संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1494 of 4582

Abhanga 1494

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.

When you'd see why a faithless person turns harmful — no self-welfare = wishes others' harm; what's bound must be experienced; ask the way before walking

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

English: 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 icchītasēone who has not done his own sva-hita (welfare) — wishes the ghāta (= 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 hāmvato samcita — go attachingkhōḍī (= evil-habits / quirky-defects); — over the ōṇḍī (= rim / brink) of patana (fall) — hāmva (craving). Evil-habits attach themselves to one's samcita; — over the brink-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 kījēwhat's bound in the gānṭha — must be experienced; — for such, what would Deva do? (= 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 cālēto whichever gāmva (village) — one wants to go; — by asking (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

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