Abhanga 1426
Speaking the plain truth costs nothing and is enough to reach Hari, while dropping the mind's clutter brings real peace.
The verse
खरें बोले तरी । फुकासाठीं जोडे हरी ॥१॥ ऐसे फुकाचे उपाय । सांडूनियां वांयां जाय ॥ध्रु.॥ परउपकार । एका वचनाचा फार ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मळ । मनें सांडितां शीतळ ॥३॥
Literal translation
If (one) speaks kharēm — Hari is joined for phukā. Such phukā-upāyas — having abandoned, they go in vāyām. Para-upakāra — by one vacana — is phāra. Tuka says: maḷa — by the mana — when given up — śītaḷa.
मराठी: खरें — बोले — तरी; — फुकासाठीं — जोडे — हरी. ऐसे — फुकाचे — उपाय; — सांडूनियां — वांयां — जाय. परउपकार; — एका — वचनाचा — फार. Tukā म्हणे — मळ; — मनें — सांडितां — शीतळ.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| खरें बोले तरी | "kharēm (true) — speaks (bōlē) — if (tarī)" |
| फुकासाठीं जोडे हरी | "for phukā (= for free / for nothing) — gets joined (jōḍē) — Hari" |
| ऐसे फुकाचे उपाय | "such — phukā's — upāya (means)" |
| सांडूनियां वांयां जाय | "having abandoned (sāṇḍūniyām) — vāyām (in vain) — (they) go (jāya)" |
| परउपकार | "para-upakāra (= helping others)" |
| एका वचनाचा फार | "of one word (vacana) — is phāra (much / great)" |
| तुका म्हणे मळ | "Tuka says — maḷa (= filth / dross)" |
| मनें सांडितां शीतळ | "by the mana — when given up (sāṇḍitām) — (it becomes) śītaḷa (cool / soothed)" |
What it means
Speak-truth-Hari-joins-for-free abhang. The opening democratizing-formula: kharēm bōlē tarī — phukāsāṭhīm jōḍē Harī — if (one) speaks thekharēm(truth); — forphukā(= for free / costing-nothing) —Harigets joined. The radical economic-image: Hari is available for phukā (= free-of-charge) — the price is just speaking the truth. (Compare 1411's na-lagē-dēśa-kāḷa-mantra-vidhāna — no need of place-time-mantra; here the no-cost-just-speak-truth democratization.)
The lament: aisē phukācē upāya — sāṇḍūniyām vāyām jāya — suchphukā's —upāyas (means); — havingabandoned(them) — (people) govāyām(in vain). People abandon the free means and go in vain — they pursue expensive elaborate methods and miss the free ones. (One of Tukaram's distinctive lamentations.)
The simple-instruction: para-upakāra — ēkā vacanācā phāra — para-upakāra (= helping others) — by one word — is phāra (= much / great).Helping-others by one good word is much(=much-bhakti-credit-by-one-helpful-word). (Compare 1396'sdīpa hātīm tā'ī avaghē barēm— lamp-in-hand all-is-well; hereone good word is much.)
The closing principle: Tukā mhaṇē maḷa — manēm sāṇḍitām śītaḷa — Tuka says —maḷa(= filth / dross); — by themana— (when) given up — (everything is)śītaḷa(= cool / soothed). Mental-filth-abandonment gives coolness. (= the śītaḷa-tva — cooling — that bhakti famously brings; cf. agni-state of samsāra giving way to jaḷa-state of bhakti.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: if you speak truth, Hari joins for free; people miss the free means and go in vain; one helpful word to others is much; when the mind drops the filth, everything becomes cool.
Where this applies
- When you think spiritual growth requires expensive courses, gurus, or rituals you cannot afford
- When you are about to say something honest but hold back because it feels too simple to matter
- When you have a chance to say one kind, helpful word to someone struggling
- When your mind feels hot and cluttered with grudges and you need relief