Abhanga 775
English: Vākhara — came-with — to-him — taravāra — hālē.
The verse
वाखर घेउनि आलें । त्यासी तरवारेणें हालें ॥१॥ नव्हे आपुलें उचित । करुनि टाकावें फजित ॥ध्रु.॥ अंगुळिया मोडी । त्यासी काय सिलें घोडीं ॥२॥ नपुंसकासाठीं । तुका म्हणे न लगे जेठी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Vākhara — came-with — to-him — taravāra — hālē. No — our — ucita — make — phajita. Anguḷiyā — breaker — to him — what — silē ghōḍī. Napumsaka — Tuka says: no need — jēṭhī.
मराठी: वाखर घेऊन आला — त्यासी तरवारेणें हालें. नव्हे आपुलें उचित — करुनि टाकावें फजित. अंगुळिया मोडी — त्यासी काय सिलें-घोडी?. नपुंसकासाठी — Tuka म्हणे: न लगे जेठी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वाखर घेउनि आलें | "vākhara — came-with" |
| त्यासी तरवारेणें हालें | "to-him — taravāra — hālē" |
| नव्हे आपुलें उचित | "no — our — ucita" |
| करुनि टाकावें फजित | "make — phajita" |
| अंगुळिया मोडी | "anguḷiyā — breaker" |
| त्यासी काय सिलें घोडीं | "to him — what — silē ghōḍī" |
| नपुंसकासाठीं | "napumsaka" |
| न लगे जेठी | "no need — jēṭhī" |
What it means
A merchant-attacked-with-sword-not-right-to-mock-finger-breaker-no-horse-no-wrestler-for-impotent abhang. Anti-show-of-strength register. Three claims:
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Vākhara-घेऊन-आला — त्यासी-तरवार-हालें — नव्हे-आपुलें-ucita — phajita-करावें. Merchant-attacked-with-sword-claim. A merchant came carrying vākhara (goods, merchandise — to trade); to him, they hālē (moved, struck, lifted) with the taravāra (sword); it is not our ucita (right thing); to make him phajita (mocked, exposed, humiliated). Don't-attack-a-merchant-with-sword; not-our-right-to-mock*.
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अंगुळिया-मोडी — त्यासी-काय-silē-ghōḍī. Finger-breaker-no-horses-needed-claim. (One who) breaks anguḷiyā (fingers — i.e., one already weak, or one who breaks one's-own-fingers in distress); what (need is there) of silē ghōḍī (the horses-for-the-army) for him?. Finger-breaker-doesn't-need-horses-for-army*.
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Tuka: नपुंसकासाठी — न लगे जेठी. No-wrestler-for-impotent-claim. Tuka says: for a napumsaka (impotent man, a weak-one) — no jēṭhī (wrestler) is needed. No-wrestler-for-impotent*.
The general-thrust: don't-bring-disproportionate-force; matching-strength-to-weakness is wrong. The bhakta is criticizing those who attack-the-weak with-disproportionate-strength — bringing-sword-against-merchant, horses-against-finger-breaker, wrestler-against-impotent.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the anti-show-of-strength register:
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Merchant-attacked-with-sword; not our right to mock him. Merchant-not-mocked.
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Finger-breaker doesn't need horses for the army. Disproportion.
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No wrestler is needed for an impotent man. No-wrestler.
For today: don't attack the weak with disproportionate-force; the vākhara-merchant (peaceful trader) shouldn't be met with the taravāra (sword); one who breaks-his-own-fingers (in distress) doesn't need silē ghōḍī (army-horses) sent-after-him; no jēṭhī (wrestler) is needed for a napumsaka**.
This abhang is Tukaram's anti-show-of-strength-and-no-disproportionate-force register — one of the most-ethical aphorism-abhangs. Compare 0775's-companion 0773 no-mānā-māna-bandhana (Tuka's mudra); same not-engaging-with-the-low-counterpart. The napumsakā-sāṭhīm na lagē jēṭhī (no-wrestler-for-impotent) is one of Tukaram's most-direct anti-disproportionate-force aphorisms.
मराठी: ही ओवी anti-show-of-strength register नाव सांगते:
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Merchant-तरवार-attack; मॉक-करावं-नाही. Merchant-not-mocked.
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Finger-breaker-ला horses-नकोत. Disproportion.
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Napumsaka-साठी जेठी-नकोत. No-wrestler.
आज: Weak-ला disproportionate-force-ने attack-करूं नये; Vākhara-merchant (peaceful-trader) ला taravāra (sword) मारणं चूक; Anguḷiyā (fingers) breaker-ला silē ghōḍī (army-horses) नकोत; Napumsaka-ला jēṭhī (wrestler) नको*.
Tukaram च-anti-show-of-strength-and-no-disproportionate-force-register — Most-ethical aphorism-abhangs पैकी एक. 0773 no-mānā-māna-bandhana (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच not-engaging-with-the-low-counterpart. Napumsakā-sāṭhīm na lagē jēṭhī Tukaram च्या most-direct anti-disproportionate-force aphorisms पैकी एक.
Where this applies
- No sword to merchant.* Disproportion.
- No horses to finger-breaker.* Disproportion.
- No wrestler to impotent.* Disproportion.