Abhanga 243

This abhang names a paradox of knowing:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A profound abhang on jāṇa-paṇa creating distance. Four claims:

1. धाकुटयाचे मुखीं घांस घाली माता — वरी करी सत्ता शाहाणियां — the mother puts a morsel into the youngest's mouth — uses authority over the wise. The everyday observation: in a household, the mother feeds the youngest by putting morsels in the mouth; she commands the older-wise children by authority. The intimacy is for the youngest; authority is for the wise.

2. ऐसें जाणपणें पडिलें अंतर — वाढे तों तों थोर अंतराय — such jāṇa-paṇa — the gap is created; the more it grows, the greater the obstacle. The structural-claim. Jāṇa-paṇa — knowing-ness, becoming-old-enough-to-know — itself creates the antara (gap) between the wise-child and the mother. The more knowing-ness grows, the greater the antarāya (obstacle, impediment) between child and mother.

3. दोन्ही उभयतां आपण चि व्याली — आवडीची चाली भिन्न भिन्न — both two — she gave-birth herself — (their) preference's gait is different. The mother gave birth to both — they are both her own. But the āvaḍī's-gait (the form-of-preference, way-of-receiving) is different. The youngest receives by-mouth-feeding; the wise-one receives by-authority-direction. Same mother, different relational-modes.

4. तुका म्हणे अंगापासूनि निराळें — निवडिलें बळें रडतें स्तनीं — Tuka says: separate from the body — the forcefully-selected (one) cries at the breast. The closing-image. The forcefully-separated (= the jāṇa-paṇa-grown wise-child who has been separated-from-the-mother's-body) — cries at the breast. The cry-at-the-breast is the return-attempt. The jāṇa-paṇa-distanced one wants to return; the cry is the return-mode.

The bhakti-application: the jñāni (knower / wise-one) and the bhakta (youngest / direct-receiver) are both children of the same cosmic-mother. But the jāṇa-paṇa of the jñāni has created distance. The bhakta (youngest) is fed by mouth; the jñāni (wise) is commanded by authority. The jñāni longs to return but is forcefully-separated; the cry-at-the-breast is the return-attempt. (Compare 222's all-skilled begs for innocence; 233's wise distant, innocents close.)

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For someone today

This abhang names a paradox of knowing:

1. Knowing-ness itself creates distance from the mother. Jāṇa-paṇa paḍilēm antara. As you grow into knowing, you grow into distance. This is not failure of-knowing; it is what knowing structurally does. Don't be ashamed of the distance; recognize it as the structural cost of jāṇa-paṇa.

2. The bigger the knowing, the greater the obstacle. Vāḍhē tōm tōm thōra antarāya. This is counter-intuitive. Most assume more-knowing = more-spirituality. Tukaram's claim: more knowing = greater obstacle. The antarāya is what-is-in-the-way; knowing-ness puts more in the way.

3. The youngest gets fed by mouth; the wise are commanded. Two relational-modes. If you have moved into the wise-mode (commanding-by-authority register from the cosmic-mother), you have exited the mouth-feeding mode. Don't pretend the modes are interchangeable.

4. The forcefully-separated cries at the breast. Niṇaḍiledalēm baḷē raḍatē stanīm. The cry-at-the-breast is the return-attempt. The jāṇa-paṇa-grown one cries to-return-to-the-mouth-feeding-mode. Recognize this as your own state: if you have been the wise-distant child and now cry at the breast, that cry is the return. (Compare all-skilled begs for innocence.)

For today: recognize that jāṇa-paṇa creates distance, not closeness. Don't accumulate-more-knowing as the path to closeness. Cry at the breast — that is the return-mode of the forcefully-separated.

मराठी: ही ओवी knowing चा paradox नाव सांगते:

1. Knowing-ness स्वतः मातेपासून अंतर create करतं. जाणपणें पडिलें अंतर. Knowing मध्ये grow होतांना — distance मध्ये grow होता. हे knowing चं failure नाही; knowing structurally जे करतं. Distance ची लाज वाटू नका; jāṇa-paṇa चं structural cost म्हणून ओळखा.

2. Knowing जितकं मोठं, antarāya तितकं थोर. वाढे तों तों थोर अंतराय. Counter-intuitive. More-knowing = more-spirituality समजतात बहुतेक. तुकारामांचा दावा: more knowing = greater obstacle. Antarāya — जे मार्गात आहे; knowing-ness अधिक मार्गात ठेवतं*.

3. धाकुटा मुखाने feed होतो; शहाणे command-ने. दोन relational-modes. तुम्ही wise-mode मध्ये गेलात (cosmic-mother कडून commanding-by-authority register) — mouth-feeding mode बाहेर. Modes interchangeable असं pretend करू नका.

4. Forcefully-separated स्तनी रडतो. निवडिलें बळें रडतें स्तनीं. स्तनी रडणं return-attempt. Jāṇa-paṇa-grown one mouth-feeding-mode-कडे परत जायला रडतो. तुमचंच state ओळखा: तुम्ही wise-distant child होतात आणि आता स्तनी रडत असाल — रडणं च return.

आज: jāṇa-paṇa closeness नाही, distance create करतं ओळखा. More-knowing accumulate करणं closeness चा path नाही. स्तनी रडा — forcefully-separated चा return-mode.

Where this applies

• Jāṇa-paṇa creates the antara. Not closeness.
• More knowing → greater obstacle. Counter-intuitive.
• Two relational modes — mouth-feeding vs commanded-by-authority.
• Cry-at-the-breast is the return-mode. निवडिलें बळें रडतें स्तनीं.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2425
• Abhanga 2477 — English: Unceasingly attached, drum-roll in courtyard — holding vaikharī in hand, bhāva sh
• Abhanga 2484
• Abhanga 2540 — English: What greatness will I, low one, describe — you become compassionate, kṛpā-ocean.