Abhanga 2005
Real need is small; endless craving and needless worry are just self-made exhaustion that comes from forgetting what truly matters.
The verse
एक शेरा अन्ना चाड । येर वाउगी बडबड ॥१॥ कां रे तृष्णा वाढविसी । बांधवूनि मोहपाशीं ॥ध्रु.॥ ओठ हात तुझा जागा । येर सिणसी वाउगा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे श्रम । एक विसरतां राम ॥३॥
Literal translation
One ser of grain — need. The rest — useless babbling. Why grow tṛṣṇā — binding yourself in moha-noose? Your lip and hand — you watch. The rest — you tire uselessly. Tuka says: the toil — one — forgetting Rāma.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| एक शेरा अन्ना चाड | "one ser of grain — need" |
| येर वाउगी बडबड | "the rest — useless babbling" |
| कां रे तृष्णा वाढविसी | "why grow tṛṣṇā" |
| बांधवूनि मोहपाशीं | "binding yourself in moha-noose" |
| ओठ हात तुझा जागा | "your lip and hand — you watch" |
| येर सिणसी वाउगा | "the rest — you tire uselessly" |
| तुका म्हणे श्रम | "Tuka says — the toil" |
| एक विसरतां राम | "one — forgetting Rāma" |
What it means
One-ser-suffices-don't-grow-tṛṣṇā abhang.
The opening — minimalist-need: ēka śērā annā chāḍa — yēra vā'ugī baḍabaḍa — one ser of grain — need; the rest — useless babbling. Śēra = a measure-of-grain (about 1 kg). Chāḍa = need, requirement. One-ser-of-grain is the actual-need; everything-else is-useless-talk — Tukārām's classic minimalist-renunciation position.
The warning: kām rē tṛṣṇā vāḍhavisī — bāndhavūni mōha-pāśīm — why grow tṛṣṇā — binding yourself in moha-noose?. Why-grow-craving (tṛṣṇā)? — only-binds-you in-moha's-noose.
The lip-hand-watching: ōṭha hāta tujhā jāgā — yēra siṇasī vā'ugā — your lip and hand — you watch; the rest you tire uselessly. Jāgā = watch, guard. You only-need-watch-the-lip-and-hand (= what enters-mouth and exits-hand); the rest is useless-fatigue.
The closing — the one-mistake: Tukā mhaṇē śrama — ēka visaratām Rāma — Tuka says: the toil — one — forgetting Rāma. All-toil arises from-one-mistake: forgetting-Rāma.
[T]
For someone today
For today: one ser of grain — need; the rest — useless babbling; why grow tṛṣṇā — binding yourself in moha-noose?; your lip and hand — you watch; the rest you tire uselessly; Tuka says — the toil — one — forgetting Rāma.
Where this applies
- When you keep chasing more possessions or comforts than you actually need
- When you feel worn out from worrying about things far beyond your control
- When you want a simple check on your own conduct, focused only on what you say and what you do
- When your restlessness traces back to having drifted from what truly matters to you