| अरे वाचाळ हो ऐका | "O chatterers, listen" |
| अनुभवेंविण नका वाव घेऊं | "without experience, don't take (false) accommodation" (वाव = accommodation, place / standing) |
What it means
Three precise images: (1) व्याल्याविण शोभनतांतडी — post-birth-festival without having given birth — performing a ceremony for an event you haven't experienced; (2) कुंथाच्या ढेकरें न देवेल पुष्टी — the strained burp gives no nourishment — pair with 0070; the burp without the meal is not nutrition. (3) अनुभवेंविण वाव नका घेऊं — don't claim a place without experience. The structural claim: authority comes from anubhava (lived experience), not from paalha (elaborate borrowed talk). [T]
For someone today
This abhang is for the moment when you find yourself about to speak authoritatively on something you haven't lived. The shobhan-without-birth image is precise: you are doing the ceremony of the event without having had the event. Tukaram's instruction: अनुभवेंविण नका वाव घेऊं — don't claim place without experience. The corollary: when listening, weight others' speech by their anubhava — not their fluency. Borrowed-fluency is everywhere; lived speech is rare and recognizable.
मराठी: ही ओवी अशा क्षणासाठी जेव्हा तुम्ही जे जगलात नाही त्यावर authoritative बोलायला निघालात. व्याल्याविण शोभनतांतडी image अचूक: ज्या घटनेची तुम्ही अनुभव घेतला नाही त्याचा सोहळा करताय. तुकारामांची सूचना: अनुभवेंविण वाव नका घेऊं. परिणाम: ऐकताना इतरांच्या बोलण्याला अनुभवाच्या तराजूत मोजा — fluency ने नाही. उधारी fluency सर्वत्र; lived बोलणं दुर्मिळ आणि ओळखता येण्यासारखं.
Where this applies
- About to speak authoritatively on unlived experience. Stop. अनुभवेंविण नका वाव घेऊं.
- Teacher's teaching feels strained. Read the kunthā-burp.
- Listening to fluent advice without weight. Source elsewhere.