Abhanga 538
The right path suits your own capacity and is understood only by walking it, so once you've crossed over, don't destroy that path or hoard your knowledge, since others still need it and unused knowledge helps no one.
The verse
अधिकार तैसा दावियेले मार्ग । चालतां हें मग कळों येतें ॥१॥ जाळूं नये नाव पावलेनि पार । मागील आधार बहुतांचा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे रोग वैदाचे अंगीं । नाहीं करी जगीं उपकार ॥३॥
Literal translation
Adhikāra — accordingly — mārga shown — walking — kaḷōm-yētē. Don't burn — nāva — after pāra — āḍhāra — of many behind. Tuka says: rōga — vaidya's body — no — upakāra — in world.
मराठी: अधिकार तैसा दावियेले मार्ग — चालतां हें मग कळों येतें. जाळूं नये नाव पावलेनि पार — मागील आधार बहुतांचा. तुकाराम म्हणतां — रोग वैदाचे अंगीं — नाहीं करी जगीं उपकार.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अधिकार तैसा दावियेले मार्ग | "adhikāra — accordingly — mārga shown" |
| चालतां हें मग कळों येतें | "by walking — kaḷōm-yētē" |
| जाळूं नये नाव पावलेनि पार | "don't burn — nāva — after pāra" |
| मागील आधार बहुतांचा | "support — of many behind" |
| रोग वैदाचे अंगीं | "rōga — vaidya's body" |
| नाहीं करी जगीं उपकार | "no — upakāra — in world" |
What it means
A adhikāra-mārga-don't-burn-boat-vaidya-with-rōga abhang. Tradition-as-bridge-for-others register. Three claims:
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अधिकार तैसा दावियेले मार्ग — चालतां हें मग कळों येतें — adhikāra accordingly — mārga shown — walking — kaḷōm-yētē. The opening-claim: according toadhikāra(capacity, qualification, fitness) — themārga(path) isdāviyēlē(shown); by walking (cālatām) — that comes-to-be-known (kaḷōm yētē). Path-shown-according-to-capacity-and-known-only-by-walking. Don't expect-to-know-without-walking.
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जाळूं नये नाव पावलेनि पार — मागील आधार बहुतांचा — don't burn the nāva after pāra — āḍhāra of many behind. The don't-burn-the-boat-claim: don't burn (jāḷūm nayē) thenāva(boat) afterpāvalēnī(having-reached) thepāra(other-shore); (it is) theāḍhāra(support) of manymāgīla(behind). Tradition-as-boat-for-the-many-behind. (One of Tukaram's most-cited responsibility-claims: don't destroy-the-tradition after-you-have-crossed; others need it.)
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तुका म्हणे रोग वैदाचे अंगीं — नाहीं करी जगीं उपकार — Tuka says: rōga in vaidya's body — no upakāra in world. The closing-failed-mediator-image: Tuka says: therōga(disease) is in thevaidya's (doctor's) own body; yet he does noupakāra(good-doing, beneficence) in thejaga(world). Failed-vaidya-image: a doctor with the disease he should cure does no good for the world. The bhakta-mediator-must-do-good-not-just-have-the-knowledge.
[T]
For someone today
The right path for you is shown according to your own capacity, and you only truly come to understand it by walking it, not by hearing about it secondhand. Once you have crossed over using that path, don't burn the boat behind you, it is still the support many others will need to make the same crossing. And don't be like a doctor who carries the very disease he knows how to cure, yet does nothing to help anyone else with it: knowledge you keep to yourself, without acting to pass it on, helps no one in the world.
मराठी: तुमच्यासाठी योग्य असलेला मार्ग तुमच्या स्वतःच्या पात्रतेनुसार दाखवला जातो, आणि तो खरोखर समजतो तो त्यावरून चालल्यावरच, नुसतं ऐकल्याने नाही. एकदा त्या मार्गाने पैलतीरी पोहोचलात की मागची नाव जाळून टाकू नका — ती अजूनही अनेकांना तीच वाट ओलांडायला आधार म्हणून लागणार आहे. आणि असे वैद्य होऊ नका जो स्वतःच्या अंगात असलेल्या रोगावर उपाय जाणतो, पण त्याचा उपयोग इतरांना करून देत नाही — जे ज्ञान तुम्ही फक्त स्वतःपुरतं ठेवता, पुढे पोहोचवत नाही, त्याने जगाचं काहीच भलं होत नाही.
Where this applies
- Adhikāra-mārga — walk-to-know. Capacity-fit.
- Don't-burn-the-nāva. Responsibility-of-crossed.
- Vaidyawithrōga. Mediation-requires-action.
- Tradition-as-bridge. Others-need-it.