Abhanga 1767
For today: the play is not good when alone — therefore I held a companion; when it arises, the nāda is known — and bhēdābhēda cannot be sorted out anymore; another, yet one-such — strikes the wrestling-grudge staunchly; Tuka says — those who know, know it; the rest just play, calling it (mere) play.
The verse
एकल्या नव्हे खेळ चांग । धरिला संग म्हणऊनि ॥१॥ उमटे तेव्हां कळे नाद । भेदाभेद निवडेना ॥ध्रु.॥ दुसरा परी एक ऐसा । वजे रिसा निकुरें ही ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कळत्यां कळे । येर खेळे खेळ म्हुण ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Alone, the play is not good — therefore I held sanga. When it arises, then the nāda is known — bhēdābhēda cannot be distinguished. Another, yet one-such — strikes the risa staunchly. Tuka says: to those who know, it is known — the rest just play, calling it play.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| एकल्या नव्हे खेळ चांग | "alone — the play is not good" |
| धरिला संग म्हणऊनि | "therefore — I held sanga (= company)" |
| उमटे तेव्हां कळे नाद | "it-arises — then — the-nāda (= sound) — is-known" |
| भेदाभेद निवडेना | "bhēdābhēda — cannot-be-distinguished (nivaḍēnā)" |
| दुसरा परी एक ऐसा | "another — but — one-such" |
| वजे रिसा निकुरें ही | "strikes (vajē) — the risa (= grudge / wrestling-gripe) — staunchly (nikurēm)" |
| तुका म्हणे कळत्यां कळे | "Tuka says — to those-who-know — it is known" |
| येर खेळे खेळ म्हुण | "the rest — just play — calling-it-play" |
What it means
Play-needs-companion + Lord-and-bhakta-mutual abhang.
The opening: ēkalyā navhē khēḷa cānga — dharilā sanga mhaṇa'ūnī — alone, the play is not good — therefore I held sanga. Khēḷa cānga ēkalyā navhē = play is not good (cānga = good, fine) alone; dharilā sanga = I have held company / taken-the-companion. The play of bhakti needs two — solitary-bhakti is incomplete. (The advaita-without-companion is bland; the play needs the dual-pair.)
The nāda + bhēdābhēda line: umaṭē tēvhām kaḷē nāda — bhēdābhēda nivaḍēnā — when it arises, then the nāda is known — bhēdābhēda cannot be distinguished. Umaṭē = arises, surfaces; nāda = sound, vibration (= the music of the play); bhēdābhēda nivaḍēnā = bheda (difference) and abheda (non-difference) cannot be sorted-out. When the nāda arises in the play, the categories of dvaita/advaita dissolve. (The bhēdābhēda-position — neither-purely-dual nor-purely-non-dual; one of the Vārkarī-tradition's foundational metaphysical-positions.)
The wrestling-line: dusarā parī ēka aisā — vajē risā nikurēm hī — another, yet one-such, strikes the risa staunchly. Dusarā parī ēka aisā = another, but one-such (= though there are two, they are one-of-a-kind); vajē risā = strikes / counters the risa (= grudge / wrestling-grievance); nikurēm = staunchly, with-determination. Two-yet-one, they wrestle-and-strike together; though appearing two-in-the-fight, they are partners-in-the-play. (The Lord-and-bhakta as mutual-wrestlers + mutual-partners — bound-together by the very-friction that looks-like-conflict.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kaḷatyām kaḷē — yēra khēḷē khēḷa mhuṇa — Tuka says: to those who know, it is known — the rest just play, calling it play. Kaḷatyām kaḷē = to those-who-know, it is known (= only the initiated grasp the inner-meaning of this play); yēra = the others; khēḷē khēḷa mhuṇa = just play, calling it play (= the others see only the surface-game without the depth-meaning). The bhakti-play is doubled-meaning: surface-play-but-secret-mutuality.
This is one of Tukaram's meta-philosophical abhangs — using the play-image to articulate the bhēdābhēda metaphysics and the Lord-bhakta mutuality. Subtle and rare — for-those-who-know.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the play is not good when alone — therefore I held a companion; when it arises, the nāda is known — and bhēdābhēda cannot be sorted out anymore; another, yet one-such — strikes the wrestling-grudge staunchly; Tuka says — those who know, know it; the rest just play, calling it (mere) play.
Where this applies
- Alone-the-play-is-not-good-held-sanga.* Ēkalyā-navhē-khēḷa-sanga.
- Nāda-arises-bhēdābhēda-not-sorted.* Nāda-umaṭē-bhēdābhēda-nivaḍēnā.
- Two-yet-one-strikes-staunchly.* Dusarā-ēka-aisā-vajē-risā-nikurēm.
- Those-who-know-know-others-call-it-play.* Kaḷatyā-kaḷē-yēra-khēḷa.