Abhanga 1805
For today: showing hope, you have ruined many; headless-drowner, king of these — you've met us as naked-stripper; the answer of sukha — no place for the principal-amount; Tuka says — what of yours to take? — only 'alas' remains.
The verse
दाखवूनि आस । केला बहुतांचा नास ॥१॥ थोंटा झोडा शिरोमणी । भेटलासी नागवणी ॥ध्रु.॥ सुखाचें उत्तर । नाहीं मुदलासी थार ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे काय । तुझे घ्यावें उरे हाय ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Showing hope, you have ruined many. Headless-drowner, king of these — you've met us as naked-stripper. The answer of sukha — no place for the principal-amount. Tuka says: what of yours to take? — only 'hāya' remains.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दाखवूनि आस | "showing hope" |
| केला बहुतांचा नास | "ruined many" |
| थोंटा झोडा शिरोमणी | "thōṇṭā (head-less / dumb), jhōḍā (drowner / striker) — king-of-these (śirōmaṇī)" |
| भेटलासी नागवणी | "you have met (us) — as nāgavaṇī (= naked-stripper / robber)" |
| सुखाचें उत्तर | "the answer of sukha" |
| नाहीं मुदलासी थार | "no place — for the principal-amount (mudala)" |
| तुका म्हणे काय | "Tuka says — what" |
| तुझे घ्यावें उरे हाय | "of yours — to take — only 'hāya' (alas) remains" |
What it means
Lord-as-deceiver-of-hope + alas-remains abhang. Continues the 1801-1807 mocking-cluster.
The opening: dākhavūni āsa — kēlā bahutāñcā nāsa — showing hope, you have ruined many. Āsa = hope. By-tantalizing with hope, you-have-led-many-to-ruin.
The headless-drowner-king line: thōṇṭā jhōḍā śirōmaṇī — bhēṭalāsī nāgavaṇī — headless-drowner, king-of-these — you've met (us) as nāgavaṇī. Thōṇṭā = head-less / dumb / dull; jhōḍā = drowner / striker / pelter; śirōmaṇī = the crown-jewel / king; nāgavaṇī = the act of stripping someone naked / robber. Brutal accusation: you-are-the-king-of-the-headless-drowners; you've-met-us-as-the-naked-stripper (= the highway-robber). (Compare 1806's cōrā — thief register.)
The sukha-no-place line: sukhāce uttara — nāhīm mudalāsī thāra — the answer of sukha — no place for the principal-amount. Mudala = the principal-amount / capital; thāra = place, lodging. When-(I)-ask-for-sukha-as-the-answer, even-the-principal-(= the original-deposit / faith-given) has-no-place to-rest. (= I gave you my faith as a deposit; I expected sukha as interest; instead, even the deposit-itself is gone.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kāya — tujhē ghyāvē urē hāya — Tuka says: what of yours to take? — only 'hāya' remains. Hāya = alas, the cry-of-distress. Devastating closing: what is there of-yours that-I-can-take? — only the cry-of-alas remains-as-residue.
The implicit-message: the Lord-promised-sukha but-delivered-only-alas; the bhakta walks-away with-empty-hands and the-cry-of-distress. (Of course, this is mock-complaint — the bhakta isn't actually walking-away; this is part of the 1801-1807 mocking-cluster's affectionate-reproach.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: showing hope, you have ruined many; headless-drowner, king of these — you've met us as naked-stripper; the answer of sukha — no place for the principal-amount; Tuka says — what of yours to take? — only 'alas' remains.
Where this applies
- Showing-hope-ruined-many.* Āsa-bahutāñcā-nāsa.
- Headless-drowner-king-naked-stripper.* Thōṇṭā-jhōḍā-nāgavaṇī.
- No-place-for-the-principal-when-asking-sukha.* Sukha-uttara-na-mudala-thāra.
- What-of-yours-to-take-only-alas-remains.* Tujhē-ghyāvē-urē-hāya.