Abhanga 1992
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.
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
English: 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
- Pāpa-puṇya-as-paths-svarga-naraka-as-pēṇīs.* Pāpa-puṇya-mārga-svarga-naraka-pēṇī.
- After-eating-hunger-cycle.* Ēkā-āḍa-ēka-jēvilyā-bhūka.
- Rāhāṭa-wheel-full-empty-coming-going.* Rāhāṭīm-bharōniyām-ritī-māgutī.
- Players-not-steady-watchers.* Khēḷatiyāmmadhīm-buddhī-sthira-na.