Abhanga 1373
Stop looking pitiful over what you lack; a heart full of ambition still leaves empty hands, and the beloved only wants a small, sincere offering and a silent embrace.
The verse
ऐसे सांडुनियां घुरे । किविलवाणी दिसां कां रे । कामें उर भरे । हातीं नुरे मृत्तिका ॥१॥ उदार हा जगदानी । पांडुरंग अभिमानी । तुळसीदळ पाणी । चिंतनाचा भुकेला ॥ध्रु.॥ न लगे पुसावी चाकरी । कोणी वकील ये घरीं । त्याचा तो चाकरी । पारपत्य सकळ ॥२॥ नाहीं आडकाटी । तुका म्हणे जातां भेटी । न बोलतां मिठी । उगी च पायीं घालावी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Abandoning ghurē — why do you appear piteous? Works fill the chest — in the hand, no mṛttikā remains. He is generous, jagad-ānī, Pāṇḍuranga, abhimāni — hungry for tuḷasī-leaf, water, cintana. No need to ask about cākarī. Tuka says: going for bhēṭī — without speaking — just clasp the feet.
मराठी: ऐसें — घुरे (मूठभर मानभाव) सांडून — किविलवाणी कां दिसतोस रे? कामांनीं उर भरें — हातीं — मृत्तिका (माती / मूठभर हि) न उरे. उदार — जगद-दानी — पांडुरंग — अभिमानी — तुळसी-दळ-पाणी-चिंतनाचा-च भुकेला. चाकरी (दास-स्थिति) पुसायला लागत नाहीं. Tukā म्हणे — जातां भेटी — न बोलतां — मिठी — उगी-च — पायीं घालावी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐसे सांडुनियां घुरे | "abandoning ghurē (= cluster / handful / pretensions)" |
| किविलवाणी दिसां कां रे | "why do you appear kivilavāṇī (piteous)?" |
| कामें उर भरे | "by kāma (works / desires) — the ura (chest) is filled" |
| हातीं नुरे मृत्तिका | "in the hand — no mṛttikā (clay / earth) remains" |
| उदार हा जगदानी पांडुरंग अभिमानी | "udāra (generous) — jagad-ānī (giver of the world) — Pāṇḍuranga — abhimāni (one who abhimāna-takes / takes responsibility-and-pride-for)" |
| तुळसीदळ पाणी चिंतनाचा भुकेला | "tuḷasī-leaf — water — cintana — (he is) hungry (for these)" |
| न लगे पुसावी चाकरी | "no need to ask about cākarī (service / servant-status)" |
| न बोलतां मिठी उगी च पायीं घालावी | "without speaking — miṭhī (clasp) — just put on the feet" |
What it means
Hari-hungry-for-tuḷasī-leaf abhang. The opening rebuke: aisē sāṇḍuniyām ghurē — kivilavāṇī disām kām rē? — abandoning theghurē(= cluster / pretensions / a handful ofsomething) — why do you appearkivilavāṇī(piteous, pleading)? Why look pitiful when even-a-handful you could-have-held-out?
The diagnosis: kāmē ura bharē — hātīm na urē mṛttikā — bykāma(works / desires), the chest is filled — in the hand, nomṛttikā(clay / earth) remains. The chest is full of works-and-desires; the hand has not even mud to offer. Ura-bharē-hātīm-uṇē (chest-full-hand-empty) is the diagnosis.
The remedy: udāra hā jagad-ānī — Pāṇḍuranga abhimānī — tuḷasī-daḷa pāṇī — cintanācā bhukēlā — generous,jagad-ānī(giver of the world) Pāṇḍuranga —abhimāni(the one who takes-responsibility-with-pride for the bhakta) — is hungry fortuḷasī-leaf, water, cintana. Three minimal items: a single tuḷasī-leaf, a sip of water, a moment of cintana. (Compare 1256 bhāvē tuḷasī-daḷa pāṇī jōḍā hāta — mhaṇāvā patita vēḷō-vēḷām.)
The closing: jātām bhēṭī — na bōlatām miṭhī — ugī chi pāyīm ghālāvī — going for bhēṭī —without speaking— just put themiṭhī(clasp) — silently — on the feet. Don't speak. Don't formulate a request. Just clasp the feet silently.
[T]
For someone today
Why give up your dignity and go around looking so pitiful? Your chest is crammed full of endless plans and desires, yet your hands are left holding nothing at all, not even a bit of clay. Pandurang is generous, the giver of the whole world, and he takes real pride in his devotees — yet all he truly hungers for is a single tulsi leaf, a little water, and a moment of remembering him. There's no need to explain your service or credentials; Tuka says, when you go to meet him, don't say a word — just quietly wrap your arms around his feet.
मराठी: असे मानभाव सोडून का बरे इतका केविलवाणा दिसतोस? मनात नुसती कामे आणि इच्छांनी छाती भरलेली आहे, पण हातात मात्र मूठभर मातीसुद्धा उरलेली नाही. पांडुरंग उदार आहे, जगाला दान देणारा आहे, भक्तांचा अभिमानाने सांभाळ करणारा आहे — तरीही त्याला हवे असते फक्त एक तुळशीचे पान, थोडे पाणी, आणि एक क्षणभर त्याचे चिंतन. आपली सेवा किंवा पात्रता सांगत बसायची गरज नाही. तुका म्हणतात, त्याला भेटायला जाताना काहीही न बोलता, नुसते त्याच्या पायांना मिठी मारावी.
Where this applies
- When you feel like you have nothing worthy to offer someone you love and hold back out of embarrassment.
- When your mind is crammed with plans and worries, leaving no real presence to give the people or things that matter.
- When you think devotion or love needs grand gestures instead of one small, sincere act.
- When you're tempted to explain yourself before an act of love, instead of simply showing up.