Abhanga 1520
For today: this is not my gravity — speech is cloud-rain, for saints to hear; the rough word is Deva's prasāda — I just spoke as he made me; body given once-for-all as dāna — the source is the true mint; a fresh-butter spring has sprung — served, it fills the belly.
The verse
नव्हें हें गुरुत्व मेघवृष्टि वाणी । ऐकावी कानीं संतजनीं ॥१॥ आरुष हा शब्द देवाचा प्रसाद । करविला वाद तैसा केला ॥ध्रु.॥ देहपिंड दान दिला एकसरें । मुळिचें तें खरें टांकसाळ ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे झरा लागला नवनीत । सेविलिया हित पोट धाय ॥३॥
Literal translation
This is not my gurutva — megha-vṛṣṭi vāṇī — let saint-people hear in the ear. This āruṣa-śabda is Deva's prasāda — as vāda was karavilā, so I kēlā. Dēha-piṇḍa was given as dāna ēkasarēm — muḷicēm is the true ṭānkasāḷa. Tuka says: a jhara of nava-nīta has sprung — when served, hita, pōṭa is dhāya.
मराठी: नव्हें — हें — गुरुत्व — मेघ-वृष्टि — वाणी; — ऐकावी — कानीं — संत-जनीं. आरुष — हा — शब्द — देवाचा — प्रसाद; — करविला — वाद — तैसा — केला. देह-पिंड — दान — दिला — एकसरें; — मुळिचें — तें — खरें — टांकसाळ. Tukā म्हणे — झरा — लागला — नवनीत; — सेविलिया — हित — पोट — धाय.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नव्हें हें गुरुत्व मेघवृष्टि वाणी | "not (navhē) — this — my gurutva; — megha-vṛṣṭi (= rain from cloud) — vāṇī" |
| ऐकावी कानीं संतजनीं | "let it be heard — in the ear — by samta-jana" |
| आरुष हा शब्द देवाचा प्रसाद | "āruṣa (= rough / unrefined) — this śabda — is Deva's prasāda" |
| करविला वाद तैसा केला | "as the vāda — was made (karavilā) — so — I did (kēlā)" |
| देहपिंड दान दिला एकसरें | "dēha-piṇḍa (body-mass) — dāna — was given — ēkasarēm (with one stroke / once-for-all)" |
| मुळिचें तें खरें टांकसाळ | "muḷicēm (= original) — that — is kharēm (true) — ṭānkasāḷa (= mint)" |
| तुका म्हणे झरा लागला नवनीत | "Tuka says — a jhara (spring) — has sprung (lāgalā) — of nava-nīta" |
| सेविलिया हित पोट धाय | "when served — hita (welfare) — pōṭa — full / satisfied (dhāya)" |
What it means
Speech-is-rain-from-cloud-not-my-gurutva abhang. The opening disclaimer: navhē hēm gurutva mēgha-vṛṣṭi vāṇī — aikāvī kānīm samta-janīm — this isnot— my owngurutva(= gravity / authority); — (it's)megha-vṛṣṭi(cloud-rain)vāṇī; — let it be heard — bysamta-jana(= saint-people). I'm not the source — the cloud is; let saints hear it. (= the bhakta-poet disclaims authorship; the speech is sky-rain.)
The prasāda-claim: āruṣa hā śabda Devācā prasāda — karavilā vāda taisā kēlā — thisāruṣa(= rough / unrefined / rustic)śabda— isDeva'sprasāda; — as thevāda(talk) wasmade(= caused-to-be-made by Hari) — so I did. Even the rough-rusticity of my words is Deva's prasāda; I just spoke as he made me speak.
The dāna-image: dēha-piṇḍa dāna dilā ēkasarēm — muḷicēm tēm kharēm ṭānkasāḷa — thedēha-piṇḍa(body-mass) — was given asdāna—ēkasarēm(= with one stroke / once-for-all); —muḷicēm(= original / source) — that — is thetrueṭānkasāḷa(= mint / royal-coin-house). Body itself given once-for-all as dāna; the source / original is thetrue mint (= Hari is the coin-of-the-realm-mint; the bhakta's words are coined-by-him. Tuka's commercial-imagery, mint-as-source-of-genuine-coin.)
The closing-spring: jharā lāgalā nava-nīta — sēviliyā hita pōṭa dhāya — ajhara(spring) ofnava-nīta(= fresh butter) — hassprung; — whenserved—hita(welfare) — thepōṭa—full / satisfied. A spring of fresh-butter has sprung; served, it fills the belly. (= the abhanga-poetry is fresh-butter-spring; whoever takes it is fully-satisfied.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: this is not my gravity — speech is cloud-rain, for saints to hear; the rough word is Deva's prasāda — I just spoke as he made me; body given once-for-all as dāna — the source is the true mint; a fresh-butter spring has sprung — served, it fills the belly.
Where this applies
- When you receive praise for a talent or insight and want to remember where it really came from
- When you're embarrassed by how rough or imperfect your effort seems, but it still helped someone
- When you're using a gift or skill to serve others rather than to build up your own name
- When you want to offer what you have freely, trusting it will nourish whoever needs it