Abhanga 1918
For today: by denouncing — I'll sink your entire gain; if you become udāsa — sink my hope; I won't do work here — won't take your Name with mouth; Tuka says — your kuḷa — I'll sink to the root.
The verse
करूनि चाहाडी । अवघी बुडवीन जोडी ॥१॥ जरि तूं होऊनि उदास । माझी बुडविसी आस ॥ध्रु.॥ येथें न करी काम । मुखें नेघें तुझें नाम ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कुळ । तुझें बुडवीन समूळ ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: By denouncing — I'll sink your entire gain. If you become udāsa — sink my hope. I won't do work here — won't take your Name with mouth. Tuka says: your kuḷa — I'll sink to the root.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| करूनि चाहाडी | "by denouncing (cāhāḍī)" |
| अवघी बुडवीन जोडी | "I'll sink your entire gain" |
| जरि तूं होऊनि उदास | "if you become udāsa" |
| माझी बुडविसी आस | "sink my hope" |
| येथें न करी काम | "I won't do work here" |
| मुखें नेघें तुझें नाम | "won't take your Name with mouth" |
| तुका म्हणे कुळ | "Tuka says — your kuḷa (lineage)" |
| तुझें बुडवीन समूळ | "I'll sink to the root" |
What it means
Bhakta's-threat-to-sink-Lord's-fame-and-lineage abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The opening: karūni cāhāḍī — avaghī buḍavīna jōḍī — by denouncing — I'll sink your entire gain. Cāhāḍī = denouncing, complaining-publicly. The bhakta-threatens-to-publicly-denounce the-Lord and-thereby-sink his-reputation-gains.
The reciprocal-threat: jari tūm hō'ūni udāsa — mājhī buḍavisī āsa — if you become udāsa — sink my hope. If-you-keep-aloof, you-sink-my-hope; in-return, I-can-sink-yours.
The non-cooperation: yēthē na karī kāma — mukhē nēghē tujhē nāma — I won't do work here — won't take your Name with mouth. Strike-action: no-work, no-Nāma-recitation (= the bhakta's-Nāma-recitation is-the-Lord's-livelihood; withholding-it threatens-the-Lord's-existence).
The closing-threat: Tukā mhaṇē kuḷa — tujhē buḍavīna samūḷa — Tuka says: your kuḷa — I'll sink to the root. Kuḷa = lineage, family-line; samūḷa = with-the-root. I-will-sink-your-entire-lineage (= the bhakta-threatens-to-erase the Lord's-cosmic-line-of-descent through-public-denunciation).
This is the strongest-threat in the entire letter-cluster — the bhakta-as-denouncer who-can-sink-the-Lord's-name-and-lineage. Pairs with 1917's curse (śrāpa-bāpa-hō'ūni).
[T]
For someone today
For today: by denouncing — I'll sink your entire gain; if you become udāsa — sink my hope; I won't do work here — won't take your Name with mouth; Tuka says — your kuḷa — I'll sink to the root.
Where this applies
- Denouncing-sinks-Lord's-gain.* Cāhāḍī-buḍavīna-jōḍī.
- If-you-stay-aloof-sink-my-hope.* Udāsa-buḍavisī-āsa.
- Strike-no-work-no-Nāma.* Kāma-na-Nāma-na.
- Sink-your-lineage-to-root.* Kuḷa-buḍavīna-samūḷa.