Abhanga 1808
For today: to the dog given the habit, it circles around the feet; thus has become my situation — it dwells right next to me; while eating, it comes close — wags-tail and rubs; the master will get angry — Tuka says — (it) doesn't know in mind.
The verse
श्वाना दिली सवे । पायांभोंवतें तें भोंवे ॥१॥ तैसी जाली मज परी । वसे निकट सेजारीं ॥ध्रु.॥ जेवितां जवळी । येऊनियां पुंस घोळी ॥२॥ कोपेल तो घनी । तुका म्हणे नेणें मनीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: To the dog given the habit — around the feet it circles. Thus has become my situation — it dwells right next to me. While eating, it comes close — wags-tail and rubs. The master will get angry — Tuka says — (it) doesn't know in mind.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| श्वाना दिली सवे | "to the dog — given the habit (savē)" |
| पायांभोंवतें तें भोंवे | "around the feet — it circles" |
| तैसी जाली मज परी | "thus has become — with me — the situation" |
| वसे निकट सेजारीं | "(it) dwells — very close — right next to (sējārīm)" |
| जेवितां जवळी | "while eating — near" |
| येऊनियां पुंस घोळी | "coming close — wags-tail and rubs (pumsa ghōḷī)" |
| कोपेल तो घनी | "the master will get-angry" |
| तुका म्हणे नेणें मनीं | "Tuka says — (it) doesn't know in mind" |
What it means
Sense-attachment-as-dog-at-the-feet abhang. A striking domestic-image for habitual-attachments that won't go away.
The opening: śvānā dilī savē — pāyāmbhōmvatē tē bhōmvē — to the dog, having given the habit, it circles around the feet. Savē = the habit, custom. Once you-feed-the-dog-from-your-hand-once, it circles-your-feet-forever.
The application: taisī jālī maja parī — vasē nikaṭa sējārīm — thus has become my situation — (it) dwells right-next-to-me. Sējārīm = next-to-bed, intimate-quarter. The attachment has-set-up-house right-next-to-the-bhakta — no longer external, but internal-companion.
The eating-line: jēvitām javaḷī — yē'ūniyām pumsa ghōḷī — while eating, near — coming close, wags-tail and rubs. Pumsa = tail (= wagging-of-tail in supplication); ghōḷī = rubs (against). The dog comes-close-during-meals, rubs-against-the-leg, wags-tail-pleading-for-scraps. (= the sense-attachment is most-active when bhōga-rasa is being-experienced; it presses-itself-forward at moments of indulgence.)
The closing: kōpēla tō ghanī — Tukā mhaṇē nēṇē manīm — the master will get angry — Tuka says — (it) doesn't know in mind. Ghanī = master, owner. The sense-attachment is so-driven-by-its-pestering-habit that it doesn't-realize the-Master-(= the Lord)-will-get-angry.
The implicit-message: I have habituated my senses to indulgence; now they cling-to-me like a dog-at-the-feet, pestering-during-meals, not-realizing the danger of the Lord's-displeasure. (= the bhakta confesses-his-inner-attachment as a domesticated-but-unruly dog.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: to the dog given the habit, it circles around the feet; thus has become my situation — it dwells right next to me; while eating, it comes close — wags-tail and rubs; the master will get angry — Tuka says — (it) doesn't know in mind.
Where this applies
- Dog-given-habit-circles-feet.* Śvāna-savē-pāyāmbhōmvatē-bhōmvē.
- Dwells-right-next-to-me.* Vasē-nikaṭa-sējārī.
- During-meals-wags-tail-rubs.* Jēvitām-javaḷī-pumsa-ghōḷī.
- Doesn't-know-master-will-get-angry.* Kōpēla-ghanī-nēṇē-manī.