Abhanga 1637
Accept the share that has been given to you instead of coveting another's, since fighting what cannot be changed and envying others only brings disgrace and pain.
The verse
समर्थाचें केलें । कोणां जाईंल मोडिलें ॥१॥ वांयां करावी ते उरे । खटपटें सोस पुरे ॥ध्रु.॥ ठेविला जो ठेवा । आपुलाला तैसा खावा ॥२॥ ज्याचें त्याचें हातीं । भुके तयाची फजिती ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे कोटी । बाळे जाले शूळ पोटी ॥४॥
Literal translation
What samartha has done — by whom will it be broken? Vain action only leaves leftover-fuss — enough of the enduring. The deposit placed — eat your own as it is. Whose is in whose hand — the hungry one's disgrace. Tuka says: crores of children became thorns in the belly.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| समर्थाचें केलें | "what the samartha — has done" |
| कोणां जाईंल मोडिलें | "by whom — will be broken?" |
| वांयां करावी ते उरे | "in vain — what is done — remains" |
| खटपटें सोस पुरे | "by fuss — enduring — enough" |
| ठेविला जो ठेवा | "the deposit — placed" |
| आपुलाला तैसा खावा | "one's own — as it is — eat" |
| ज्याचें त्याचें हातीं | "whose-is-whose — in hand" |
| भुके तयाची फजिती | "the hungry one's — disgrace" |
| तुका म्हणे कोटी | "Tuka says — crores" |
| बाळे जाले शूळ पोटी | "children — became — thorn — in belly" |
What it means
Anti-jealousy-of-others'-portion + accept-your-share abhang.
The opening: samarthācēm kēlēm — kōṇām jā'īla mōḍilēm — what the samartha has done — by whom will it be broken? Samartha = the powerful one (= Deva). What Deva has decreed — who can break it?
The vain-effort: vāyām karāvī tē urē — khaṭa-paṭēm sōsa purē — vain action only leaves leftover — enough of the bother. Khaṭa-paṭa = fuss, agitation; sōsa purē = enduring is enough. Useless-action only leaves residue-of-fuss; enough of bearing-the-fuss.
The eat-your-own: ṭhēvilā jō ṭhēvā — āpulālā taisā khāvā — the deposit placed — eat your own as it is. Ṭhēvā = the deposit, the assigned-portion. Eat your assigned-portion as-it-was-placed.
The hand-and-hunger: jyācēm tyācēm hātīm — bhukē tayācī phajitī — whose-is-whose-hand — the hungry one's disgrace. Whatever-is-whose-is-in-whose-hand (= each has his own share); the one who is hungry-while-others-eat suffers disgrace (= jealousy-while-others-have-their-portion is humiliating).
The closing-image: Tukā mhaṇē kōṭī — bāḷē jālē śūḷa pōṭī — Tuka says: crores of children became thorns in the belly. Striking-rural-image: crores of bāḷas (= children, but here also: small-creatures, fish-fry, reptiles) became thorns in the belly. The image suggests small-creatures-multiplying internally and turning into thorns — possibly referring to folk belief in worms/parasites — what could-have-been-progeny becomes-thorn-in-belly when one eats-not-one's-own; or, too many bāḷas (children, sons) — became internal-thorns-of-anxiety. (Cryptic-folk-image with multiple traditional-readings.)
The general-thrust: accept-your-decreed-share; don't fuss for others'; the powerful's-decree cannot be broken.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what the powerful one has decreed — by whom will it be broken?; vain effort only leaves the residue of fuss — enough of bearing-the-fuss; whatever deposit is placed for you — eat your own as it is; whose share is in whose hand — only the one who goes hungry while others have their portion suffers disgrace; Tuka says — even crores of children became thorns in the belly.
मराठी: आजसाठी: जे समर्थाने ठरवलं आहे, ते कोण मोडणार आहे?; व्यर्थ खटपट केल्याने फक्त गोंधळाचा उरलेला भाग हाती लागतो — एवढी खटपट पुरे झाली; तुझ्यासाठी जो ठेवा ठेवला आहे, तो जसा आहे तसा खा; ज्याचा वाटा ज्याच्या हातात आहे — इतरांना मिळालेलं असताना उपाशी राहणाऱ्यालाच नामुष्की सोसावी लागते; तुका म्हणतो — कोट्यवधी लेकरंसुद्धा पोटात काटा बनून राहिली.
Where this applies
- When you're comparing your salary, house, or luck to someone else's and feel resentful.
- When you're tempted to keep fighting a decision or circumstance that's clearly beyond your control.
- When you feel humiliated watching others enjoy what they have while you go without.
- When wanting more than what's yours starts eating away at your peace of mind.