Abhanga 1992
Sin and merit are just two paths whose heaven and hell are temporary stops, not the goal, so chasing either keeps you spinning on the wheel instead of watching it steadily.
The verse
पाप पुण्य दोन्ही वाहाती मारग । स्वर्गनर्कभोग यांचीं पेणीं ॥१॥ एका आड एक न लगे पुसावें । जेविल्या देखावें मागें भूक ॥ध्रु.॥ राहाटीं पडिलें भरोनियां रितीं । होतील मागुतीं येतीं जातीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही खेळतियांमधीं । नाहीं केली बुद्धी स्थिर पाहों ॥३॥ ॥३॥
Literal translation
Pāpa-puṇya — both flow as paths — svarga-naraka-bhōga are their pēṇīs. One beside one — no need to ask — after eating, see the hunger behind. Fallen in the rāhāṭa-wheel — full and empty — will be again, coming and going. Tuka says: we are among the players — we haven't made buddhi steady, watching. ॥3॥
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पाप पुण्य दोन्ही वाहाती मारग | "pāpa-puṇya — both flow as paths" |
| स्वर्गनर्कभोग यांचीं पेणीं | "svarga-naraka-bhōga — are their pēṇīs" |
| एका आड एक न लगे पुसावें | "one beside one — no need to ask" |
| जेविल्या देखावें मागें भूक | "after eating — see the hunger behind" |
| राहाटीं पडिलें भरोनियां रितीं | "fallen in the rāhāṭa-wheel — full and empty" |
| होतील मागुतीं येतीं जातीं | "will be again, coming and going" |
| तुका म्हणे आम्ही खेळतियांमधीं | "Tuka says — we are among the players" |
| नाहीं केली बुद्धी स्थिर पाहों | "we haven't made buddhi steady, watching" |
| ॥३॥ | "colophon-3 — closes 3-abhang sub-cluster (1990-1992)" |
What it means
Pāpa-puṇya-as-rāhāṭa-wheel + we-are-players + colophon-3 abhang. CLOSES 3-ABHANG SUB-CLUSTER.
The opening — paths-of-pāpa-puṇya: pāpa puṇya dōnhī vāhātī mārga — svarga-naraka-bhōga yāñcīm pēṇī — pāpa-puṇya — both flow as paths — svarga-naraka-bhōga are their pēṇīs. Pēṇī = resting-stage / waystation (recall 1954). Both pāpa-and-puṇya are-just-paths; svarga-and-naraka are merely-pēṇīs (waystations) on-them. A trenchant teaching: both heaven-and-hell are temporary-stops, not destinations.
The hunger-cycle: ēkā āḍa ēka na lagē pusāvē — jēvilyā dēkhāvē māgē bhūka — one beside one — no need to ask — after eating, see the hunger behind. Cycle: eating-leads-to-more-hunger; pleasure-leads-to-more-need.
The rāhāṭa-wheel image: rāhāṭīm paḍilē bharōniyām ritī — hōtīla māgutī yētī jātī — fallen in the rāhāṭa-wheel — full and empty — will be again, coming and going. Rāhāṭa = the rope-and-wheel water-drawing-machine (where buckets fill-and-empty as the wheel turns). Souls are-buckets on-the-rāhāṭa-wheel, fill-and-empty cyclically.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē āmhī khēḷatiyāmmadhīm — nāhīm kēlī buddhī sthira pāhōm — Tuka says: we are among the players — we haven't made buddhi steady, watching. We're-among-the-players (= still-in-the-game); we-haven't-yet-made-buddhi-steady-enough to-just-watch.
The colophon ॥३॥ confirms the 3-abhang sub-cluster (1990-1992).
[T]
For someone today
For today: pāpa-puṇya — both flow as paths — svarga-naraka-bhōga are their pēṇīs; one beside one — no need to ask — after eating, see the hunger behind; fallen in the rāhāṭa-wheel — full and empty — will be again, coming and going; Tuka says — we are among the players — we haven't made buddhi steady, watching.
Where this applies
- When you finally get the thing you wanted and notice you're already craving the next thing
- When you're keeping score of your good deeds and bad deeds as if one guarantees a permanent reward
- When you feel stuck repeating the same cycle of effort, gain, and loss year after year
- When you catch yourself fully absorbed in life's ups and downs instead of watching them calmly