Abhanga 1508
Holding on to one steady practice, the name repeated faithfully, can quietly become your only wealth and, unexplainably, more than enough.
The verse
असें येथींचिया दिनें । भाग्यहीन सकळां ॥१॥ भांडवल एवढें गांठी । नाम कंठीं धरियेलें ॥ध्रु.॥ आणिक तें दुजें कांहीं । मज नाहीं यावरी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे केली कोणें । एवढा नेणें लौकिक ॥३॥
Literal translation
I am of these days — bhāgya-hīna among all. Bhāṇḍavala this much in gānṭha — name held at kaṇṭha. Any other dujēm thing — none beyond this for me. Tuka says: who made (this) — I don't know — this much laukika.
मराठी: असें — येथींचिया — दिनें; — भाग्य-हीन — सकळां. भांडवल — एवढें — गांठी; — नाम — कंठीं — धरियेलें. आणिक — तें — दुजें — कांहीं; — मज — नाहीं — यावरी. Tukā म्हणे — केली — कोणें; — एवढा — नेणें — लौकिक.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| असें येथींचिया दिनें | "I am — yēthīciyā dinē (= of these days, today)" |
| भाग्यहीन सकळां | "bhāgya-hīna (without good-fortune) — among all (sakaḷām)" |
| भांडवल एवढें गांठी | "bhāṇḍavala — this much (ēvaḍhēm) — in the gānṭha" |
| नाम कंठीं धरियेलें | "nāma — at the kaṇṭha (throat) — held (dhariyēlēm)" |
| आणिक तें दुजें कांहीं | "any other (āṇika) — dujēm (second) — anything" |
| मज नाहीं यावरी | "to me — there is none — over-and-above this (yā-varī)" |
| तुका म्हणे केली कोणें | "Tuka says — who has made (kēlī)?" |
| एवढा नेणें लौकिक | "this much — I don't know (nēṇē) — laukika (worldly fame)" |
What it means
Only-bhāṇḍavala-is-name-at-throat abhang. A humble self-portrait. The opening: asēm yēthīciyā dinē — bhāgya-hīna sakaḷām — I am — of these days; —bhāgya-hīna— among all. The self-deprecating-opening: I'm without good-fortune compared to all. (Compare 1482's ranka-Tukā-nāma — same humility-mode.)
The treasured-asset: bhāṇḍavala ēvaḍhēm gānṭhī — nāma kaṇṭhīm dhariyēlēm — this much —bhāṇḍavala— in thegānṭha(knot); —nāma— at thekaṇṭha(throat) —held. My only capital is this much: the name held at my throat. (Compare 1421's avaghēm bhāṇḍavala — Viṭhṭhala ēkalā — same theme.)
The exclusive-singularity: āṇika tēm dujēm kāhīm — maja nāhīm yā-varī — no second thing — for me — over-and-above this. I have nothing else.
The closing-wonder: kēlī kōṇē — ēvaḍhā nēṇē laukika — who made (this) — this muchlaukika(worldly-fame) — I don't know. I don't know how I came to have this much fame in the world. (= the bhāṇḍavala of nāma — small in self-estimation — has somehow created laukika; Tuka's wonder-at-his-own-fame, attributing it to kōṇē (= someone, i.e., Hari).)
[T]
For someone today
For today: I am bhāgya-hīna among all today; my only capital is the name held at my throat; nothing else; I don't know who made me this much worldly-fame.
Where this applies
- When you feel unlucky or less blessed than the people around you
- When your one quiet spiritual habit feels like the only real possession you have
- When you're surprised that a small, humble practice has earned you unexpected respect
- When you want to stop comparing your fortune to others and just hold onto what steadies you