Abhanga 150
English: Fugadi-fū-fugadi — in playing, one stays open / exposed; having dropped shame, the two look at each other.
The verse
फुगडी फू फुगडी घालितां उघडी राहे । लाज सांडोनि एक एकी पाहे ॥१॥ फुगडी गे अवघें मोडी गे । तरीच गोडी गे संसार तोडी गे ॥ध्रु.॥ मागें जें शिकली होतीस पोटीं । तें चि विचारूनि आतां उच्चारी ओठीं ॥२॥ त्रिगुणांची वेणी तुझे उडते पाठीं । सावरूनि धरी घाली मूळबंदीं गांठी ॥३॥ आगळें पाउल जिंके एकाएक । पावसी मान हे मानवती तिन्ही लोक ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे तुजमजमध्यें एक भाव । सम तुकें बार घेऊं पावों उंच ठाव ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Fugadi-fū-fugadi — in playing, one stays open / exposed; having dropped shame, the two look at each other. Fugadi, sister — break it all — only then sweetness, only then samsāra is cut. What you learned long ago in the womb — consider it now and utter it on the lips. Your three-strand braid (triguna) flies behind — gather it and tie the knot at the root. The agile foot wins all-at-once; you reach honour — even the three worlds offer respect. Tuka says: between you-and-me, one bhāva — of equal-measure, taking the heavy lift, we reach the high place.
मराठी: फुगडी-फू-फुगडी — खेळताना उघडं राहावं लागतं; लाज सांडून एकमेकीला पाहायचं. फुगडी गे, अवघं मोडी गे — तरीच गोडी, तरीच संसार तोडी. आधी पोटात शिकलं होतीस ते — विचार करून ओठांवर आण. त्रिगुणांची वेणी पाठी उडते — सावरून मूळबंदीत गांठ घाल. आगळं पाऊल एकाएकी जिंकतं — मान मिळतो — तिन्ही लोक मानवतात. तुकाराम म्हणतात — तुज-मज-मध्ये एक भाव — समतुक्याने बार घेऊन उंच ठाव गाठू.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| फुगडी फू फुगडी | "fugadi-fū-fugadi" — onomatopoeic call of a girls' Marathi spinning-game where two players hold hands, lean back, and spin |
| घालितां उघडी राहे | "in the playing — (one stays) open / exposed" |
| लाज सांडोनि एक एकी पाहे | "having dropped shame — they look at each other" |
| अवघें मोडी गे तरीच गोडी गे संसार तोडी गे | "spin and break it — only then sweetness — only then samsāra is cut" |
| मागें जें शिकली होतीस पोटीं | "what you learned (long ago) in (mother's) womb" |
| तें चि विचारूनि आतां उच्चारी ओठीं | "consider that — and now utter (it) on the lips" |
| त्रिगुणांची वेणी तुझे उडते पाठीं | "your three-strand braid (the triguna — sattva, rajas, tamas) flies behind" |
| सावरूनि धरी घाली मूळबंदीं गांठी | "gather and hold — tie the knot at the root" |
| आगळें पाउल जिंके एकाएक | "the agile foot wins all-at-once" |
| पावसी मान हे मानवती तिन्ही लोक | "you reach (such) honour — even the three worlds offer respect" |
| तुजमजमध्यें एक भाव | "between you-and-me — one bhāva" |
| सम तुकें बार घेऊं पावों उंच ठाव | "of equal-measure — taking the bār (the heavy lift) we reach the high place" |
What it means
A folk-game-as-bhakti-allegory. The Marathi fugadi is a children's spinning-game (especially girls') where two players hold hands, lean back at full extension, and spin in a circle, faster and faster. The game requires: - Mutual-trust (if one lets go, both fall) - Equal-measure (sizes must match for the spin to balance) - Dropping-of-shame (proximity, holding-hands, looking-at-each-other) - Synchronized-foot-work
Tukaram makes this the metaphor: bhakti is spinning-with-the-deity-or-with-a-fellow-bhakta. The gōḍī (sweetness) and the samsāra-tōḍī (cutting-of-samsāra) come only from the spinning. The triguna-braid (sattva-rajas-tamas) is gathered and tied at the root. The one-bhāva-between-you-and-me and equal-measure are required for reaching the उंच ठाव (high place). [T] [Tradition]
For someone today
This abhang names a structure modern individualism misses. There are forms of spiritual progress that cannot be done alone — they require a partner (a deity-relationship, a sangha, a beloved teacher, a fellow bhakta) and equal-measure. The fugadi-spin is the metaphor: alone, no spin; un-equal-measure, no balance; with-shame, no proximity. The उंच ठाव — high place — is reached only by two-of-equal-measure spinning together with full proximity.
The application: notice what you've been trying to do alone that requires a partner. The dropping-of-shame is the entry-fee. The equal-measure is the engineering requirement.
मराठी: ही ओवी आधुनिक individualism जे miss करते ती रचना नाव सांगते. आध्यात्मिक प्रगतीची काही रूपं एकट्याने करता येत नाहीत — त्यांना partner (देव-नातं, संघ, प्रिय शिक्षक, सह-भक्त) आणि समतुक्य लागतं. fugadi-spin metaphor: एकट्याने spin नाही; un-equal-measure ने balance नाही; लाजेसह proximity नाही. उंच ठाव — दोन-equal-measure full proximity ने spin केल्यानेच गाठला जातो.
lागू: तुम्ही जे एकट्याने करायचा प्रयत्न करत आहात त्यासाठी partner लागतो का लक्षात घ्या. लाज-सोडणं entry-fee. समतुक्य engineering requirement.
Where this applies
- Refusing mutual play. सोडोनि लाज एक एकी पाहे.
- Triguna-braid flying. Gather and tie at root.
- Equal-measure with a partner. Reach the high place.