Abhanga 1371
The world is a play staged to soothe your eyes, its many characters carved from wood and its many lamps lit from one flame, so look past the reflection to the joy it points toward.
The verse
नटनाट्य तुम्ही केलें याच साटीं । कवतुकें दृष्टी निववावी ॥१॥ नाहीं तरि काय कळलें चि आहे । वाघ आणि गाय लांकडाची ॥ध्रु.॥ अभेद चि असे मांडियेलें खेळा । केल्या दीपकळा बहुएकी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे रूप नाहीं दर्पणांत । संतोषाची मात दुसरें तें ॥३॥
Literal translation
You made the naṭa-nāṭya for this very (reason) — by kavutuka, to cool the dṛṣṭi. Otherwise — what is to be known? — the tiger and cow are of wood. Abhēda is what's set up as the play — many lamps have been made (from one). Tuka says: rūpa is not in the darpaṇa — samtōṣa is the māta — the second isthat.
मराठी: नट-नाट्य तुम्हीं केलें — याच साठीं — कवतुकानें दृष्टि निवावी. नाहीं तर — कळतें-च आहे — वाघ आणि गाय — लांकडाचीं. अभेद-च — खेळांत मांडलें — केल्या दीप-कळा — बहु-एकीं. Tukā म्हणे — दर्पणांत रूप नाहीं — संतोषाची मात — दुसरें तें (तें-च).
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नटनाट्य तुम्ही केलें याच साटीं | "you made the naṭa-nāṭya (actor's-drama) — for this very reason" |
| कवतुकें दृष्टी निववावी | "by kavutuka — to nivava (cool / refresh) the dṛṣṭi" |
| नाहीं तरि काय कळलें चि आहे | "otherwise — what is kaḷa-lēm chi (is to be known)?" |
| वाघ आणि गाय लांकडाची | "the vāgha (tiger) and gāya (cow) — are of lānkaḍa (wood)" |
| अभेद चि असे मांडियेलें खेळा | "abhēda — is what is set-up as the khēḷa (play)" |
| केल्या दीपकळा बहुएकी | "many dīpa-kaḷā (lamp-flames) — have been made (from one)" |
| रूप नाहीं दर्पणांत | "rūpa is not — in the darpaṇa (mirror)" |
| संतोषाची मात दुसरें तें | "samtōṣa is the māta (the message-of-truth) — the dusarē (the other / second) is that" |
What it means
Cosmic-play-as-naṭa-nāṭya abhang. The opening: naṭa-nāṭya tumhī kēlēm yā ca sāṭīm — kavutukē dṛṣṭī nivavāvī — (you, Hari) made thenaṭa-nāṭya(= actor's-drama, the staged-play) for this very purpose — tonivava(cool / refresh / pacify) thedṛṣṭibykavutuka. The cosmic-spectacle is staged-for-cooling-the-eye. The play is therapeutic, not real.
The disclaimer: nāhīm tarī kāya kaḷalēm chi āhē — vāgha āṇi gāya lānkaḍācī — otherwise — what isknown-alreadyis — the tiger and the cow are oflānkaḍa(wood). In a naṭa-nāṭya (street-theater / puppet-show), the figures of tiger and cow are wooden — they don't actually fight. Anyone who watches the cosmic-play with eyes-open already knows the threat is wooden. The fierce-and-the-prey are equally manufactured.
Abhēda chi asē māṇḍiyēlēm khēḷā — kēlyā dīpa-kaḷā bahu-ēkī — abhēda (non-difference) is what'smāṇḍiyēlēm(set up) as thekhēḷa(play); manydīpa-kaḷās(lamp-flames) have been made from one. The play displays abhēda — the multiplicity of dīpa-flames is one fire's many appearances. Many lamps, one flame.
The closing: rūpa nāhīm darpaṇāmta — samtōṣācī māta dusarē tē — rūpa is not in thedarpaṇa(mirror) —samtōṣais themāta(= news / message); thesecondisthat. The reflection in the mirror is not the rūpa; samtōṣa is the message — the second (the reflection / the manifestation) is that-itself (the original).
[T]
For someone today
For today: the staged-play is for cooling the eye; the tiger and cow are of wood; abhēda underlies the multiplicity; rūpa is not in the mirror — samtōṣa is the message.
Where this applies
- When fear grips you and you need a reminder that many threats in life are staged rather than lethal.
- When you look at the world's endless variety and forget it all comes from one underlying source.
- When you get fixated on outward appearances instead of the deeper reality or joy they point toward.
- When you're anxious about a conflict that, examined closely, turns out to be far less dangerous than it seemed.