Abhanga 1496
Chasing and displaying supernatural powers, even real ones, burns through the merit that earned them and leads downward, not up.
The verse
सांगों जाणती शकुन । भूत भविष्य वर्तमान ॥१॥ त्यांचा आम्हांसी कंटाळा । पाहों नावडती डोळां ॥ध्रु.॥ रिद्धिसिद्धींचे साधक । वाचासद्धि होती एक ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जाती । पुण्यक्षयें अधोगती ॥३॥
Literal translation
They know how to say śakuna — bhūta-bhaviṣya-vartamāna. To us, kaṇṭāḷā with them — we don't like to see them with eyes. Ṛddhi-siddhi sādhakas — vācā-siddhi happens to one (some). Tuka says: they go — by puṇya-kṣaya, to adho-gati.
मराठी: सांगों — जाणती — शकुन; — भूत — भविष्य — वर्तमान. त्यांचा — आम्हांसी — कंटाळा; — पाहों — नावडती — डोळां. रिद्धि-सिद्धींचे — साधक; — वाचा-सद्धि — होती — एक. Tukā म्हणे — जाती; — पुण्य-क्षयें — अधो-गती.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सांगों जाणती शकुन | "say (sāngōm) — they know — śakuna (= omens / signs)" |
| भूत भविष्य वर्तमान | "bhūta-bhaviṣya-vartamāna (past, future, present)" |
| त्यांचा आम्हांसी कंटाळा | "to them — to us — kaṇṭāḷā (= disgust / weariness)" |
| पाहों नावडती डोळां | "to see — we don't like — with eyes" |
| रिद्धिसिद्धींचे साधक | "of ṛddhi-siddhi — sādhakas" |
| वाचासद्धि होती एक | "vācā-siddhi — happens (hōtī) — to one (= some)" |
| तुका म्हणे जाती | "Tuka says — they go" |
| पुण्यक्षयें अधोगती | "by puṇya-kṣaya — to adho-gati (downward-fall)" |
What it means
Anti-fortune-teller-and-anti-yogic-power abhang. The opening: sāngōm jāṇatī śakuna — bhūta bhaviṣya vartamāna — those who know —say—śakuna(= omens) — past, future, present. (= reference to fortune-tellers / astrologers who predict the three-times.)
The reaction: tyāñcā āmhāñsī kaṇṭāḷā — pāhōm nāvaḍatī ḍōḷām — to us —kaṇṭāḷā(= disgust / weariness) — toward them; — we don't like to see them with our eyes. Strong-aversion — not just disinterest but disgust.
The yogic-power-warning: ṛddhi-siddhīñcē sādhaka — vācā-siddhi hōtī ēka — ofṛddhi-siddhi—sādhakas; —vācā-siddhi(= speech-perfection: whatever they say comes-true) — happens toone(= some). (Note: vāca-siddhi is one of the aṣṭa-siddhis — Tuka acknowledges these do sometimes happen.)
The closing-verdict: jātī — puṇya-kṣayē adhō-gati — they go — bypuṇya-kṣaya(exhaustion of accumulated merit) — toadho-gati(downward-fall). Their power-display burns through their merit-stock; when exhausted, they fall. (= the classical-warning: yogic powers acquired by tapas burn-through tapas-merit; cf. Bhāgavata-Purāṇa 11.15.4: na vai jagat-kāmārthāya tapasvinaḥ — tapas isn't for world-purposes.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: fortune-tellers know omens of past-future-present; we feel disgust toward them, don't want to see them; some of the ṛddhi-siddhi-sādhakas attain vāca-siddhi; they all eventually fall by exhaustion of merit.
Where this applies
- When you're tempted to seek out a fortune-teller or psychic for reassurance about the future.
- When you're drawn toward spiritual practice mainly for the impressive powers or reputation it might bring.
- When you notice someone using genuine spiritual attainment to perform rather than to grow.
- When you want a reminder that showing off good fortune can quietly use it up.