Abhanga 1564

For today: the belly has stuck to the back, making us wander country-to-country; out of belly-fear, wherever you go, the belly follows; even japa-tapa-anuṣṭhāna become beggars for the belly's sake; the belly throws away dignity, makes us dance before the low; by what can the belly ever be filled? — one dies still wasting-away in worry.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Belly-stuck-to-back abhang. A vivid pōṭa-bhaya (= belly-fear) diagnosis. The opening: pōṭa lāgalēm pāṭhīśīm — hiṇḍavitēm dēśō-dēśīm — the pōṭa (belly) — has clung — to the pāṭha (back); — it makes-wander — country-to-country. The belly has wrapped-around-and-stuck-to-the-back (= the constant-anxiety-of-feeding-it makes one carry it as burden); it makes one wander from country to country* (= seek-livelihood everywhere).

The futility: pōṭā-bhēṇē jikaḍē jāvēm — tikaḍē pōṭa yētēm savēm — out of fear-of-pōṭa — wherever you go; — there — pōṭa — comes along. Wherever you flee from pōṭa-anxiety, pōṭa follows. (= can't escape one's own belly*.)

The corruption-of-religion: japa tapa anuṣṭhāna — pōṭā-sāṭīm jālē dīna — japa, tapa, anuṣṭhāna — for pōṭa's sake — became — dīna (= beggars / poor / pitiful). Even japa-tapa-anuṣṭhāna become beggars for the belly's sake (= religious-practice gets commodified-for-livelihood; cf. 1465's anti-paid-kathā polemic — same theme).

The dignity-loss: pōṭēm sāṇḍiyēlī cavī — nīcā-puḍhēm tēm nācavī — the pōṭa — has thrown away — the cavī (= taste / dignity); — before low (people) — makes-dance. The belly throws away dignity; makes one dance before low-people. (= bowing to the wealthy-but-immoral for food*.)

The closing-question-and-verdict: pōṭa kāśiyānēm bharē — jhura-jhurūm marē — the pōṭa — by what — gets filled?; — worrying-and-wasting-away — dies. What can ever fill the belly? — One dies still-worrying-and-wasting-away. (= the belly is never permanently-satisfied; the worry kills you in the end*.)

The closing-marker आरत्या ॥ १३ ॥ indicates: the previous-13 abhangs constitute a sub-series (likely 1552-1564 — let me verify by content; 1564 closes some-block of 13). The next-section is "Āratyām" — Āratīs (= invocational-hymns sung at the close of pūjā). 1565-1567 are thus Āratīs, a different genre.

[T]

For someone today

For today: the belly has stuck to the back, making us wander country-to-country; out of belly-fear, wherever you go, the belly follows; even japa-tapa-anuṣṭhāna become beggars for the belly's sake; the belly throws away dignity, makes us dance before the low; by what can the belly ever be filled? — one dies still wasting-away in worry.

Where this applies

• Belly-stuck-to-back-wanders-countries.* Pōṭa-pāṭhīśīm-dēśō-dēśīm.
• Belly-follows-wherever-fled.* Pōṭā-bhēṇē-savēm.
• Japa-tapa-anuṣṭhāna-become-beggars.* Japa-tapa-anuṣṭhāna-dīna.
• Belly-throws-dignity-makes-dance-before-low.* Pōṭēm-sāṇḍiyēlī-cavī-nīcā-puḍhē-nācavī.
• Belly-never-fills-dies-worrying.* Pōṭa-bharē-na-jhura-jhurūm-marē.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2459
• Abhanga 2471
• Abhanga 4482
• Abhanga 2469 — English: Naturally attaining Bhagavanta — but vikalpas distance — why don't they hold the