Abhanga 1359
When play turns into toil it is better to let it end, and waking up to the truth may bring fear, but you do not need to become anything, you are already ready.
The verse
कौतुकाची सृष्टी । कौतुकें चि केलें कष्टी ॥१॥ मोडे तरी भलें खेळ । फांके फांकिल्या कोल्हाळ ॥ध्रु.॥ जाणणियासाटीं । भय सामावलें पोटीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे चेता । होणें तें तूं च आइता ॥३॥
Literal translation
The sṛṣṭī of kavutuka — kavutuka itself made (it) kaṣṭī. If the play breaks — well; spreading-out, kōlhāḷa. For jāṇaṇī's sake — bhaya is contained in the pōṭa. Tuka says: wake up — what is to be — you yourself are ready.
मराठी: कौतुकाची सृष्टी — कौतुकानें-च कष्टी झाली. खेळ मोडलें — तरी भलें — फांकलिया फांकलिया — कोल्हाळ-च. जाणणीसाठीं — भय पोटीं सामावलें. Tukā म्हणे — चेता (जागे हो) — होणें तें — तूं-च आइता (तयार) आहेस.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कौतुकाची सृष्टी | "the sṛṣṭī (creation) of kavutuka (wonder / spectacle)" |
| कौतुकें चि केलें कष्टी | "kavutuka itself — made (it) kaṣṭī (toilsome)" |
| मोडे तरी भलें खेळ | "if the khēḷa (play) — mōḍē (breaks) — bhalē (well)" |
| फांके फांकिल्या कोल्हाळ | "spreading-out (phānkē) — phānkilyā (when spread) — kōlhāḷa (clamor)" |
| जाणणियासाटीं | "for jāṇaṇī (knowing)'s sake" |
| भय सामावलें पोटीं | "bhaya (fear) — is contained (sāmāvalē) in the pōṭa" |
| तुका म्हणे चेता | "Tuka says — cētā (wake up)" |
| होणें तें तूं च आइता | "what is to be — you yourself are ā'itā (ready)" |
What it means
Self-undoing-of-kavutuka abhang. The opening: kavutukācī sṛṣṭī — kavutukē chi kēlēm kaṣṭī — thesṛṣṭī of kavutuka(= the creation-as-spectacle, the world-as-play) —kavutuka itself made (it) kaṣṭī(toilsome). The world that started as wonderful-play has made itself burdensome; the spectacle has consumed its own joy.
The pivot: mōḍē tarī bhalē khēḷa — if the khēḷa (play) breaks (mōḍē) — well! Better-broken-than-continuing-as-toil. Phānkē phānkilyā kōlhāḷa — as it spread-out and spread-out — kōlhāḷa (loud clamor). The longer the spectacle ran, the louder the kōlhāḷa.
Jāṇaṇiyāsāṭīm — bhaya sāmāvalē pōṭīm — for thejāṇaṇī(= the dawning-of-knowing) — bhaya (fear) is contained (sāmāvalē) in the pōṭa. Even the jāṇaṇī (the awakening-knowing) carries bhaya — the fear of seeing-things-as-they-are.
The closing prescription: Tukā mhaṇē cētā — hōṇē tē tūm chi ā'itā — Tuka says — wake up — what-is-to-be (= the destination), you yourself areā'itā(ready / the-ready-one). You don't need to become; you are already what's-to-be. The bhakta-as-already-the-fulfilled.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the spectacle has made itself toilsome; let the play break; even the awakening carries bhaya — but wake up; what's-to-be, you yourself are already ready.
Where this applies
- When a project, relationship, or routine that used to feel joyful now feels like exhausting upkeep
- When you are afraid to let something end even though continuing it is clearly draining you
- When a moment of clarity about your life brings fear instead of relief, and you wonder if that means something is wrong
- When you keep striving to prove yourself worthy of something you already are