Abhanga 1930
For today: will create suffering — my teeth-grinding; if any-one dies — people will follow on the back (gossip); at home — quarrels rise — the one who doesn't go-away is cool; Tuka says — the children-troupe will come at me on the spot.
The verse
करील आबाळी । माझ्या दांताची कसाळी ॥१॥ जासी एखादा मरोन । पाठी लागेल हें जन ॥ध्रु.॥ घरीं लागे कळहे । नाहीं जात तो शीतळ ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे पोरवडे । मज येतील रोकडे ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Will create suffering — my teeth-grinding. If any-one dies — the people will follow on the back (= gossip). At home — quarrels rise — the one who doesn't go-away is cool. Tuka says: the children-troupe — will come at me on the spot.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| करील आबाळी | "will create suffering (ābāḷī)" |
| माझ्या दांताची कसाळी | "my teeth-grinding (kasāḷī)" |
| जासी एखादा मरोन | "if any-one dies" |
| पाठी लागेल हें जन | "the people will follow on the back (= gossip)" |
| घरीं लागे कळहे | "at home — quarrels rise" |
| नाहीं जात तो शीतळ | "the one who doesn't go (away) — (is) cool" |
| तुका म्हणे पोरवडे | "Tuka says — the children-troupe (pōravaḍē)" |
| मज येतील रोकडे | "will come at me on the spot (rōkaḍē)" |
What it means
Suffering-and-gossip-and-quarrels abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The opening: karīla ābāḷī — mājhyā dāmtācī kasāḷī — will create suffering — my teeth-grinding. Ābāḷī = suffering, distress; dāmtācī kasāḷī = teeth-grinding (of distress). Will-bring-suffering, teeth-grinding-distress.
The gossip-line: jāsī ēkhādā marōn — pāṭhī lāgēla hē jana — if any-one dies — people will follow on the back. Death-brings the gossip-mob behind.
The home-quarrels: gharīm lāgē kaḷahē — nāhīm jāta tō śītaḷa — at home, quarrels rise — the one who doesn't go (away) is cool. Sharp folk-saying: home-quarrels rise; only-the-one-who-doesn't-leave (= the silent, the unmoving) stays-cool.
The children-troupe: Tukā mhaṇē pōravaḍē — maja yētīla rōkaḍē — Tuka says: the children-troupe will come at me on the spot. Pōravaḍē = the children-troupe / mass-of-kids; rōkaḍē = immediately, on-the-spot. The hungry-children-rush-at-me, demanding.
The implicit-message: the bhakta describes-his-domestic-burdens to-make-the-Lord-pity-him.
[T]
For someone today
For today: will create suffering — my teeth-grinding; if any-one dies — people will follow on the back (gossip); at home — quarrels rise — the one who doesn't go-away is cool; Tuka says — the children-troupe will come at me on the spot.
Where this applies
- Suffering-and-teeth-grinding.* Ābāḷī-dāmta-kasāḷī.
- Death-brings-gossip-mob.* Ēkhādā-marōn-pāṭhī-jana.
- Home-quarrels-only-the-still-stays-cool.* Gharīm-kaḷahē-jāta-na-śītaḷa.
- Children-troupe-rushes-on-the-spot.* Pōravaḍē-rōkaḍē.