Abhanga 1799

Speech is too precious to waste on idle chatter and small cravings, it should be used for what truly matters to you.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Self-curse-on-the-tongue-without-you abhang. A short-sharp self-curse — companion to 1777's body-part-curse-formula.

The opening: tujavīṇa dēvā — kōṇā mhaṇē mājhī jivhā — without you, deva — whom will my tongue call?. If not your-Name, then no-other-name is worth-calling. (= exclusive-Name-bhakti.)

The śata-khaṇḍa-curse: tarī hē hō kām śata-khaṇḍa — paḍō jhaḍōniyām rāṇḍa — let it be then into a hundred-pieces — let it fall, crumbling, that contemptible-one. Śata-khaṇḍa = into a hundred-pieces; jhaḍōniyām = crumbling, falling-off; rāṇḍa = contemptible-(feminine-pejorative). If the tongue won't speak your Name, let it be torn-into-a-hundred-pieces and crumble-and-fall — that contemptible-thing. Brutal-self-rejection-of-the-tongue-not-engaged-with-Nāma.

The wriggle-line: kāhīm icchēsāṭīm — karila vaḷa-vaḷa karaṇṭī — for some desire — the unfortunate-one will wriggle. Icchē = desire (= sense-desire); vaḷa-vaḷa = wriggling, twisting; karaṇṭī = unfortunate, wretched. The wretched-tongue will-wriggle-with-some-sense-desire (= chase taste, gossip, etc.) — not for the Name.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kara — kaṭīm tayācā visara — Tuka says: let-it-be-set — to its place — forget that-one. Kaṭīm = at the waist / set-to-its-place / silenced; tayācā visara = forget that-one (= the wriggling-tongue). Set the wandering-tongue back-in-its-place; forget-it as a worthless-thing.

This abhang is a short-sharp companion to 1777's body-curse-formula — both work with the if-not-engaged-with-the-Lord-let-it-be-cursed register. Foundational Vārkarī liturgical-mood for the renunciatory-fierce moments.

[T]

For someone today

For today: without you, deva — whom will my tongue call?; let it be then into a hundred-pieces — let it fall, crumbling, that contemptible-thing; for some desire, the unfortunate-tongue will wriggle; Tuka says — let it be set to its place — forget that-one.

Where this applies

• When you catch yourself gossiping or talking just to fill silence instead of saying something meaningful
• When you realize your words have been chasing small cravings instead of expressing what you truly value
• When you want to hold your own speech to a higher standard rather than letting it wander
• When you feel frustrated with a habit in yourself and want to name that frustration honestly

Related verses

• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4497 — Tukaram describes a life so soaked in devotion that Krishna's presence fills every ordinar