Abhanga 1298
For today: the world is Deva — but rebuke the bad svabhāva out of hita-kaḷavaḷā; without it, kāla takes them.
The verse
जग तरि आम्हां देव । परि हे निंदितों स्वभाव ॥१॥ येतो हिताचा कळवळा । पडती हातीं म्हुन काळा ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं कोणी सखा । आम्हां निपराध पारिखा ॥२॥ उपक्रमें वदे । तुका वर्मासी तें भेदे ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: The jaga is Deva to us — yet I rebuke (the bad) svabhāva. The kaḷavaḷā of (their) hita arises (in me) — (because they) fall into the hand of kāla. No one (here) is sakhā — to us, even the niparādha is pārikha. Tuka speaks by upakrama — that pierces the varma.
मराठी: जग आम्हांला देव-च खरें — पण ह्या (वाईट) स्वभावाला निंदितों. त्यांच्या हिताचा कळवळा येतो — कारण नाहींतर — ते कालाच्या हातीं पडतील. इथें कोणीच सखा नाहीं — आमच्यासाठीं — निपराध-हि पारिखा. Tukā उपक्रमें वदतो — तेच वर्मास भेदतें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जग तरि आम्हां देव | "the jaga (world) is Deva to us" |
| परि हे निंदितों स्वभाव | "but I rebuke (this) — the (bad) svabhāva" |
| येतो हिताचा कळवळा | "the kaḷavaḷā (heart-pang) of (their) hita arises (in me)" |
| पडती हातीं म्हुन काळा | "(because they) fall into the hand of kāla" |
| नाहीं कोणी सखा | "no one (here) is sakhā (close-friend)" |
| आम्हां निपराध पारिखा | "to us, even the niparādha (innocent) is pārikha (alien)" |
| उपक्रमें वदे | "(Tuka) speaks by upakrama (preliminary opening)" |
| तुका वर्मासी तें भेदे | "Tuka — that pierces (bhēdē) the varma (the vital secret-spot)" |
What it means
The teacher's-paradox abhang. The opening tension is precise: jaga tarī āmhām Deva — the world is Deva to us (cf. 1238 Viṭṭhala sarva-bhūtīm). But pari hē nindītōm svabhāva — yet I rebuke (this) — the (bad) svabhāva.
How to reconcile? — yētō hitācā kaḷavaḷā — the heart-pang of their hita arises. The rebuke is for-their-good. Without it, paḍatī hātīm mhuna kāḷā — they fall into kāla's hand (= die unredeemed).
Nāhīm kōṇī sakhā — no one (here) is sakhā — even Tuka is alone in this care. Niparādha pārikha — even the niparādha (innocent) is pārikha (alien) to us — meaning Tuka can't claim closeness with anyone, no special friends to plead for; his rebuke is universal.
The closing technical line: upakramē vadē — Tukā varmāsī tē bhēdē — (Tuka) speaks by upakrama (a preliminary, an opening / strategic-frame) — and that pierces the varma. Tuka's technique is upakrama-vāda — strategic openings — which find the varma (the vital secret-spot, the joint-of-the-armor).
[T]
For someone today
For today: the world is Deva — but rebuke the bad svabhāva out of hita-kaḷavaḷā; without it, kāla takes them.
Where this applies
- World-is-Deva-yet-rebuke-bad.* Jaga-tarī-Deva-pari-nindītōm-svabhāva.
- Hita-kaḷavaḷā-compels.* Yētō-hitācā-kaḷavaḷā.
- Kāla-takes-otherwise.* Paḍatī-hātīm-kāḷā.
- Upakrama-pierces-varma.* Upakramē-vadē-varmāsī-bhēdē.