Abhanga 1467
For today: I tell the Veda-karmas as varmas before saints; four varṇas come from one body — pāpa-puṇya is just distributed; the path is one from first step to end; mango, jujube, banyan, acacia, sandalwood differ by quality but the fire is one; until the mind becomes unmana, keep the vidhi.
The verse
वेदविहित तुम्ही आइका हो कर्में । बोलतों तीं वर्में संतांपुढे ॥१॥ चारी वर्ण जाले एकाचिये अंगीं । पापपुण्य भागीं विभागिलें ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रथम पाउलीं पावविला पंथ । आदि मध्य अंत भेद नाहीं ॥२॥ आंबे बोरी वड बाभुळा चंदन । गुणागुणें भिन्न अग्नि एक ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे मन उन्मन जों होय । तोंवरि हे सोय विधि पाळीं ॥४॥
Literal translation
The veda-vihita karmas — listen — I speak those varmas before samtas. The four varṇas became in one body — pāpa-puṇya distributed into bhāgas. At the first step, the path was given — beginning-middle-end, no bhēda. Mango, jujube, banyan, acacia, sandalwood — by guṇa-guṇa, different; agni, one. Tuka says: until the mana becomes unmana — until then, keep this sōya, vidhi.
मराठी: वेद-विहित — तुम्ही — आइका — हो — कर्में; — बोलतों — तीं — वर्में — संतां-पुढे. चारी — वर्ण — जाले — एकाचिये — अंगीं; — पाप-पुण्य — भागीं — विभागिलें. प्रथम — पाउलीं — पावविला — पंथ; — आदि — मध्य — अंत — भेद — नाहीं. आंबे — बोरी — वड — बाभुळा — चंदन; — गुणा-गुणें — भिन्न — अग्नि — एक. Tukā म्हणे — मन — उन्मन — जों — होय; — तोंवरि — हे — सोय — विधि — पाळीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वेदविहित तुम्ही आइका हो कर्में | "vēda-vihita (Veda-prescribed) — you all hear (aikā hō) — karmas" |
| बोलतों तीं वर्में संतांपुढे | "I speak — those — varma (= vital secrets) — before samtas" |
| चारी वर्ण जाले एकाचिये अंगीं | "the cāri varṇa (four classes) — became — in one body (ēkācīyē angīm)" |
| पापपुण्य भागीं विभागिलें | "pāpa-puṇya — into bhāgas (= shares) — was distributed (vibhāgilēm)" |
| प्रथम पाउलीं पावविला पंथ | "at prathama pā'ulī (first step) — was given (pāvavilā) — the pantha (path)" |
| आदि मध्य अंत भेद नाहीं | "ādi-madhya-anta (beginning-middle-end) — bhēda — there is none" |
| आंबे बोरी वड बाभुळा चंदन | "mango, jujube (bōrī), banyan (vaḍa), acacia (bābhuḷa), sandalwood (candana)" |
| गुणागुणें भिन्न अग्नि एक | "guṇa-guṇē (= qualities-by-qualities) — different (bhinna); — agni — one" |
| तुका म्हणे मन उन्मन जों होय | "Tuka says — mana — unmana (= mind-beyond-mind / supra-mental) — until (jōm) — becomes" |
| तोंवरि हे सोय विधि पाळीं | "until then — this sōya (= path / orientation) — vidhi — keep (pāḷīm)" |
What it means
Veda-karma-and-vidhi-until-unmana abhang. A reconciling-summary on the role of vidhi in bhakti. The opening: vēda-vihita tumhī aikā hō karmēm — bōlatōm tīm varmēm samtām-puḍhē — theVeda-prescribed—karmas — you all hear; — I speak — thosevarma(= vital-secrets) —before samtas. The Veda-karma's varma (= secret-vital-points) — Tuka declares them before saints. (Notable: this is Veda-affirming, contra the anti-Veda-pedant register of 1456 — the distinction is vidhi-as-tool vs opinion-talking.)
The unity-claim: cārī varṇa jālē ēkācīyē angīm — pāpa-puṇya bhāgīm vibhāgilēm — thefour varṇas became —in one body; —pāpa-puṇya— intobhāgas (shares) — was distributed. The Puruṣa-Sūkta-image: the four-varṇas come from one body (= the Virāṭ-Puruṣa's body); pāpa-puṇya is just distribution-of-portions. (= varṇa-difference is secondary-distribution, not fundamental-bhēda.)
The path-unity: prathama pā'ulīm pāvavilā pantha — ādi madhya anta bhēda nāhīm — at thefirst step— thepantha(path) wasgiven; —beginning-middle-end— nobhēda. The path is one from the very first step to the end; no internal divisions. (= bhakti is one-and-undivided, even from the beginning; not progressive-stages with bheda.)
The strong tree-fire image: āmbē bōrī vaḍa bābhuḷā candana — guṇāguṇē bhinna agni ēka — mango,bōrī(jujube),vaḍa(banyan),bābhuḷa(acacia),candana(sandalwood); — byguṇa-guṇa(= each-by-its-own-quality) — different; — butagni— isone. The tree-fire image: all five trees burn differently because of theirguṇa-properties(sandalwood-fragrant, acacia-thorny, etc.) — but thefire that consumes them all is one. (Foundational unity-in-diversity image; cf. Bhagavad-Gītā 7.7 yathā maṇi-gaṇā — like beads on a string.)
The closing-counsel: mana unmana jōm hōya — tōmvarī hē sōya vidhi pāḷīm — untilmanabecomesunmana(= mind-beyond-mind / supra-mental); — until then — keep (pāḷīm) — thissōya(path / orientation) —vidhi. Practical bhakti-counsel: until the mind reachesunmana(= theamanas-statebeyond mind),keep doing the vidhi(= the prescribed-Veda-karma). (= bhakti-with-vidhi is not contradictory; vidhi is the vehicle until unmana is reached. Tuka here grants Veda-vidhi a transitional place — distinct from his absolutist anti-vidhi statements like 1411 and 1461 — they are addressed to advanced-bhaktas with mature bhāva; for those still ascending, vidhi-until-unmana.)
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For someone today
For today: I tell the Veda-karmas as varmas before saints; four varṇas come from one body — pāpa-puṇya is just distributed; the path is one from first step to end; mango, jujube, banyan, acacia, sandalwood differ by quality but the fire is one; until the mind becomes unmana, keep the vidhi.
Where this applies
- When you feel divided from others because of differences in background, role, or status
- When you wonder whether following prescribed duties or rituals still has value
- When you are tempted to abandon discipline before your mind has actually settled
- When you notice people around you look and act very differently yet share the same underlying humanity