Abhanga 1776
For today: the sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others; one-quality split into two receivers — to each as he is; the bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — lying-hollow-speech is the chatterbox; para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is good — the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion; the jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama is like a stake; Tuka says — when the hita is made anhita — madness has caught him.
The verse
सज्जन तो शब्द सत्य जो मानी । छळी दुर्जन आणिकांसी ॥१॥ एक गुण तो केला दोंठायीं । ज्याचा त्यास पाहीं जैसा तैसा ॥ध्रु.॥ भाविक शब्द बोले वाणीचा । लटिका वाचा वाचाळ तो ॥२॥ परउपकार घडे तो भला । नाठ्याळ तया दया नाहीं ॥३॥ जाणीवंत तो पायरी जाणे । अधम तो नेणे खुंट जैसा ॥४॥ हित तें अनहित केलें कैसें । तुका म्हणे पिसें लागलें यास ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: The sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others. One-quality, placed in two — to each as he is. The bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — lying-vacuous-speech is that vācāḷa. Para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is the bhalā — the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion. The jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama doesn't know, like a stake. The hita made into anhita — how? Tuka says: madness has caught him.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सज्जन तो शब्द सत्य जो मानी | "the sajjana — the one who — holds the word as truth" |
| छळी दुर्जन आणिकांसी | "mocks / oppresses — the durjana — others" |
| एक गुण तो केला दोंठायीं | "one-quality — was placed — in two-places" |
| ज्याचा त्यास पाहीं जैसा तैसा | "to-each-his-own — as he is" |
| भाविक शब्द बोले वाणीचा | "the bhāvika — speaks the word — of the vāṇī" |
| लटिका वाचा वाचाळ तो | "lying-vacuous-speech — vācāḷa (= chatterbox) is that" |
| परउपकार घडे तो भला | "para-upakāra — occurs — that one is the bhalā (= the good)" |
| नाठ्याळ तया दया नाहीं | "the nāṭhyāḷa (= the wicked-stiff) — to him — no compassion" |
| जाणीवंत तो पायरी जाणे | "the jāṇīvanta (knowing-one) — knows the gradation (pāyarī)" |
| अधम तो नेणे खुंट जैसा | "the adhama — doesn't know — like a stake (khuṇṭa)" |
| हित तें अनहित केलें कैसें | "the hita — into anhita — how-was-it-made?" |
| तुका म्हणे पिसें लागलें यास | "Tuka says — piśē (madness) — has caught — him" |
What it means
Sajjana-vs-durjana-taxonomy abhang. A systematic, parallel-construction social-typology: four pairs of contrasted character-types, with diagnosis at the end.
Pair 1 — sajjana / durjana: sajjana tō śabda satya jō mānī — chaḷī durjana āṇikānsī — the sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others. Sajjana takes the word seriously (= acts on what is said as if it were true); durjana uses words to mock-others. Speech-as-truth-vs-speech-as-mockery.
Frame: ēka guṇa tō kēlā dōm-ṭhāyīm — jyācā tyāsa pāhīm jaisā taisā — one-quality, placed in two — to each as he is. The same human-quality (= speech) manifests differently in different recipients — each gets-from-it-what-his-nature-is-prepared-for.
Pair 2 — bhāvika / laṭikā-vācā: bhāvika śabda bōlē vāṇīcā — laṭikā vācā vācāḷa tō — the bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — the lying-vacuous-speech is the vācāḷa. Bhāvika = one with bhāva (devotional-feeling); vāṇīcā = of-the-vāṇī (= the inner-speech-faculty / Sarasvatī); laṭikā vācā = false / hollow speech; vācāḷa = chatterbox. Bhāvika-speech-from-the-source vs. hollow-chatterbox-speech.
Pair 3 — bhalā / nāṭhyāḷa: para-upakāra ghaḍē tō bhalā — nāṭhyāḷa tayā dayā nāhīm — para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is the bhalā; the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion. Para-upakāra = the doing-of-others'-good; bhalā = good (man); nāṭhyāḷa = the wicked-stiff (= one without softness); dayā = compassion. Bhalā-marked-by-para-upakāra-and-dayā vs. nāṭhyāḷa-without-dayā.
Pair 4 — jāṇīvanta / adhama: jāṇīvanta tō pāyarī jāṇē — adhama tō nēṇē khuṇṭa jaisā — the jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama doesn't know, like a stake. Pāyarī = step, rung (= the gradation of social-and-spiritual-rank); khuṇṭa = a stake / pillar (= unmoving, dumb). The-knowing-one-respects-the-gradation; the-adhama-is-like-a-stake (= insensible, fixed).
Closing diagnosis: hita tēm anahita kēlēm kaisēm — Tukā mhaṇē pisēm lāgalēm yāsa — the hita made into anhita — how? Tuka says: madness has caught him. The durjana / vācāḷa / nāṭhyāḷa / adhama all together demonstrate the human-capacity to take what-is-good-for-them and turn-it-into-its-opposite; the only diagnosis: piśē (madness) has caught him. (= the durjana's behavior is itself a form of madness.)
This abhang is a classic-example of Tuka's social-typology-abhangs: parallel-construction, folk-clarity, clinical-diagnosis. Plain-speaking ethics for everyday-life.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the sajjana holds the word as truth — the durjana mocks others; one-quality split into two receivers — to each as he is; the bhāvika speaks the word of the vāṇī — lying-hollow-speech is the chatterbox; para-upakāra occurs in him — that one is good — the nāṭhyāḷa has no compassion; the jāṇīvanta knows the gradation — the adhama is like a stake; Tuka says — when the hita is made anhita — madness has caught him.
Where this applies
- Sajjana-holds-word-as-truth-durjana-mocks.* Sajjana-śabda-satya-durjana-chaḷī.
- Bhāvika-speaks-vāṇī-laṭikā-is-vācāḷa.* Bhāvika-vāṇī-laṭikā-vācāḷa.
- Para-upakāra-marks-bhalā-nāṭhyāḷa-no-compassion.* Para-upakāra-bhalā-nāṭhyāḷa-dayā-na.
- Jāṇīvanta-knows-gradation-adhama-like-stake.* Jāṇīvanta-pāyarī-adhama-khuṇṭa.
- Hita-made-anhita-madness-has-caught.* Hita-anhita-piśē.