Abhanga 1999
For today: the rain falls by its own nature — soil ripens by its own daiva; seed itself becomes fruit at end — gain-loss-break belongs to owner; lamp's body has no second-bhāva — master, thief, honest, all alike; crow husk, partridge grain — rāja-hamsa pearls; Tuka says — here āvaḍī is the cause — Nārāyaṇa ripens for whoever, accordingly.
The verse
प्रजन्यें पडावें आपुल्या स्वभावें । आपुलाल्या दैवें पिके भूमि ॥१॥ बीज तें चि फळ येईंल शेवटीं । लाभहानितुटी ज्याची तया ॥ध्रु.॥ दीपाचिये अंगीं नाहीं दुजाभाव । धणी चोर साव सारिखे चि ॥२॥ काउळें ढोंपरा ककर तित्तिरा । राजहंसा चारा मुक्ताफळें ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे येथें आवडी कारण । पिकला नारायण जयां तैसा ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: The rain falls by its own nature — the soil ripens by its own daiva. The seed itself becomes fruit at the end — gain-loss-break belongs to the owner. The lamp's body has no second-bhāva — master, thief, honest — all alike. Crow finds husk, partridge finds grain — rāja-hamsa's food is pearls. Tuka says: here āvaḍī is the cause — Nārāyaṇa ripens for whoever, accordingly.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| प्रजन्यें पडावें आपुल्या स्वभावें | "the rain falls by its own nature" |
| आपुलाल्या दैवें पिके भूमि | "the soil ripens by its own daiva" |
| बीज तें चि फळ येईंल शेवटीं | "the seed itself becomes fruit at the end" |
| लाभहानितुटी ज्याची तया | "gain-loss-break belongs to the owner" |
| दीपाचिये अंगीं नाहीं दुजाभाव | "the lamp's body has no second-bhāva" |
| धणी चोर साव सारिखे चि | "master, thief, honest — all alike" |
| काउळें ढोंपरा ककर तित्तिरा | "crow finds husk, partridge finds grain" |
| राजहंसा चारा मुक्ताफळें | "rāja-hamsa's food is mukta-phaḷē (pearls)" |
| तुका म्हणे येथें आवडी कारण | "Tuka says — here āvaḍī is the cause" |
| पिकला नारायण जयां तैसा | "Nārāyaṇa ripens for whoever, accordingly" |
What it means
Rain-falls-naturally + each-bird-its-food + āvaḍī-causes-Nārāyaṇa-to-ripen abhang.
The opening — natural-grace: prajanyē paḍāvē āpulyā svabhāvē — āpulālyā daivē pikē bhūmi — the rain falls by its own nature — the soil ripens by its own daiva. Rain falls-impartially; the-harvest depends on-the-soil's-daiva. The Lord-rains-grace impartially; what-grows depends-on-the-receiver.
The seed-and-fruit: bīja tē chi phaḷa yēīla śēvaṭīm — lābha-hāni-tuṭī jyāchī tayā — seed itself becomes fruit — gain-loss-break belongs to the owner. Each-jīva reaps-its-own-seed; lābha-hāni (gain-loss) belongs to-its-author.
THE LAMP-IMPARTIALITY: dīpāciyē angīm nāhīm duja-bhāva — dhaṇī chōra sāva sārikhē chi — the lamp's body has no second-bhāva — master, thief, honest, all alike. The lamp-shines on-master, thief, and-honest-man alike. Classic non-discrimination-of-divine-grace image — the Lord like-the-lamp doesn't-judge-whom-he-illumines.
THE BIRD-IMAGES: kāuḷē ḍhōmparā kakara tittirā — rāja-hamsā chārā mukta-phaḷē — crow finds husk, partridge finds grain — rāja-hamsa's food is mukta-phaḷē (pearls). Each-bird finds-its-natural-food: crow-husk, partridge-grain, rāja-hamsa-pearls. The grace is-impartial, but each-takes-according-to-his-nature.
The closing principle: Tukā mhaṇē yēthē āvaḍī kāraṇa — pikalā Nārāyaṇa jayām taisā — Tuka says: here āvaḍī is the cause — Nārāyaṇa ripens for whoever, accordingly. Āvaḍī (love/preference) is-the-cause: Nārāyaṇa-ripens for-whoever, in-the-form they-love. Bhakti-as-the-determinative-receptivity.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the rain falls by its own nature — soil ripens by its own daiva; seed itself becomes fruit at end — gain-loss-break belongs to owner; lamp's body has no second-bhāva — master, thief, honest, all alike; crow husk, partridge grain — rāja-hamsa pearls; Tuka says — here āvaḍī is the cause — Nārāyaṇa ripens for whoever, accordingly.
Where this applies
- Rain-falls-naturally-soil-ripens-by-daiva.* Prajanyē-svabhāvē-bhūmi-daivē-pikē.
- Seed-becomes-fruit-gain-loss-belongs-owner.* Bīja-phaḷa-lābha-hāni-tuṭī.
- Lamp-impartial-master-thief-honest-alike.* Dīpa-duja-bhāva-na-dhaṇī-chōra-sāva.
- Each-bird-its-food-hamsa-pearls.* Kāuḷē-tittirā-rāja-hamsā-mukta-phaḷē.
- Āvaḍī-causes-Nārāyaṇa-to-ripen-accordingly.* Āvaḍī-kāraṇa-Nārāyaṇa-pikalā.