Abhanga 1211
For today: the body is just five elements held together by ahankāra — kāla's snack. The jīva doesn't see death; it transmigrates. The only thing in your hand: uproot the icchā-creeper.
The verse
पंचभूतांचा गोंधळ । केला एकेठायीं मेळ । लाविला सबळ । अहंकार त्यापाठीं ॥१॥ तेथें काय मी तें माझें । कोण वागवी हें ओझें । देहा केवीं रिझे । हें काळाचें भातुकें ॥ध्रु.॥ जीव न देखे मरण । धरी नवी सांडी जीर्ण । संचित प्रमाण । भोगा शुभा अशुभा ॥२॥ इच्छा वाढवी ते वेल । खुंटावा तो खरा बोल । तुका म्हणे मोल । झाकलें तें पावेल ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: The pañca-bhūta gondhaḷ was gathered into a meeting in one place — and behind it the strong ahankāra was strapped. There — what is "I", what is "mine"? Who carries this load? How shall the deha be pleased? — this is kāla's bhātukēm. The jīva doesn't see its own death; picks up new (body), sheds the worn (jīrṇa); samcita is the measure for śubha and aśubha bhogas. Icchā grows the creeper; uprooting it (khuṇṭāvā) is the true word. Tuka says — the worth: the hidden one will attain.
मराठी: पंच-भूतांचा गोंधळ — एका ठायीं मेळ केला — मागें सबळ अहंकार लावला. तिथें "मी" "माझें" काय? — हें ओझें कोण वागवें? — देहाला कसें संतोषावें? — हें तर कालाचें भातुकें (खेळणें / खाण्याचें घास). जीव मरण पाहत नाहीं — नवी (देह) धरतो, जीर्ण सांडतो — संचित-प्रमाण शुभाशुभ भोगतो. इच्छा वाढते वेल आहे — तो खुंटून टाकणें — हाच खरा बोल. Tukā म्हणे — मोल — झाकलेलें (मनोगुप्त) तें पावेल.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पंचभूतांचा गोंधळ | "the gondhal (chaotic gathering) of the five elements" |
| केला एकेठायीं मेळ | "(was) made into a meeting in one place" |
| लाविला सबळ अहंकार त्यापाठीं | "and behind it (tyā-pāṭhīm) was strapped strong ahankāra" |
| तेथें काय मी तें माझें | "there — what is mine, what is I?" |
| कोण वागवी हें ओझें | "who carries this load (ōjhēm)?" |
| देहा केवीं रिझे | "how shall the deha be pleased (rijhē)?" |
| हें काळाचें भातुकें | "this (deha) is kāla's bhātukēm (snack/trifle/playthings-in-a-doll-set)" |
| जीव न देखे मरण | "the jīva doesn't see (its own) maraṇa (death)" |
| धरी नवी सांडी जीर्ण | "picks up new (body), sheds the jīrṇa (worn)" |
| संचित प्रमाण भोगा शुभा अशुभा | "samcita is the measure for śubha and aśubha bhogas" |
| इच्छा वाढवी ते वेल | "icchā (desire) grows the vēla (creeper)" |
| खुंटावा तो खरा बोल | "(uprooting it — khuṇṭāvā) is the true word" |
| तुका म्हणे मोल झाकलें तें पावेल | "Tuka says — the worth (mōla) — what is hidden (jhākalēm) will attain" |
What it means
Body-as-pañca-bhūta-gondhaḷ-with-ahankāra-strapped-on, kāla-as-snacker.
The body's anatomy is laid out: five elements thrown into a meeting (a gondhaḷ — the village dance/chaotic-gathering metaphor is sharp), and behind it (tyā-pāṭhīm — like a load on a porter) the strong ahankāra has been strapped. The aham is the strap that ties the bhūta-bundle into a "self".
The brutal aphorism: hēm kāḷācē bhātukēm. Bhātukēm (also bhātukalī) is the doll-set children play with — a meal-set of toy plates, food, dolls. The body is kāla's bhātukēm — kāla's playset, kāla's snack — to be consumed when kāla feels like it.
The jīva-transmigration teaching follows: jīva itself doesn't see death — it just sheds jīrṇa (worn-out body), picks up a new one, while samcita-prārabdha calibrates the bhogas. The only thing in your hand is icchā vāḍhavī tē vēla — khuṇṭāvā tō kharā bōla — desire is the creeper; uprooting it is the only true word. The closing line jhākalēm tēm pāvēla — "the hidden will attain" — the inner-secret bhakti, not the public show, attains.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the body is just five elements held together by ahankāra — kāla's snack. The jīva doesn't see death; it transmigrates. The only thing in your hand: uproot the icchā-creeper.
Where this applies
- Body-as-pañca-bhūta-bundle.* Pañca-bhūtāncā-gondhaḷa.
- Aham-strapped-on-back.* Sabaḷa-ahankāra-tyā-pāṭhīm.
- Body-is-kāla's-snack.* Kāḷācē-bhātukēm.
- Jīva-transmigrates-doesn't-die.* Jīva-na-dēkhē-maraṇa.
- Uproot-the-icchā-creeper.* Icchā-vēla-khuṇṭāvā.