Abhanga 1762
For today: no inner-feeling — what use are mudrā and speech? — the heron sits steady-in-meditation (only watching for fish); doesn't truly recognize the nāma, doesn't recognize him — the talkative-one pierces with false-claims; no real longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like a thief's-blow; Tuka says — don't even have his association — no word, no body-touch.
The verse
भाव नाहीं काय मुद्रा वाणी । बैसे बगळा निश्चळ ध्यानीं ॥१॥ न मनी नाम न मनी त्यासी । वाचाळ शब्द पिटी भासी ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं चाड देवाची कांहीं । छळणें टोंके तस्करघाईं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे त्याचा संग । नको शब्द स्पर्शअंग ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: No bhāva — what use mudrā-vāṇī? — heron sits steady in dhyāna. Doesn't recognize nāma, doesn't recognize him — vācāḷa words pierce with false-claim. No longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like-thief-blow. Tuka says: his sanga — don't — no word, no body-touch.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| भाव नाहीं काय मुद्रा वाणी | "no bhāva — what use mudrā-vāṇī" |
| बैसे बगळा निश्चळ ध्यानीं | "the heron sits — steady in dhyāna" |
| न मनी नाम न मनी त्यासी | "doesn't recognize nāma — doesn't recognize him" |
| वाचाळ शब्द पिटी भासी | "vācāḷa words — pierces with false-claim" |
| नाहीं चाड देवाची कांहीं | "no longing for Deva" |
| छळणें टोंके तस्करघाईं | "mocks-and-strikes — like-thief-blow" |
| तुका म्हणे त्याचा संग | "Tuka says — his sanga" |
| नको शब्द स्पर्शअंग | "don't — word, body-touch" |
What it means
Anti-fake-yogi-heron-still abhang.
The famous heron-image: bhāva nāhīm kāya mudrā vāṇī — baisē bagaḷā niścaḷa dhyānīm — no bhāva — what use mudrā-vāṇī? — heron sits steady in dhyāna. Bagaḷā = the heron (which stands-motionless-in-water-pretending-to-meditate-but-actually-watching-for-fish). The heron-yogi is the standard satirical-image of the fake-meditator.
The non-recognition: na manī nāma na manī tyāsī — vācāḷa śabda piṭī bhāsī — doesn't recognize nāma — doesn't recognize him — vācāḷa words pierce with false-claim. Vācāḷa = the talkative-one; piṭī bhāsī = pierces with false (apparent / impressive) claims.
The mockery: nāhīm cāḍa Devācī kāhīm — chaḷaṇēm ṭōnkē taskara-ghā'īm — no longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like-thief-blow. Taskara-ghā'ī = thief's-blow.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē tyācā sanga — nakō śabda sparśa-anga — Tuka says: his sanga — don't — no word, no body-touch. Don't even-have his association — no word, no body-contact.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no inner-feeling — what use are mudrā and speech? — the heron sits steady-in-meditation (only watching for fish); doesn't truly recognize the nāma, doesn't recognize him — the talkative-one pierces with false-claims; no real longing for Deva — mocks and strikes like a thief's-blow; Tuka says — don't even have his association — no word, no body-touch.
Where this applies
- No-bhāva-mudrā-vāṇī-useless-heron-still.* Bhāva-na-mudrā-vāṇī-bagaḷā-niścaḷa.
- Doesn't-recognize-nāma-vācāḷa-pierces-false.* Nāma-na-vācāḷa-piṭī-bhāsī.
- Mocks-strikes-like-thief.* Chaḷaṇa-ṭōnka-taskara-ghā'ī.
- No-sanga-no-word-no-touch.* Sanga-na-śabda-na-sparśa-na.