Abhanga 1211
The body is just elements bundled with ego and consumed by time, but you can still uproot your own desires, and it is the hidden, inward effort that truly counts.
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
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
- When you're gripped by fear of death or of losing your body
- When you catch yourself over-identifying with what is mine or what belongs to you
- When you notice a desire growing and quietly taking over your choices
- When you're tempted to perform devotion or virtue publicly rather than practicing it quietly