Abhanga 1364
For today: don't fake brahmacarya by leaving wife; don't fake vairāgya by leaving country; abandon the kāma-vāsanā by dhīra and ācāra; don't talk hero while your rear trembles; tongue-pollution comes from praising the false.
The verse
नव्हे ब्रम्हचर्य बाइलेच्या त्यागें । वैराग्य वाउगें देशत्यागें ॥१॥ काम वाढे भय वासनेच्या द्वारें । सांडावें तें धीरें आचावाचे ॥ध्रु.॥ कांपवूनि टिरी शूरत्वाची मात । केलें वाताहात उचित काळें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे करी जिव्हेसी विटाळ । लटिक्याची मळ स्तुति होतां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Brahmacarya is not (made) by the tyāga of the bāila — vairāgya is vā'ugē by deśa-tyāga. Kāma grows — bhaya — by the door of vāsanā — abandon by dhīra and ācāra. By making the ṭīrī tremble, talking of śūratva — caused vātā-hāta at the right kāḷa. Tuka says: does viṭāḷa to the tongue — when stuti of laṭika happens.
मराठी: बाइलेच्या त्यागानें — ब्रम्हचर्य नव्हे; देश-त्यागानें — वैराग्य वाउगें. काम वाढे, भय — वासनेच्या द्वारें — धीर आणि आचारानें-च — सांडावें. टिरी कांपवून — शूरत्वाची मात (बढाई) — उचित काळीं — वातांहात (नाश) केलें. Tukā म्हणे — जिवहेसी विटाळ — लटिक्याची स्तुति होतां.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नव्हे ब्रम्हचर्य बाइलेच्या त्यागें | "brahmacarya is not (made) — by the tyāga of the bāila (wife)" |
| वैराग्य वाउगें देशत्यागें | "vairāgya is vā'ugē (vain) — by deśa-tyāga (country-abandonment)" |
| काम वाढे भय वासनेच्या द्वारें | "kāma grows — bhaya — by the door of vāsanā" |
| सांडावें तें धीरें आचावाचे | "abandon (sāṇḍāvē) — by dhīra (firmness) and ācāra (conduct)" |
| कांपवूनि टिरी शूरत्वाची मात | "by making the ṭīrī (rear / haunches) tremble — talking of śūratva (heroism)" |
| केलें वाताहात उचित काळें | "caused vātā-hāta (wind-blow / disaster) — at the right kāḷa" |
| तुका म्हणे करी जिव्हेसी विटाळ | "Tuka says — does viṭāḷa (impurity) to the jīvhā (tongue)" |
| लटिक्याची मळ स्तुति होतां | "when stuti (praise) of laṭika (the false) happens" |
What it means
Anti-fake-tyāga abhang. The opening clear-line: navhē brahma-carya bāilēcyā tyāgē — vairāgya vā'ugē dēśa-tyāgē — brahmacarya is not (made) by thetyāga of the bāila(wife); vairāgya isvā'ugē(in vain) bydeśa-tyāga(country-abandonment). Two famous external renunciations are exposed as ineffective: leaving the wife doesn't make brahmacarya; leaving the country doesn't make vairāgya.
The reasoning: kāma vāḍhē bhaya vāsanēcyā dvārē — sāṇḍāvē tē dhīrē ācāvā-cē — kāma grows; bhaya — by the door of vāsanā — abandon bydhīra(firmness) andācāra(conduct). The real-renunciation happens internally, through dhīra-and-ācāra, not through external-leaving.
The closing image is brutal: kāmpavūnī ṭīrī śūratvācī māta — kēlēm vātāhāta ucita kāḷē — while theṭīrī(= rear / haunches / nether-quarters) istrembling—talking of śūratva(heroism) — causedvātāhāta(= thewind-blow / disaster) at the rightkāḷa. Vivid: someone whose rear is quaking with fear yet talks like a hero — when the kāḷa-test comes, the result is disaster. The fake-bravado vs internal-fear gap.
The closing aphorism: karī jīvhēsī viṭāḷa — laṭikyācī stuti hōtām — (it) doesviṭāḷato thejīvhā(tongue) — whenstuti(praise) oflaṭika(the false / fraudulent) is done. Praising the false defiles the tongue — same word viṭāḷa the warkari uses for ritual-pollution. Tongue-pollution is the cost of fake-praise.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't fake brahmacarya by leaving wife; don't fake vairāgya by leaving country; abandon the kāma-vāsanā by dhīra and ācāra; don't talk hero while your rear trembles; tongue-pollution comes from praising the false.
Where this applies
- When you think giving up a relationship or possession alone proves your spiritual seriousness while nothing inside has changed
- When you consider moving away or changing your circumstances as a shortcut to inner peace
- When you talk tough or act brave while secretly anxious and wonder what happens when a real test comes
- When you are tempted to praise someone or something you know is fake or fraudulent just to be polite