Abhanga 1369
A wise person takes a single word of guidance to heart and lets it settle, while refusing to face what is true only guarantees you your own future pain.
The verse
शाहाणियां पुरे एक चि वचन । विशारती खुण ते चि त्यासी ॥१॥ उपदेश असे बहुतांकारणें । घेतला तो मनें पाहिजे हा ॥ध्रु.॥ फांसावेना तरिं दुःख घेतें वाव । मग होतो जीव कासावीस ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नको राग धरूं झोंडा । नुघडितां पीडा होइल डोळे ॥३॥
Literal translation
For the wise, one vacana is enough — that very is the viśārata khuṇa for him. Upadeśa exists for many — but the taking must be by mind. If not extinguished, duḥkha takes the gap — then the jīva becomes kāsāvīsa. Tuka says: don't be angry, foolish-one — without opening, pīḍā will come to the eye.
मराठी: शाहाण्यांना — एक-च वचन पुरें — विशारती (शहाण्यांची) खूण तीच त्यांना. उपदेश बहुतांकारणें असतो — पण घेतला — मनें-च — पाहिजे हा. फांसावेना — तर — दुःख वाव (फट) घेतें — मग जीव कासावीस होतो. Tukā म्हणे — झोंड्या (मूढा) — राग धरूं नकोस — नुघडितां — डोळ्यांना पीडा होईल.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| शाहाणियां पुरे एक चि वचन | "for the śāhāṇiyā (wise) — one vacana is enough" |
| विशारती खुण ते चि त्यासी | "viśāratī (the wise / experienced) khuṇa — that very is for him" |
| उपदेश असे बहुतांकारणें | "upadeśa exists — for many (bahutām) reasons" |
| घेतला तो मनें पाहिजे हा | "the taking (of it) — must be by mind" |
| फांसावेना तरिं दुःख घेतें वाव | "if not phāsa-vēnā (extinguished / removed) — duḥkha takes the vāva (gap)" |
| मग होतो जीव कासावीस | "then the jīva becomes kāsāvīsa (anguished)" |
| नको राग धरूं झोंडा | "don't be angry — jhōṇḍā (foolish / dim-witted)" |
| नुघडितां पीडा होइल डोळे | "without opening (the eye) — pīḍā will come — to the ḍōḷē (eye)" |
What it means
One-vacana-suffices-for-the-wise abhang. The opening: śāhāṇiyām purē ēka chi vacana — for the wise,onevacana suffices. That itself is theviśārata-khuṇa(thewise-mark) — needing-only-one-word is the qualification of wisdom.
The reasoning: upadeśa asē bahutāmkāraṇē — ghētalā tō manē pāhijē hā — upadeśa exists for many (kinds of people) — but thetakingof it must beby mind. The teaching is given freely; the receiving is the work.
Phāsāvēnā tarīm duḥkha ghētēm vāva — maga hōtō jīva kāsāvīsa — if (the duḥkha) is not extinguished — duḥkha takes thevāva(= the gap, the unoccupied-space) — and the jīva becomes kāsāvīsa. Vāva is the empty-place in the heart; if you don't extinguish duḥkha, it fills the gap. Once filled, the jīva can't catch breath.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē nakō rāga dharūm jhōṇḍā — nughaḍitām pīḍā hō'ila ḍōḷē — Tuka says — don't be angry,jhōṇḍā(foolish / dim-witted) —without opening(= without un-cap the perception),pīḍāwill come to theḍōḷē(eye). The jhōṇḍā gets angry at the teaching; but without opening the eye, the pīḍā falls on the eye itself. Foolishness seals its own pain.
[T]
For someone today
For today: one word suffices for the wise; teaching is given for many but must be received by mind; close yourself, and pīḍā fills the gap; don't be angry — opening is the only relief.
Where this applies
- When someone gives you honest feedback and your first instinct is to bristle instead of listen.
- When you keep putting off dealing with a private grief or worry, and it quietly grows larger inside you.
- When you catch yourself needing to be told the same thing over and over before it actually sinks in.
- When you feel stung by advice and want to shut the person out rather than sit with what they said.