Abhanga 1494
Neglecting your own inner welfare breeds harm toward others, and what you bind for yourself you alone must live through, so ask someone who knows the way before you set out.
The verse
जेणें नाहीं केलें आपुलें स्वहित । पुढिलांचा घात इच्छीतसे ॥१॥ संचितासी जाय मिळोनियां खोडी । पतनाचे ओंडीवरी हांव ॥ध्रु.॥ बांधलें गांठी तें लागलें भोगावें । ऐसियासी देवें काय कीजे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जया गांवां जाणे जया । पुसोनियां तया वाट चाले ॥३॥
Literal translation
One who has not done his sva-hita — wishes the ghāta of those-ahead. Khōḍī attach to samcita — over the brink of patana, craving. What's bound in gānṭha must be bhōgāvēm — to such, what would Deva do? Tuka says: to whichever gāmva one would go — by asking, that one walks the path.
मराठी: जेणें — नाहीं — केलें — आपुलें — स्व-हित; — पुढिलांचा — घात — इच्छीतसे. संचितासी — जाय — मिळोनियां — खोडी; — पतनाचे — ओंडी-वरी — हांव. बांधलें — गांठी — तें — लागलें — भोगावें; — ऐसियासी — देवें — काय — कीजे? Tukā म्हणे — जया — गांवां — जाणे — जया; — पुसोनियां — तया — वाट — चाले.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जेणें नाहीं केलें आपुलें स्वहित | "(one) who — has not done — his own sva-hita (welfare)" |
| पुढिलांचा घात इच्छीतसे | "of those-ahead (puḍhilāñcā) — ghāta (harm) — wishes (icchītasē)" |
| संचितासी जाय मिळोनियां खोडी | "to samcita — go (jāya) — attaching (miḷōniyām) — khōḍī (= evil-habits / quirks)" |
| पतनाचे ओंडीवरी हांव | "of patana (fall) — over the ōṇḍī (= rim / brink) — hāmva (= craving / urge)" |
| बांधलें गांठी तें लागलें भोगावें | "what's bound in (the) gānṭha (knot) — must be experienced (lāgalēm bhōgāvēm)" |
| ऐसियासी देवें काय कीजे | "to such — by Deva — what would be done?" |
| तुका म्हणे जया गांवां जाणे जया | "Tuka says — to whichever — gāmva (village) — (one) wants to go" |
| पुसोनियां तया वाट चाले | "by asking (pusōniyām) — that one — walks the path" |
What it means
No-self-welfare-wishes-others'-harm abhang. A psychological-observation. The opening: jēṇē nāhīm kēlēm āpulēm sva-hita — puḍhilāñcā ghāta icchītasē — one who has not done his ownsva-hita(welfare) — wishes theghāta(= harm / killing) — of those-ahead (puḍhilāñcā). Without inner-welfare, one wishes harm on those ahead. (Sharp-psychology: failure-to-self-cultivate breeds envy and harm-wishing.)
The diagnosis: samcitāsī jāya miḷōniyām khōḍī — patanācē ōṇḍī-varī hāmva — tosamcita— goattaching—khōḍī(= evil-habits / quirky-defects); — over theōṇḍī(= rim / brink) ofpatana(fall) —hāmva(craving). Evil-habits attach themselves to one's samcita; — over thebrink-of-the-fall, the craving operates. (= the karma accumulates toward the fall; the craving runs at the edge.)
The fatalism: bāndhalēm gānṭhī tēm lāgalēm bhōgāvēm — aisiyāsī Devēm kāya kījē — what'sboundin thegānṭha— must beexperienced; — for such, what wouldDevado? (= bound karma must be experienced through; even Hari can't intervene against your own self-binding.)
The closing: jayā gāmvām jāṇē jayā — pusōniyām tayā vāṭa cālē — to whichevergāmva(village) — one wants to go; — byasking(pusōniyām) —that one— walks the path. To get to your destination, ask someone who knows the way. (The simple-village-image: ask the knower for directions before setting out. = take guidance from the knowing-bhakta-saint.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: one who hasn't done his own welfare wishes harm on those ahead; evil-habits attach to samcita, craving operates at the brink-of-fall; what's bound in the bundle must be experienced — what can Hari do for such?; to reach a village, ask the way of one who knows.
Where this applies
- When you notice envy or resentment rising in you toward someone doing better than you.
- When you keep repeating a habit you know is pulling you toward trouble.
- When you're facing consequences of your own past choices and looking for someone else to blame.
- When you're starting something unfamiliar and are tempted to skip asking for guidance.