Abhanga 1750
For today: those who themselves walk side-paths — drive away others who walk straight; they don't recognize the favor done by the straight-walkers — there is no equal to such a rustic; he takes poison himself and tries to warn others back — life departs with whom?; while drowning, he calls out — but he has no place from which to ward off others; Tuka says — don't make obstruction — take the virtue (from each), throw away the fault.
The verse
चालिती आड वाटा । आणिकां द्राविती जे नीटा ॥१॥ न मनीं तयांचे उपकार । नाहीं जोडा तो गंव्हार ॥ध्रु.॥ विष सेवूनि वारी मागें । प्राण जातां जेणें संगें ॥२॥ बुडतां हाक मारी । ठाव नाहीं आणिकां वारी ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे न करीं हिंका । गुण घेऊन अवगुण टाका ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Walking side-paths — drive away others who go straight. Don't recognize their upakāra — no equal to the rustic. Takes poison — warns back — life departs with whom. While drowning, calls out — no place to ward off others. Tuka says: don't make hindrance — take guṇa, throw avaguṇa.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| चालिती आड वाटा | "walking — side-paths" |
| आणिकां द्राविती जे नीटा | "drive away others — who (go) straight" |
| न मनीं तयांचे उपकार | "not recognize — their upakāra" |
| नाहीं जोडा तो गंव्हार | "no equal — the rustic" |
| विष सेवूनि वारी मागें | "takes poison — warns back" |
| प्राण जातां जेणें संगें | "life departs — with whom" |
| बुडतां हाक मारी | "while drowning — calls out" |
| ठाव नाहीं आणिकां वारी | "no place — to ward off others" |
| तुका म्हणे न करीं हिंका | "Tuka says — don't make hindrance" |
| गुण घेऊन अवगुण टाका | "take guṇa — throw avaguṇa" |
What it means
Anti-misleading-others + take-guṇa-throw-avaguṇa abhang.
The opening: cālitī āḍa vāṭā — āṇikām drāvitī jē nīṭā — walking side-paths — drive away others who go straight. Those-who-themselves-walk-side-paths drive-away those-who-go-straight.
The non-recognition: na manī tayāñcē upakāra — nāhīm jōḍā tō gamvhāra — don't recognize their upakāra — no equal to the rustic. They don't recognize the favor done by the straight-walkers; the rustic-without-equal.
The drowning-warner: viṣa sēvūni vārī māgē — prāṇa jātām jēṇē sangē / buḍatām hāka mārī — ṭhāva nāhīm āṇikām vārī — takes poison and warns back — life departs with whom; while drowning calls out — no place to ward off others. Such-a-person himself takes-poison-or-drowns; tries to warn others (incompetently).
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē na karīm hinkā — guṇa ghē'ūna avaguṇa ṭākā — Tuka says: don't make hindrance — take guṇa, throw avaguṇa. Hinkā = hindrance, obstruction. Don't obstruct; take-the-virtue (from each), throw-away-the-fault.
[T]
For someone today
For today: those who themselves walk side-paths — drive away others who walk straight; they don't recognize the favor done by the straight-walkers — there is no equal to such a rustic; he takes poison himself and tries to warn others back — life departs with whom?; while drowning, he calls out — but he has no place from which to ward off others; Tuka says — don't make obstruction — take the virtue (from each), throw away the fault.
Where this applies
- Side-path-walkers-drive-off-straight-walkers.* Āḍa-vāṭā-drāvitī-nīṭā.
- Don't-recognize-upakāra-rustic-no-equal.* Upakāra-na-jōḍā-gamvhāra.
- Poison-warns-back-drowning-calls-out.* Viṣa-vārī-buḍatām-hāka.
- Don't-obstruct-take-guṇa-throw-avaguṇa.* Hinkā-na-guṇa-avaguṇa.