Abhanga 288

English: One pot — one āvā; in the pāka, one hidden in the cellar.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A prārabdha-difference / same-source-different-result abhang. Three claims:

1. कुंभ अवघा एक आवा — पाकीं एकीं गुफे डावा — one pot, one āvā; in the pāka, one hidden in cellar. The firing-image. Same kiln, same firing-process; yet one pot becomes the cooking-vessel; another is left hidden in the cellar. Same source, different prārabdha-fates. (Āvā — the kiln-firing-cycle in pottery.)

2. ऐसे भिन्न भिन्न साटे — केले प्रारब्धानें वांटे — such bhinna-bhinna sāṭē — prārabdha distributed. Sāṭē — exchanges, allotments. Prārabdha (past-karma already-set-in-motion) distributes the different-different sāṭē.

3. हिरे दगड एक खाणी — कैचें विजातीसी पाणी — jewels and stones from one quarry — what pāṇī for the vi-jāti. Same-quarry produces both jewels and stones. Pāṇī in Marathi means water and quality / luster (specifically of jewels — the diamond's pāṇī). The jewel has pāṇī; the stone does not — yet both come from one quarry. Same-source ≠ same-quality. (Vi-jāti — different-jāti / different-class; vi-jāti has no pāṇī.)

4. तुका म्हणे शिरीं — एक एकाची पायरी — Tuka says: at the head — one is the pāyarī of another. The closing-image. Pāyarī — step, threshold. At the head (= in the hierarchy / in the position-arrangement), one is the step of another. The one-above-the-other arrangement is real; some are pāyarī (stepping-stone) for others to rise. (This is structural, not insulting — every step in a staircase is necessary as the foundation for the next.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the same-source-different-prārabdha doctrine:

1. Same source, different fates by prārabdha. Bhinna-bhinna sāṭē — prārabdhānē vāṇṭē. Don't expect uniform-result from same-source. Same kiln, same quarry, same lineage produces different fates by prārabdha-distribution. (Compare 269 anna-māna-dhana — prārabdha-ādhīna.)

2. Jewels and stones from one quarry. This is anti-essentialist in one direction (same source, no inherent superiority) and anti-leveling in another (different pāṇī, real-difference exists). Both are real.

3. Vi-jāti has no pāṇī*. Different-class lacks the (jewel-)water. (Note: Tukaram is using jāti here in the jewel-class sense, not the human-caste sense — given his anti-caste-pride elsewhere. The jāti is determined by the pāṇī, not by birth-class. The jewel has pāṇī; the stone does not — that determines the jāti, not the reverse.)

4. One is the pāyarī of another. Some serve as stepping-stones for others to rise. This is not insulting — every step in a staircase is necessary. The arrangement-of-different-positions is structural; each-position has its function.

For today: recognize that same-source produces different-results by prārabdha; don't claim essential-superiority of source; recognize the real-difference of pāṇī; honor the pāyarī-position when you are at it; honor the next-step when others are pāyarī for your rising.

The important nuance: this abhang is not anti-democratic (= it doesn't say the stone is essentially-inferior); it is honest about prārabdha-difference. The democratic claim is same-source (anti-essentialist); the honest claim is different-pāṇī (real-difference). Both held together.

मराठी: ही ओवी same-source-different-prārabdha doctrine नाव सांगते:

1. Same source, prārabdha ने different fates. भिन्न-भिन्न साटे — प्रारब्धाने वांटे. Same-source कडून uniform-result expect करू नका. Same kiln, same quarry, same lineage prārabdha-distribution ने different fates produce करतं.

2. Jewels आणि stones एका quarry चे. Anti-essentialist एका direction मध्ये (same source, no inherent superiority) आणि anti-leveling दुसऱ्यात (different pāṇī, real-difference exists). दोन्ही real.

3. Vi-jāti ला pāṇī* नाही. Different-class ला (jewel-)water नाही. Tukaram इथे jāti जेवल-class sense मध्ये वापरतायत, human-caste sense मध्ये नाही — त्यांच्या इतर anti-caste-pride लक्षात घेता. Jāti pāṇī ने determined, birth-class ने नाही*.

4. एक दुसऱ्याची पायरी. काही इतरांना rise होण्यासाठी stepping-stones म्हणून serve करतात. Insulting नाही — staircase मधील प्रत्येक step necessary. Different-positions arrangement structural; प्रत्येक-position ला function.

आज: same-source different-results produce करतं prārabdha ने ओळखा; source ची essential-superiority claim करू नका; पाणी ची real-difference ओळखा; पायरी-position वर असाल honor करा; इतर तुमच्या rising साठी पायरी असताना next-step honor करा.

Important nuance: ओवी anti-democratic नाही (= stone essentially-inferior म्हणत नाही); prārabdha-difference बद्दल honest. Democratic claim same-source (anti-essentialist); honest claim different-pāṇī (real-difference). दोन्ही together.

Where this applies

• Same source, different fates by prārabdha. Don't expect uniform.
• Jewels and stones — one quarry. Anti-essentialist + real-difference.
• Vi-jāti by pāṇī, not by birth. Quality-determined.
• One is the pāyarī of another. Honor the position-arrangement.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374
• Abhanga 2377 — English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time.
• Abhanga 2387
• Abhanga 2402