Abhanga 995
Real change starts with admitting that cleverness without genuine feeling is empty, and that you haven't yet overcome even your own smallest fault.
The verse
चतुर मी जालों आपुल्या भोंवता । भावेंविण रिता फुंज अंगीं ॥१॥ आतां पुढें वांयां जावें हें तें काई । कामक्रोधें ठायीं वास केला ॥ध्रु.॥ गुणदोष आले जगाचे अंतरा । भूताच्या मत्सरावरी बुद्धि ॥२॥ तुका हमणे करूं उपदेश लोकां । नाहीं जालों एका परता दोषा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Catura — bhōvatām — no bhāva — phuñja — anga. Vāyām — what — kāma-krōdha — vāsa. Guṇa-dōṣa — jagat — antara — matsara — buddhi. Tuka says: upadēśa — lōka — not — gone past — ēkā dōṣa.
मराठी: चतुर मी जालों — आपुल्या भोंवता — भावें-विण रिता फुंज अंगीं. आतां पुढें वांयां जावें — हें तें काई — काम-क्रोधें ठायीं वास केला. गुण-दोष — जगाचे — अंतरा आले — भूताच्या मत्सरा-वरी बुद्धि. Tuka म्हणे: करूं उपदेश लोकां — नाहीं जालों एका परता दोषा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| चतुर मी जालों आपुल्या भोंवता | "catura — bhōvatām" |
| भावेंविण रिता फुंज अंगीं | "no bhāva — empty phuñja — anga" |
| आतां पुढें वांयां जावें हें तें काई | "vāyām — what" |
| कामक्रोधें ठायीं वास केला | "kāma-krōdha — vāsa" |
| गुणदोष आले जगाचे अंतरा | "guṇa-dōṣa — jagat — antara" |
| भूताच्या मत्सरावरी बुद्धि | "matsara — buddhi" |
| करूं उपदेश लोकां | "upadēśa — lōka" |
| नाहीं जालों एका परता दोषा | "not — gone past — ēkā dōṣa" |
What it means
A I-became-clever-around-myself-but-without-bhāva-empty-puff-on-body-now-what-point-going-ahead-in-vain-kāma-krōdha-lodged-residence-here-guṇa-dōṣa-of-jagat-entered-antara-buddhi-on-matsara-of-bhūtas-I'd-give-upadēśa-but-haven't-gone-past-even-one-fault abhang. Haven't-gone-past-even-one-fault register. One of Tukaram's most disarming first-person self-confession abhangs. Four claims:
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चतुर-भोंवता — भाव-विण-फुंज. Clever-around-myself-without-bhāva-claim. I becamecatura(clever, smart) around-myself; but withoutbhāva(heart, real-feeling), (it is just) an emptyphuñja(puff, swelling) on theanga(body). (Cleverness without bhāva is a swollen-empty-balloon on the body — appears full, holds nothing.)
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पुढें-वांयां — काम-क्रोध-वास. Kāma-krōdha-lodged-residence-claim. Now what's-the-point of going-ahead-in-vain; kāma-krōdha have made a vāsa (residence) in (this) place. (Theṭhāyī— the veryplace where I am — has become the residence of kāma-krōdha. Tuka admits the inner-condition.)
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गुण-दोष-जग-अंतर — भूत-मत्सर-बुद्धि. Guṇa-dōṣa-of-jagat-entered-antara-buddhi-on-matsara-claim. Theguṇa-dōṣa(virtues-and-faults) ofjagat(the world) have come into (my)antara(interior); thebuddhiis upon thematsara(jealousy, envious-rivalry) ofbhūtas(beings). (I look at others' faults, my buddhi is set on jealousy-of-creatures.)
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Tuka: उपदेश-लोकां — एका-परता-दोषा-नाहीं. Haven't-gone-past-even-one-fault-claim. Tuka says: I'd giveupadēśa(instruction) tolōkas(people); but I have not gone past evenēkādōṣa(one fault). (The classic Tuka self-confession: I would lecture others, yet I have not surmounted a single fault myself.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram confesses that his own cleverness, without real feeling, is just empty display, like a hollow swelling that looks full but holds nothing. He admits that anger and desire have quietly taken up residence in him, and that his mind keeps tracking other people's faults and rivalries instead of his own. He's honest that he would happily lecture others, yet he hasn't managed to overcome even one fault in himself.
मराठी: तुकाराम कबूल करतात की खरी भावना नसलेली चतुराई म्हणजे केवळ रिकामा दिखावा आहे, फुगलेला पण आतून पोकळ. राग आणि वासना आपल्या मनात हळूच वस्ती करून राहिले आहेत, हे ते मान्य करतात. इतरांचे दोष आणि मत्सर शोधण्यातच बुद्धी गुंतलेली असते, स्वतःकडे मात्र लक्ष जात नाही. लोकांना उपदेश करावासा वाटतो, पण स्वतःचा एकही दोष अजून दूर झालेला नाही, हे ते प्रामाणिकपणे सांगतात.
Where this applies
- Cleverness-without-bhāva. Phuñja.
- Kāma-krōdha-lodged. Residence.
- Mind-on-others'-faults. Matsara.
- Self-confession. Can't-preach-myself.