Abhanga 200

This abhang names three precise inversions:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Continuation of the cosmic-in-cowherd paradox of 176, with sharper inversion-claims. Three moves:

1. ब्रम्हादिकां न कळे खोळ — ते हे आकळ धरिली — Brahmā etc. cannot know the depth — the un-fathomable is held (here, by the cowherds). The standard Vedanta-claim — the absolute is un-graspable by intellect — is true in the Brahmā-register. But here, in the cowherd-register, the un-fathomable is just held. The cowherds don't grasp it intellectually; they just hold it in everyday-cowherd-life. The grasping and the holding are different.

2. मोहरी पांवा वाहे काठी — धांवे पाठीं गाईचे — carries flute, pāva, kāṭhi — runs after cows. The un-fathomable is doing cowherd-work. Pastoral activity is what the un-fathomable does in this register.

3. उच्छिष्ट न लभे देवा — तें हें सदैवां गोवळ्या — the gods cannot get the ucchiṣṭa (leftovers); the lucky cowherds have them. Ucchiṣṭa — the leftover from another's plate — is forbidden in establishment-religion (it is impure). Here, Krishna's ucchiṣṭa is the highest gain — and the gods (Brahmā etc.) cannot get it; the cowherds, lucky, have it. The anti-establishment claim: what is forbidden in the formal-religion is the prize in the bhakti-register. (Compare 184's navavidha-navanīta and 105's ucchiṣṭa-discrimination.)

4. जोड जाली ते हे माउली आमुची — the gain — that is our mother. The jōḍ (the meeting / what is gained / what was found) is itself māulī (mother). The gain is not a prize external to the relationship; the gain is the relationship-as-mother.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names three precise inversions:

1. Hold what cannot be grasped. Brahmā cannot grasp the depth; cowherds hold it. Don't confuse grasping (intellectual-comprehension) with holding (everyday-co-habit). Some things can only be held, not grasped. Stop trying to grasp; just hold.

2. Pastoral work is what the un-fathomable does. Mohari-pāva-kāṭhi runs after cows. The un-fathomable in your life may be doing very ordinary work. Don't expect un-fathomable activity to look un-fathomable; it looks like running after the cows.

3. Ucchiṣṭa-inversion: what is forbidden in formal-frame is the prize in bhakti-frame. The gods cannot get the ucchiṣṭa; the cowherds have it. In your life: notice what your formal-frame says is impure / leftover / lower — and check whether the bhakti-register says it is the actual prize. The inversion is structural.

4. The gain is the relationship-as-mother. Jōḍ jālī tē hē māulī āmuchī. Don't look for external prizes from the relationship; the meeting itself is the mother. The jōḍ (the meeting / the joining) is what feeds you.

For today: stop trying to grasp what can only be held; recognize the un-fathomable doing ordinary-work; look in the forbidden-leftovers register for the actual prize; trust that the relationship itself is the mother, not a means-to-prizes.

मराठी: ही ओवी तीन precise inversions नाव सांगते:

1. Grasp होऊ शकत नाही ते hold करा. ब्रम्हा grasp करू शकत नाही; गोवळी hold करतात. Grasping (intellectual-comprehension) ला holding (everyday-co-habit) शी confuse करू नका. काही गोष्टी फक्त holdable, graspable नाहीत. Grasp करायचा प्रयत्न थांबवा; फक्त hold करा.

2. Pastoral work — un-fathomable काय करतं. मोहरी-पांवा-काठी — गाईच्या पाठी धावते. तुमच्या आयुष्यातलं un-fathomable कदाचित अगदी ordinary work करतंय. Un-fathomable activity un-fathomable दिसेल अशी अपेक्षा करू नका; गाईच्या पाठी धावणं दिसतं.

3. Ucchiṣṭa-inversion: formal-frame मध्ये forbidden — bhakti-frame मध्ये prize. देव ucchiṣṭa घेऊ शकत नाहीत; गोवळी ते आहेत. तुमच्या आयुष्यात: तुमचं formal-frame काय impure / leftover / lower म्हणतं — bhakti-register तेच actual prize म्हणतं का — तपासा. Inversion structural.

4. Gain relationship-as-मातेला* आहे. जोड जाली ते हे माउली आमुची. Relationship कडून external prizes शोधू नका; meeting स्वतः मातेला. जोड* (meeting / joining) पोषण.

आज: grasp होऊ शकत नाही ते hold करायचा प्रयत्न करा; un-fathomable ordinary-work करतंय ओळखा; forbidden-leftovers register मध्ये actual prize पाहा; relationship स्वतःच माउली विश्वास ठेवा, prizes-साठी means नाही.

Where this applies

• Hold what cannot be grasped. आकळ धरिली.
• Un-fathomable doing ordinary work. पाठीं गाईचे.
• Forbidden-leftovers as prize. उच्छिष्ट सदैवां गोवळ्या.
• Relationship-itself as mother. जोड जाली ते हे माउली.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4481
• Abhanga 4482
• Abhanga 4497
• Abhanga 419 — English: Khēcara — khaḍatara — kāḷa-asuras tremble — dwells at Bhīmā-tīra Pandharpur paṭṇī