Abhanga 1517
Treating something meaningful with contempt and choosing comfort over showing up brings shame not just on you but on everyone who shares your name.
The verse
कथेचा उलंघ तो अधमां अधम । नावडे ज्या नाम ओळखा तो ॥१॥ कासया जीऊन जाला भूमी भार । अनउपकार माते कुंसी ॥ध्रु.॥ निद्रेचा आदर जागरणीं वीट । त्याचे पोटीं कीट कुपथ्याचें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे दोन्ही बुडविलीं कुळें । ज्याचें तोंड काळें कथेमाजी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kathā's ulamgha — adhamām adhama — to whom nāma doesn't please — recognize him. Why is he alive — became bhūmī-bhāra — anu-pakāra to mātā's kumsī. Ādara for nidrā, vīṭa at jāgaraṇa — in his pōṭa, kīṭa of kupathya. Tuka says: drowned both kuḷa-s — whose tōṇḍa is kāḷē at kathā.
मराठी: कथेचा — उलंघ — तो — अधमां — अधम; — नावडे — ज्या — नाम — ओळखा — तो. कासया — जीऊन — जाला — भूमी — भार? — अनुपकार — माते — कुंसी. निद्रेचा — आदर — जागरणीं — वीट; — त्याचे — पोटीं — कीट — कुपथ्याचें. Tukā म्हणे — दोन्ही — बुडविलीं — कुळें; — ज्याचें — तोंड — काळें — कथे-माजी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कथेचा उलंघ तो अधमां अधम | "the ulamgha (= interruption / breach) — of kathā — that one — adhamām adhama (= lowest of low)" |
| नावडे ज्या नाम ओळखा तो | "does not please (nāvaḍē) — to whom — nāma; — recognize (ōḷakhā) — that one" |
| कासया जीऊन जाला भूमी भार | "why (kāsayā) — having lived (jī'ūna) — has become — bhūmī (earth)'s — bhāra (load)" |
| अनउपकार माते कुंसी | "anu-pakāra (= un-favor) — to mātā's — kumsī (= womb)" |
| निद्रेचा आदर जागरणीं वीट | "ādara (regard) — of nidrā; — vīṭa (disgust) — at jāgaraṇa (= keeping awake at kīrtana)" |
| त्याचे पोटीं कीट कुपथ्याचें | "in his pōṭa — kīṭa (= heap / dirt) — of kupathya (= wrong-diet)" |
| तुका म्हणे दोन्ही बुडविलीं कुळें | "Tuka says — both — kuḷas (lineages) — drowned (buḍavilīm)" |
| ज्याचें तोंड काळें कथेमाजी | "whose tōṇḍa (face) — kāḷēm (black) — at kathā" |
What it means
Anti-kathā-interrupter abhang. The strongest anti-kathā-interrupter invective in this stretch. The opening: kathēcā ulamgha tō adhamām adhama — nāvaḍē jyā nāma ōḷakhā tō — theulamghaofkathā—adhamām adhama; — to whomnāmadoesn't please —recognize(= identify) him. Interrupting kathā is the lowest of low; the one who doesn't love nāma — know him for what he is. (Compare 1485's kōṭi-kuḷē-vāṭulī-Brahma-hatyā — interrupting-kathā = brahma-hatyā; here a different invective-mode.)
The earth-burden: kāsayā jī'ūna jālā bhūmī bhāra — anu-pakāra mātē kumsī — why is he alive — has becomebhūmī-bhāra(= a burden on the earth); —un-favor— to (his)mātā's —kumsī(= womb). The bhūmī-bhāra trope (= classical durjana-as-burden-on-earth); plus insult to mother's womb (= the womb-bearer received no return-favor for bringing this person forth). Strong invective.
The diet-and-sleep: nidrēcā ādara jāgaraṇīm vīṭa — tyācē pōṭīm kīṭa kupathyācēm — regard fornidrā(sleep); —vīṭa(disgust) atjāgaraṇa(= keeping awake — specifically thekīrtana-night-vigil); — in hispōṭa—kīṭa(heap / accumulated-dirt) — ofkupathya(= un-conducive / wrong food). He loves sleep, hates kīrtana-vigil; his belly full of wrong-diet.
The closing-image: dōnnhī buḍavilīm kuḷē — jyācēm tōṇḍa kāḷēm kathē-mājhī — bothkuḷas —drowned; — whosetōṇḍa— iskāḷēm— atkathā. He's drowned both lineages (= his father's and mother's families' merit-line); his face is black at the kathā-event (= shamed publicly during kathā). (Compare 1466's kāḷēm tōṇḍa samtām-madhyē — black face among saints; same imagery here, applied to the kathā-interrupter.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: the kathā-interrupter is the lowest of low — recognize him; why is he alive? — earth-burden, no-favor to mother's womb; loves sleep, disgusted with kīrtana-vigil, belly full of wrong-diet; he has drowned both lineages — his face is black at kathā.
Where this applies
- When you keep making excuses to skip a gathering, class, or ritual others have prepared with care
- When you're the one whose restlessness or sarcasm derails a group's shared devotion or focus
- When you notice you'd rather sleep in than show up for something meaningful to your family or community
- When you catch yourself neglecting your health and habits and blaming everyone but yourself