Abhanga 1312
For today: the bhakta has the right to ask Hari about his self-contradictions — Tuka stands at the door calling: why neti, why not-knowing, why no sānga, why bhēda, why abhimāna in the way?
The verse
वेदपुरुष तरि नेती कां वचन । निवडूनि भिन्न दाखविलें ॥१॥ तुझीं वर्में तूं चि दावूनि अनंता । होतोसी नेणता कोण्या गुणें ॥ध्रु.॥ यज्ञाचा भोक्ता तरि कां नव्हे सांग । उणें पडतां अंग क्षोभ घडे ॥२॥ वससी तूं या भूतांचे अंतरीं । तरि कां भेद हरी दावियेला ॥३॥ तपतिर्थाटणें तुझे मूर्तिदान । तरि कां अभिमान आड येतो ॥४॥ आतां क्षमा कीजे विनवितो तुका । देऊनियां हाका उभा द्वारीं ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: The Veda-puruṣa — why does it speak neti? — having distinguished, it shows (you as) bhinna. Ananta, you yourself reveal your varma — by what guṇa do you act not-knowing? You are the bhōktā of yajña — then why doesn't (the bhōktā) appear? — when uṇē, the body's kṣōbha happens. You reside in these bhūtas' antara — yet why, Hari, have you shown bhēda? Tapa, tīrthāṭana, your mūrti-dāna — yet why does abhimāna come in the way? Now please pardon — Tuka beseeches — giving hākā, standing at the door.
मराठी: वेद-पुरुष — नेती (न-असें) वचन कां? — निवडून — भिन्न (तुला) दाखवलें. तुझीं वर्में तूं-च दावितोस, अनंता — कोणत्या गुणानें — नेणता-होतोस? यज्ञाचा भोक्ता — तरी कां सांग नव्हे? — उणें पडतां — अंगाचा क्षोभ घडे. ह्या भूतांच्या अंतरीं — तूं वसतोस — तरी हरी, बेद कां दाखवलास? तप-तीर्थाटण-तुझें मूर्ति-दान — तरी कां अभिमान आड येतो? आतां क्षमा कीजे — विनवीतो Tukā — द्वारीं हाका देऊन — उभा आहें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वेदपुरुष तरि नेती कां वचन | "the Veda-puruṣa — why does (it) speak neti (= not-this)?" |
| निवडूनि भिन्न दाखविलें | "having distinguished — shown (you as) bhinna (separate)" |
| तुझीं वर्में तूं चि दावूनि अनंता | "your varma — you yourself reveal — Ananta" |
| होतोसी नेणता कोण्या गुणें | "by what guṇa do you act nēṇatā (not-knowing)?" |
| यज्ञाचा भोक्ता तरि कां नव्हे सांग | "you are the bhōktā of yajña — then why don't (you do) sānga (= why doesn't the bhōktā appear)?" |
| उणें पडतां अंग क्षोभ घडे | "when uṇē (lacking) — the body's kṣōbha (irritation) happens" |
| वससी तूं या भूतांचे अंतरीं | "you reside (vasasī) in these bhūtas' antara" |
| तरि कां भेद हरी दावियेला | "yet why have you, Hari, shown bhēda?" |
| तपतिर्थाटणें तुझे मूर्तिदान | "tapa, tīrthāṭana, your mūrti-dāna (gift-of-form)" |
| तरि कां अभिमान आड येतो | "yet why does abhimāna come in the way?" |
| क्षमा कीजे विनवितो तुका | "now please pardon — Tuka beseeches" |
| देऊनियां हाका उभा द्वारीं | "giving hākā — (Tuka stands) at the door" |
What it means
Philosophical-protest abhang — Tuka cross-examines Hari on five contradictions.
Five questions, each laying out an apparent self-contradiction:
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Veda-puruṣa neti — the Veda speaks "neti, neti" (Bṛhadāraṇyaka 2.3.6, the not-this, not-this method) — distinguishing you from everything. Why? If you're everywhere, why does the Veda separate you out?
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Tujhīm varmē tūm chi dāvūnī — hōtōsī nēṇatā — you yourself reveal your varma — yet by what guṇa are you (acting as) not-knowing? The līlā-paradox: Hari simultaneously reveals and conceals.
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Yajñācā bhōktā — tarī kām navhē sānga — you are the yajña-bhōktā — then why doesn't sānga (the complete bhōktā-appearance) happen? The ritualist's question: if Hari accepts yajña-offerings, why doesn't he appear in person?
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Vasasī tūm yā bhūtāncē antarīm — tarī kām bhēda Harī dāviyēlā — you reside in the antara of all bhūtas — yet why, Hari, have you shown bhēda? If you're in all, why caste-bhēda? (Echo of 1300.)
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Tapa-tīrthāṭana, mūrti-dāna — tarī kām abhimāna āḍa yētō — tapa, tīrthāṭana, your mūrti-dāna are all available — yet why does abhimāna (ego-pride) come in the way? If the means are abundant, why is the obstruction (ego) so persistent?
The closing posture: kṣamā kījē — vinavitō Tukā — dē'ūnīyām hākā ubhā dvārīm — now please pardon — Tuka beseeches — giving hākā (calls), standing at the door. Tuka is the door-stander, calling questions and asking forgiveness for asking.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the bhakta has the right to ask Hari about his self-contradictions — Tuka stands at the door calling: why neti, why not-knowing, why no sānga, why bhēda, why abhimāna in the way?
Where this applies
- Veda-says-neti.* Vēda-puruṣa-nētī.
- You-act-not-knowing.* Hōtōsī-nēṇatā.
- Yajña-bhōktā-but-no-sānga.* Yajñācā-bhōktā-navhē-sānga.
- In-all-bhūtas-but-bhēda.* Bhūtāncē-antarīm-bhēda-Harī.
- Mūrti-dāna-but-abhimāna.* Mūrti-dāna-abhimāna-āḍa.
- Tuka-stands-at-door-calling.* Hākā-ubhā-dvārīm.