Abhanga 1747
Being honored for a virtue you do not truly possess is cause for shame, not pride, because outward polish can never replace real inner experience.
The verse
लाज वाटे मज मानिती हे लोक । हें तों नाहीं एक माझे अंगी ॥१॥ मजुनि झिजलों मापाचिया परी । जाळावी हे थोरी लाभाविण ॥ध्रु.॥ कोमळ कंटक तीक्षण अगरीं । पोचट ते वरी अंगकांति ॥२॥ चित्रींचे लेप शृंगारिलें निकें । जीवेंविण फिकें रूप त्याचें ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे दिसें वांयां गेलों देवा । अनुभव ठावा नाहीं तेणें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Shame I feel — these people honor (me) — this thing is not (even) one in my body. Emaciated like a measure-vessel — burn this thōrī without lābha. Soft thorn — sharp inside; or, emptiness — only the surface body-luster. Painted-image plaster — well-decorated — without jīva, its rūpa is insipid. Tuka says: I appear gone-in-vain, Devā — anubhava is not known to me.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| लाज वाटे मज मानिती हे लोक | "shame I feel — these people honor (me)" |
| हें तों नाहीं एक माझे अंगी | "this thing — not even one — in my body" |
| मजुनि झिजलों मापाचिया परी | "emaciated — like a measure-vessel" |
| जाळावी हे थोरी लाभाविण | "burn this thōrī — without lābha" |
| कोमळ कंटक तीक्षण अगरीं | "soft thorn — sharp inside" |
| पोचट ते वरी अंगकांति | "emptiness — only the surface body-luster" |
| चित्रींचे लेप शृंगारिलें निकें | "painted-image plaster — well-decorated" |
| जीवेंविण फिकें रूप त्याचें | "without jīva — insipid — its rūpa" |
| तुका म्हणे दिसें वांयां गेलों देवा | "Tuka says — I appear — gone in vain — Devā" |
| अनुभव ठावा नाहीं तेणें | "anubhava — not known — to it (= me)" |
What it means
Self-deprecation: outer-honor-without-inner-anubhava abhang.
The opening: lāja vāṭē maja mānitī hē lōka — hēm tōm nāhīm ēka mājhē angi — shame I feel — these people honor — this is not (even) one (virtue) in my body. I feel shame because-people honor me; the (virtue) they-think-is-in-me isn't actually-in-my-body.
The measure-vessel: majuni jhijalōm māpāciyā parī — jāḷāvī hē thōrī lābhā-vīṇa — emaciated like a measure-vessel — burn this thōrī without lābha. Māpa = measure-vessel; jhijalōm = I have been emaciated / worn-thin. Thōrī = the greatness, the renown. Like a measure-vessel that has been worn-thin from constant-use, my body has emaciated; let this renown-without-real-gain burn.
The thorn-or-empty: kōmaḷa kaṇṭaka tīkṣaṇa agarīm — pōcaṭa tē varī anga-kānti — soft thorn — sharp inside; or, emptiness — only the surface body-luster. Either a soft-thorn (sharp-inside, soft-outside, deceiving), or empty-inside with only-the-surface-body-luster.
The painted-image: citrīñcē lēpa śṛngārilēm nikēm — jīvē-vīṇa phikēm rūpa tyācēm — painted-image plaster — well-decorated — without jīva, its rūpa is insipid. A painted-and-plastered-image, well-decorated; but without-life-inside, its form is insipid.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē disē vāyām gēlōm Devā — anubhava ṭhāvā nāhīm tēṇē — Tuka says: I appear gone-in-vain, Devā — anubhava not known to me. I seem to have come into the world in vain — the real-experience is not known to me.
This is one of Tukaram's most-striking anti-public-honor statements — honoring-of-bhakta is itself a source-of-shame when the inner-anubhava is missing.
[T]
For someone today
For today: I feel shame — these people honor me — but this thing is not even one (virtue) in my body; I have been worn-thin like a measure-vessel — burn this greatness without real gain; (I am) like a soft-thorn sharp inside, or empty-inside with only the surface body-luster; like a painted-image well-decorated — but without life inside, its form is insipid; Tuka says — I appear to have gone in vain, Devā — the real-experience is not known to me.
Where this applies
- When people praise you for being wise, devoted, or virtuous and you privately know that praise doesn't match what's really inside you
- When you feel worn thin from years of keeping up a respected image that hasn't brought you any real peace
- When your outward manner is soft and pleasant but you know there's something sharp or unresolved underneath
- When you notice your public reputation is more polished than your actual inner life