Abhanga 1342
For today: don't tear your own life-source; don't revile the very tradition that nourishes you; don't set fire to your own home; the varma is hidden — bhrama dances the rest around.
The verse
मातेचीं जो थानें फाडी । तया जोडी कोण ते ॥१॥ वेदां निंदी तो चांडाळ । भ्रष्ट सुतकिया खळ ॥ध्रु.॥ अगी लावी घरा । मग वसती कोठें थारा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे वर्म । येरा नाचवितो भ्रम ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: One who tears the mother's thāna — what jōḍī for him? One who reviles the Vedas is a cāṇḍāḷa, bhraṣṭa, sutakiyā, khaḷa. One who sets fire to his own house — then where will he find vasatī? Tuka says: the varma — bhrama dances the others (around).
मराठी: मातेचें थान — जो फाडी — त्याला कोण जोडी? वेदांना निंदितो — तो चांडाळ — भ्रष्ट, सुतकिया, खळ. आपल्या घराला अगि लावे — मग वसती कुठें — थारा (आसरा)? Tukā म्हणे — वर्म (तेंच) — येरांना (इतरांना) — भ्रम-च नाचवीतो.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मातेचीं जो थानें फाडी | "one who tears (phāḍī) — the mother's thāna (breast)" |
| तया जोडी कोण ते | "for him — what jōḍī (gain / company)?" |
| वेदां निंदी तो चांडाळ | "one who reviles (nindī) the Vedas — is a cāṇḍāḷa" |
| भ्रष्ट सुतकिया खळ | "bhraṣṭa, sutakiyā (impure-by-pollution-period), khaḷa (wicked)" |
| अगी लावी घरा | "(one who) sets fire (āgī lāvī) to (his own) ghara" |
| मग वसती कोठें थारा | "then — vasatī (dwelling) — where (kōṭhē) — thārā (resting-place)?" |
| तुका म्हणे वर्म | "Tuka says — the varma" |
| येरा नाचवितो भ्रम | "to others — bhrama dances them (around)" |
What it means
Self-destructive-behavior condemnation abhang. Three escalating images of self-destruction:
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Mātēcīm jō thānē phāḍī — tayā jōḍī kōṇa tē? — one who tears the mother's thāna (breast) — what jōḍī (gain / company) for him? The mother's breast is the very source of one's nourishment; tearing it is destroying one's own life-source. The jōḍī (= compatible-spouse, paired-mate, gain) cannot come to such.
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Vēdām nindī tō cāṇḍāḷa — bhraṣṭa sutakiyā khaḷa — one who reviles the Vedas is a cāṇḍāḷa (= the lowest outcaste), bhraṣṭa (fallen / corrupted), sutakiyā (= impure-by-being-in-the-pollution-period of birth/death), khaḷa (wicked). The Veda-reviler is given four pejoratives stacked. (Note: this is consistent with Tukaram's stance that Veda's authority is real but its meaning is bhakti — cf. 1311 Tuka kṣarā-akṣarā-vēgaḷā pāhē nigama-kaḷā. Tuka does not revile the Vedas.)
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Agī lāvī gharā — maga vasatī kōṭhē thārā? — one who sets fire to his own ghara (house) — then vasatī (dwelling), thārā (resting-place) — where? The most precise image: burning your own home leaves you homeless.
The closing aphorism: Tukā mhaṇē varma — yērā nācavitō bhrama — Tuka says — the varma — bhrama dances the others (around). The varma (the secret / vital truth) is hidden; bhrama (delusion) keeps the rest dancing around it without finding it. The self-destructive behaviors above all stem from missing-the-varma and being-danced-by-bhrama.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't tear your own life-source; don't revile the very tradition that nourishes you; don't set fire to your own home; the varma is hidden — bhrama dances the rest around.
Where this applies
- Tearing-mother's-breast-no-gain.* Mātēcīm-thānē-phāḍī-jōḍī-kōṇa.
- Veda-reviler-is-cāṇḍāḷa.* Vēdām-nindī-cāṇḍāḷa.
- Setting-fire-to-own-house.* Agī-lāvī-gharā.
- Where-will-you-dwell.* Vasatī-kōṭhē-thārā.
- Varma-hidden-bhrama-dances-others.* Varma-yērā-nācavitō-bhrama.