Abhanga 1359
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.
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
English: 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 — the sṛṣṭī 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 the jāṇaṇī (= 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 are ā'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
- Wonder-creation-undone-by-itself.* Kavutukācī-sṛṣṭī-kaṣṭī.
- Let-the-play-break.* Mōḍē-tarī-bhalē-khēḷa.
- Knowing-carries-fear.* Jāṇaṇī-bhaya-pōṭīm.
- You're-already-ready.* Hōṇē-tē-tūm-chi-ā'itā.