संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 982 of 4582

Abhanga 982

When the donkey's bray changes moment-by-moment — and you have to recognize this register
When such are the qualities of the adhama; no single-mode mind — and you accept this image
When fine at birth; as form grows, decays — and you allow this image

The verse

गाढवाचें तानें । पालटलें क्षणक्षणें ॥१॥ तैसे अधमाचे गुण । एकविध नाहीं मन ॥ध्रु.॥ उपजतां बरें दिसे । रूप वाढतां तें नासे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भुंकते वेळे । वेळ अवेळ न कळे ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Gāḍhavātānapālaṭalēkṣaṇa-kṣaṇē. Adhamaguṇaeka-vidha — none. Upajatābarērūpanāsē. Tuka says: bhunkatēvēḷa-avēḷa — none.

मराठी: गाढवाचें तानें — पालटलें क्षण-क्षणें. तैसे अधमाचे गुण — एक-विध नाहीं मन. उपजतां बरें दिसे — रूप वाढतां तें नासे. Tuka म्हणे: भुंकते वेळे — वेळ-अवेळ न कळे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
गाढवाचें तानें "gāḍhavātāna"
पालटलें क्षणक्षणें "pālaṭalēkṣaṇa-kṣaṇē"
तैसे अधमाचे गुण "adhamaguṇa"
एकविध नाहीं मन "eka-vidhamana"
उपजतां बरें दिसे "upajatābarē"
रूप वाढतां तें नासे "rūpanāsē"
भुंकते वेळे "bhunkatē"
वेळ अवेळ न कळे "vēḷa-avēḷa"

What it means

A donkey's-bray-changes-moment-by-moment-such-are-adhama-qualities-no-single-mode-mind-fine-at-birth-decays-as-form-grows-at-barking-doesn't-know-time-from-untime abhang. Donkey-bray-no-single-mode register. Three claims:

  1. गाढव-तानें-पालटलें — अधम-गुण-एक-विध-नाहीं. Donkey-bray-not-steady-claim. The gāḍhavā's tāna changes moment-by-moment; such are adhama guṇa; no eka-vidha mana.

  2. उपजतां-बरें — रूप-वाढतां-नासे. Decays-as-form-grows-claim. At upajatā, barē; as rūpa grows, nāsē.

  3. Tuka: भुंकते-वेळे — वेळ-अवेळ-न-कळे. Doesn't-know-time-and-untime-claim. Tuka says: at bhunkatē-time; vēḷa-avēḷa — none-known*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the donkey-bray-no-single-mode register:

  1. Donkey's bray changes moment-by-moment. Inconstant.

  2. Adhama's qualities — no single-mind; fine at birth, decays. Decays.

  3. At barking time, doesn't know time and untime. Untimely.

For today: gāḍhavā tāna pālaṭalē kṣaṇa-kṣaṇē; adhama guṇa — no eka-vidha mana; upajatā barē, *rūpa-vāḍhatā nāsē; bhunkatē-vēḷēvēḷa-avēḷa not known*.

This abhang is Tukaram's donkey-bray-no-single-mode registerone of the most-precise anti-fool diagnostic statements. Compare 0894 insensitive-fool-named (Tuka's mudra); same fool-naming but here organized through donkey-bray-decays-untimely. The vēḷa avēḷa na kaḷē (doesn't know time-and-untime) is the precise no-discernment claim*.

मराठी: ही ओवी donkey-bray-no-single-mode register नाव सांगते:

  1. गाढव-तानें-पालटलें. Inconstant.

  2. रूप-वाढतां-नासे. Decays.

  3. वेळ-अवेळ-न-कळे. Untimely.

आज: Gāḍhavā tāna pālaṭalē; adhama guṇaeka-vidha नाहीं; Upajatā barē, rūpa-vāḍhatā nāsē; Bhunkatē-vēḷēvēḷa-avēḷa कळे नाहीं.

Tukaram च-donkey-bray-no-single-mode-registerMost-precise anti-fool diagnostic statements पैकी एक. 0894 (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच fool-naming पण इथे donkey-bray-decays-untimely च्या मार्गाने. Vēḷa avēḷa na kaḷē precise no-discernment claim.

Where this applies

Related verses