Abhanga 150
Some progress only happens together, in matched, unashamed closeness with a partner, not through solitary effort.
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
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 something modern individualism tends to miss: some forms of spiritual progress cannot be done alone. They require a partner — a relationship with the deity, a community, a beloved teacher, a fellow bhakta — and they require two people matched in measure. The fugadi spin is the metaphor: alone, there's no spin; if the two aren't matched in size and strength, there's no balance; and if either one clings to shame, there's no closeness. The high place is reached only when two equally matched partners spin together in full closeness.
The application: notice what you've been trying to do alone that actually needs a partner. Dropping shame is the entry fee, and being equally matched with your partner is the engineering requirement.
मराठी: ही ओवी अशी एक गोष्ट सांगते जी आजच्या व्यक्तिवादी विचारसरणीत सहज विसरली जाते — आध्यात्मिक प्रगतीची काही रूपं एकट्याने साधता येत नाहीत. त्यासाठी जोडीदार लागतो — देवाशी नातं, संघ, प्रिय गुरू, सहभक्त — आणि दोघांचं मापही जुळावं लागतं. फुगडीचा खेळ हे रूपक आहे: एकट्याने फुगडी फिरत नाही; दोघांचं माप जुळलं नाही तर तोल सांभाळत नाही; आणि कुणी लाज सोडली नाही तर जवळीक येत नाही. उंच ठाव फक्त तेव्हाच गाठला जातो जेव्हा समान मापाचे दोघे पूर्ण जवळिकीने एकत्र फिरतात.
व्यवहारात याचा अर्थ असा — तुम्ही जे एकट्याने साधण्याचा प्रयत्न करत आहात, त्यासाठी खरंच जोडीदार लागतो का हे तपासा. लाज सोडणं ही प्रवेश-किंमत आहे, आणि जोडीदाराशी माप जुळणं ही आवश्यक अट आहे.
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.