Abhanga 1422
Bear hardship without flinching, let go of status and comfort, and honor only what you want to become, because whatever you honor is what you turn into.
The verse
साहोनियां टोले उरवावें सार । मग अंगीकार खर्या मोलें ॥१॥ भोगाचे सांभाळीं द्यावें किळवर । संचित चि थार मोडूनियां ॥ध्रु.॥ महत्वाचे ठायीं भोगावी अप्रतिष्ठा । विटवावें नष्टां पंचभूतां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मग कैंचा संवसार । जयाचा आदर तें चि व्हावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bearing the ṭōlē — let sāra be left over — then angīkāra at kharyā mōla. In bhōga's sāmbhāḷa — let the kiḷavara be given — samcita alone is the thāra — having broken (it). Where mahatva is — let apratiṣṭhā be enjoyed — let the naṣṭa pañca-bhūta be disgusted-with. Tuka says: then what samsāra? — what one holds in ādara — that very thing one becomes.
मराठी: साहोनियां — टोले — उरवावें — सार; — मग — अंगीकार — खर्या — मोलें. भोगाचे — सांभाळीं — द्यावें — किळवर; — संचित — चि — थार — मोडूनियां. महत्वाचे — ठायीं — भोगावी — अप्रतिष्ठा; — विटवावें — नष्टां — पंच-भूतां. Tukā म्हणे — मग — कैंचा — संवसार? — जयाचा — आदर — तें — चि — व्हावें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| साहोनियां टोले उरवावें सार | "bearing (sāhōniyām) — ṭōlē (blows) — let sāra (essence) — be left-over (uravāvēm)" |
| मग अंगीकार खर्या मोलें | "then — angīkāra (acceptance / endorsement) — at kharyā mōla (= true price)" |
| भोगाचे सांभाळीं द्यावें किळवर | "in bhōga's keeping (sāmbhāḷa) — let be given (dyāvēm) — the kiḷavara (= body / corpse)" |
| संचित चि थार मोडूनियां | "samcita alone (chi) — thāra (= station / reservoir) — having broken (mōḍūniyām)" |
| महत्वाचे ठायीं भोगावी अप्रतिष्ठा | "where (ṭhāyīm) — mahatva (= status) is — apratiṣṭhā (= dishonor) — must be enjoyed (bhōgāvī)" |
| विटवावें नष्टां पंचभूतां | "let be viṭa (= disgusted-with / saturated) (viṭavāvēm) — the naṣṭa (worthless / spoiled) — pañca-bhūta (five-elements)" |
| तुका म्हणे मग कैंचा संवसार | "Tuka says — then — what kind of (kaimcā) — samsāra?" |
| जयाचा आदर तें चि व्हावें | "what one (jayācā) — ādara (= regard / honor) — that very (tē chi) — must (one) become (vhāvē)" |
What it means
Bear-blows-save-essence-what-you-honor-you-become abhang. The opening: sāhōniyām ṭōlē — uravāvēm sāra — maga angīkāra kharyā mōlēm — bearing theṭōlē(blows) — let thesāra(essence) — be left-over; —then— theangīkāra(= acceptance / endorsement) — comes at thetrue price. The principle: take blows; save the essence; only after the blows have been borne does true-price angīkāra (= Hari's true acceptance) come. (Compare 1330's vairāgya-prakāra autobiography — Tuka took blows for years before Hari's acceptance.)
The body-strategy: bhōgācē sāmbhāḷīm dyāvēm kiḷavara — samcita chi thāra mōḍūniyām — let thekiḷavara(= body / corpse) — be given tobhōga's keeping; —samcitaalone is thethāra(= reservoir) — havingbroken(it down). Hand-over the body to the bhōga-process; samcita is the only thāra — break it down by experiencing it through. (= classic prārabdha-exhaustion through bhōga.)
The middle injunction: mahatvācē ṭhāyīm — bhōgāvī apratiṣṭhā — viṭavāvēm naṣṭām pañca-bhūtām — where (there is) —mahatva(= status); —apratiṣṭhā(dishonor / disgrace) — must beenjoyed(bhōgāvī); — let thenaṣṭa(worthless)pañca-bhūta— be madeviṭa(= satiated / disgusted). Where status comes, take disgrace; let the worthless five-elements (= the body) get tired-and-disgusted. (= deliberate-self-disgrace as a vairāgya-strategy; cf. P-mark in pattern-list.)
The closing principle: Tukā mhaṇē maga kaimcā samvasāra — jayācā ādara tē chi vhāvē — Tuka says — then — what (kind of)samsāra? — what oneholds in ādara(regard) — that very (tē chi) — must (one)become (vhāvē). The deep formula:what you ādara (honor / hold-dear), you become. So:don't ādara mahatva and the pañca-bhūta; ādara only Hari—you'll become Hari-natured. (Compare 1393'sēkā-paṇē-ēkācē-angīm-lāgē-ranga— color in the one's body sticks; herewhat-you-honor-you-become.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: bear blows, save the essence — then true acceptance at true price; let the body undergo bhōga to break the samcita; where status comes, take disgrace; what you honor, you become — so honor only Hari.
Where this applies
- When you are going through hardship and wonder whether the pain is actually purifying you
- When you catch yourself craving status, praise, or public recognition
- When you feel tempted to protect your reputation instead of doing what is right
- When you notice your comforts and habits quietly shaping who you are becoming