Abhanga 1896
For today: what is said with mouth — may seem true — but the jīva is being cheated again-and-again; what to tell you, untwisting — go after understanding, Pāṇḍuranga; the eater's sign is known by the server's interior — by prīti, this conduct holds; Tuka says — many ways of honor — extreme business-completion.
The verse
तोंडें बोलावें तें तरी वाटे खरें । जीव येरेयेरें वंचिजे ना ॥१॥ हें तुम्हां सांगणें काय उगवूनि । जावें समजोनि पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥ जेवित्याची खूण वाढित्या अंतरीं । प्रीतीनें हे धरी चाली तेथें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बहु परीचे आदर । अत्यंत वेव्हारसंपादणी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: What is said with mouth — may seem true — but the jīva is being cheated again-and-again. What to tell you, untwisting — go after understanding, Pāṇḍuranga. The eater's sign — (is known) by the server's interior — by prīti, this conduct holds. Tuka says: many ways of honor — extreme business-completion.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तोंडें बोलावें तें तरी वाटे खरें | "what is said with mouth — may seem true" |
| जीव येरेयेरें वंचिजे ना | "but the jīva is being cheated again-and-again" |
| हें तुम्हां सांगणें काय उगवूनि | "what to tell you, untwisting" |
| जावें समजोनि पांडुरंगा | "go, after understanding — Pāṇḍuranga" |
| जेवित्याची खूण वाढित्या अंतरीं | "the eater's sign — (is known) by the server's interior" |
| प्रीतीनें हे धरी चाली तेथें | "by prīti, this conduct holds" |
| तुका म्हणे बहु परीचे आदर | "Tuka says — many ways of honor" |
| अत्यंत वेव्हारसंपादणी | "extreme business-completion (vēvhāra-sampādaṇī)" |
What it means
Server-knows-eater-by-prīti abhang.
The opening: tōṇḍē bōlāvē tē tarī vāṭē kharē — jīva yērē-yērē vañcijē nā — what is said with mouth may seem true — but the jīva is being cheated again-and-again. External-words-may-be-true; but-internal-jīva-can-still-be-cheated.
The petition: hē tumhām sāngaṇē kāya ugavūni — jāvē samajōni Pāṇḍurangā — what to tell you, untwisting — go after understanding, Pāṇḍuranga. Don't make me untangle-this-explicitly; understand-it-on-your-own.
The eater-server line: jēvityācī khūṇa vāḍhityā antarī — prītīnē hē dharī cālī tēthē — the eater's sign is (known) by the server's interior — by prīti, this conduct holds. Jēvitā = eater; vāḍhitā = server (of food); khūṇa = sign. The server-of-food-knows-the-eater's-state-of-hunger by-his-own-internal-prīti for-the-eater. The server-loves-the-eater so-much that-he-knows-by-prīti when-the-eater-is-hungry/satisfied/etc. (= the bhakta is the server, the Lord is the eater; the bhakta's-prīti tells-him about-the-Lord's-state).
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē bahu parīcē ādara — atyanta vēvhāra-sampādaṇī — Tuka says: many ways of honor — extreme business-completion. Vēvhāra-sampādaṇī = completion-of-business / settlement-of-deal. Many-ways-of-honor are merely-external-business-completion (= not the same as inner-prīti-knowing).
The implicit-message: don't-deal-with-me through-mouth-words or-honors; deal-through-prīti, like-the-server-knowing-the-eater.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what is said with mouth — may seem true — but the jīva is being cheated again-and-again; what to tell you, untwisting — go after understanding, Pāṇḍuranga; the eater's sign is known by the server's interior — by prīti, this conduct holds; Tuka says — many ways of honor — extreme business-completion.
Where this applies
- Mouth-true-but-jīva-cheated.* Tōṇḍa-bōla-kharē-jīva-vañcijē.
- Understand-without-untwisting.* Tumhām-sāngaṇē-ugavūni-Pāṇḍuranga.
- Server-knows-eater-by-prīti.* Jēvityā-vāḍhityā-prīti.
- Many-honors-just-business-completion.* Bahu-parīce-ādara-vēvhāra.