संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1389 of 4582

Abhanga 1389

For today: kṣara-and-akṣara are both Hari's halves — by what argument is the world kept distant? — Hari has many faults; he must settle the laṭika.

When you'd point out that kṣara-akṣara are both Hari's halves — and Hari has many faults that require him to settle the laṭika

The verse

क्षर अक्षर हे तुमचे विभाग । कासयानें जग दुरी धरा ॥१॥ तैसे आम्ही नेणों पालटों च कांहीं । त्यागिल्याची नाहीं मागें चाड ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रतिपादिता तूं समविषमाचा । प्रसाद तो याचा पापपुण्य ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तुम्हां नाना अवगणीं । लागे संपादणी लटिक्याची ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Kṣara and akṣara — these are your vibhāga — by what do you keep the world far? We don't know to pālaṭa at all — for what is abandoned, no cāḍa remains. You are the pratipādita of the sama-viṣama — the prasāda of that is pāpa-and-puṇya. Tuka says: you have many avagaṇī — the sampādaṇī of laṭikya is required (of you).

मराठी: क्षर-अक्षर — हे तुमचे विभाग — कासयानें — जग दूरी — धरतां? तैसे — आम्हीं — पालटों-च नाहीं जाणत — त्यागिल्याची — मागें — चाड नाहीं. तूं — सम-विषमाचा — प्रतिपादक — त्याचा प्रसाद — पाप-पुण्य. Tukā म्हणे — तुम्हांला — नाना — अवगणीं — लागे — संपादणी — लटिकयाची.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
क्षर अक्षर हे तुमचे विभाग "kṣara and akṣara — these are your vibhāga (parts / halves)"
कासयानें जग दुरी धरा "by what (kāsayānē) — do you keep the world far?"
तैसे आम्ही नेणों पालटों च कांहीं "we don't know — to pālaṭa (turn-back) at all"
त्यागिल्याची नाहीं मागें चाड "for what is tyāgilē (abandoned) — there is no cāḍa (longing) — māgē (back / behind)"
प्रतिपादिता तूं समविषमाचा "you are pratipādita (= the proponent) of sama-viṣama (the equal-and-unequal)"
प्रसाद तो याचा पापपुण्य "the prasāda of that — is pāpa-and-puṇya"
तुम्हां नाना अवगणीं "you have nānā (many) avagaṇī (faults / un-numbered)"
लागे संपादणी लटिक्याची "(it) is required (lāgē) — the sampādaṇī (settling / accomplishing) — of laṭikya (the falsity)"

What it means

Kṣara-and-akṣara-are-your-halves abhang. Light Hari-tāḍ register.

The opening: kṣara akṣara hē tumacē vibhāga — kāsayānē jaga durī dharā?kṣara-and-akṣara are your vibhāga (parts) — by what (means) do you keep the world far? The argument from Bhagavad-Gītā 15: kṣara (perishable) and akṣara (imperishable) are both Hari's parts; Hari is Puruṣottama who transcends both. So if both halves are yours, what argument keeps the world distant from you? (The bhakta uses Hari's own metaphysics against him.)

The bhakta's stance: taisē āmhī nēṇōm pālaṭōm chi kāmhīm — tyāgiliyācī nāhīm māgē cāḍawe don't know to pālaṭa (= reverse / turn back) at all — for what's tyāgilē (abandoned), no cāḍa (longing) remains. We don't go-back-on-our-stance once we've abandoned something; once tyāga, no return-craving.

The accusatory line: pratipādita tūm sama-viṣamācā — prasāda tō yācā pāpa-puṇyayou are the pratipādita (proponent) of sama-viṣama (= the equal-and-unequal); the prasāda of that — is pāpa-and-puṇya. Hari is the originator of the sama-viṣama doctrine (= treating-all-equally vs. discrimination); the result of his teaching has been pāpa-and-puṇya* — i.e., judgment-categories. The world's pāpa-puṇya-categories trace back to Hari's own teaching.

The closing Hari-tāḍ: tumhām nānā avagaṇī — lāgē sampādaṇī laṭikyācīyou have nānā (many) avagaṇī (= un-counted-faults) — the sampādaṇī (settling / accomplishing) of laṭikya (the false / improper) — is required (= falls to you). Hari himself must clean up the laṭika (the false-things) he set running. The bhakta-prosecutor returns. (Compare 1223 riṇa-vaira-hatyā don't release without payment.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: kṣara-and-akṣara are both Hari's halves — by what argument is the world kept distant? — Hari has many faults; he must settle the laṭika.

Where this applies

Related verses