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.
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
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 yourvibhāga(parts) — by what (means) do you keep the worldfar? 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 cāḍa — we don't know topālaṭa(= reverse / turn back) at all — for what'styāgilē(abandoned), nocāḍa(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-puṇya — you are thepratipādita(proponent) ofsama-viṣama(= the equal-and-unequal); theprasādaof that — ispāpa-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 laṭikyācī — you havenānā(many)avagaṇī(= un-counted-faults) — thesampādaṇī(settling / accomplishing) oflaṭikya(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
- When you wonder why the world and its struggles feel far from any sense of divine care
- When you have truly let go of something and worry you might still regret or crave it later
- When you feel trapped inside rigid categories of right and wrong that seem impossible to escape
- When you want permission to question or argue honestly with your sense of the divine instead of staying silently submissive