संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1369 of 4582

Abhanga 1369

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.

When the wise need only one word — take it by mind; the foolish-one's anger over not-opening-the-eye yields only pīḍā

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

English: 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 vacanafor the wise, one vacana suffices. That itself is the viśārata-khuṇa (the wise-mark) — needing-only-one-word is the qualification of wisdom.

The reasoning: upadeśa asē bahutāmkāraṇē — ghētalā tō manē pāhijē hāupadeśa exists for many (kinds of people) — but the taking of it must be by mind*. The teaching is given freely; the receiving is the work.

Phāsāvēnā tarīm duḥkha ghētēm vāva — maga hōtō jīva kāsāvīsaif (the duḥkha) is not extinguished — duḥkha takes the vāva (= 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 ḍōḷēTuka says — don't be angry, jhōṇḍā (foolish / dim-witted) — without opening (= without un-cap the perception), pīḍā will come to the ḍōḷē (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

Related verses