Abhanga 1712
Stop quarrelsome, vain talk and listen with reverence to what is good, because that good is already close at hand.
The verse
नको बोलों भांडा । खीळ घालुन बैस तोंडा ॥१॥ ऐक विठोबाचे गुण । करीं सादर श्रवण ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रेमसुखा आड । काय वाजातें चाभाड ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हिता । कां रे नागवसी थीता ॥३॥
Literal translation
Don't speak, brawler — put a bolt and sit (with) mouth. Listen to Viṭhobā's guṇas — do śravaṇa with deference. Before prema-sukha, what jangles — the cabhāḍa? Tuka says: to hita — why are you naked, being right-next?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नको बोलों भांडा | "don't speak — brawler" |
| खीळ घालुन बैस तोंडा | "put a bolt — (and) sit (with) mouth" |
| ऐक विठोबाचे गुण | "listen — to Viṭhobā's guṇas" |
| करीं सादर श्रवण | "do śravaṇa — with deference" |
| प्रेमसुखा आड | "before prema-sukha" |
| काय वाजातें चाभाड | "what jangles — cabhāḍa (rattling)" |
| तुका म्हणे हिता | "Tuka says — to hita" |
| कां रे नागवसी थीता | "why are you naked — being-near" |
What it means
Anti-brawler + listen-to-Viṭhobā-guṇas abhang.
The opening: nakō bōlōm bhāṇḍā — khīḷa ghāluna baisa tōṇḍā — don't speak, brawler — put a bolt and sit (with) mouth. Bhāṇḍā = brawler, dispute-monger; khīḷa = bolt, peg. Bolt-your-mouth-shut.
The śravaṇa-injunction: aika Viṭhōbācē guṇa — karīm sādara śravaṇa — listen to Viṭhobā's guṇas — do śravaṇa with deference. Sādara = with-deference; śravaṇa = listening (to scripture / kīrtana).
The jangling-question: prēma-sukhā āḍa — kāya vājātēm cābhāḍa — before prema-sukha, what jangles — cabhāḍa? Cabhāḍa = jangling, clattering rattle / vain-talk. In the presence of prema-sukha, why this jangling-noise of vain-talk?
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē hitā — kām rē nāgavasī thītā — Tuka says: to hita — why are you naked, being right-near? Nāgavaṇē = to be naked / stripped of; thīta = right-near, ready-and-waiting. Why are you stripped-of-the-good while it's right-next-to-you?
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't speak, brawler — put a bolt on your mouth and sit; listen to Viṭhobā's guṇas — do śravaṇa with deference; before prema-sukha, what is the jangling-noise (of vain-talk)?; Tuka says — to the good — why are you naked of it while it's right next-to-you?
Where this applies
- When you're in an argument and notice your own words are just noise, not truth
- When you sit down to listen to a kirtana or reading but your mind keeps chattering instead of paying attention
- When gossip or petty talk is pulling your attention away from something genuinely nourishing
- When you realize the peace or joy you want has been within reach all along, but your own restlessness keeps you from it