Abhanga 2034
For today: hearing kathā — the sleep that wasn't comes; on the cot — worry pervades; such deep karma-gati — what to weep; wise in chitta — takes nothing as own; water doesn't hold — worry doesn't end; don't go slowly — excuses; tick near milk — frog near lotus; Tuka says — far — by leaving country.
The verse
कथा पुराण ऐकतां । झोंप नाथिलि तत्वता । खाटेवरि पडतां । व्यापी चिंता तळमळ ॥१॥ ऐसी गहन कर्मगति । काय तयासी रडती । जाले जाणते जो चित्ती । कांहीं नेघे आपुला ॥ध्रु.॥ उदक लावितां न धरे । चिंता करी केव्हां सरे । जाऊं नका धीरें । म्हणे करितां ढवाळ्या ॥२॥ जवळी गोंचिड क्षीरा । जैसी कमळणी ददुऩरा । तुका म्हणे दुरा । देशत्यागें तयासी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Hearing kathā-purāṇa — the sleep that wasn't comes as fact. Lying on the cot — worry pervades, restlessness. Such deep karma-gati — what to weep? Whoever became wise in chitta — takes nothing of his own. Won't hold when applying water — when will worry end? Don't go slowly — says while making excuses. Tick near milk — like lotus near the frog. Tuka says: far — by leaving-country (for the bhakta).
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कथा पुराण ऐकतां | "hearing kathā-purāṇa" |
| झोंप नाथिलि तत्वता | "the sleep that wasn't comes as fact" |
| खाटेवरि पडतां | "lying on the cot" |
| व्यापी चिंता तळमळ | "worry pervades, restlessness" |
| ऐसी गहन कर्मगति | "such deep karma-gati" |
| काय तयासी रडती | "what to weep" |
| जाले जाणते जो चित्ती | "whoever became wise in chitta" |
| कांहीं नेघे आपुला | "takes nothing of his own" |
| उदक लावितां न धरे | "won't hold when one applies water" |
| चिंता करी केव्हां सरे | "when will worry end" |
| जाऊं नका धीरें | "don't go slowly" |
| म्हणे करितां ढवाळ्या | "says, while making excuses" |
| जवळी गोंचिड क्षीरा | "tick near milk" |
| जैसी कमळणी ददुऩरा | "like lotus near the frog" |
| तुका म्हणे दुरा | "Tuka says — far" |
| देशत्यागें तयासी | "by leaving-country (for the bhakta)" |
What it means
Kathā-during-sleep-cot-during-worry + tick-in-milk-frog-in-lotus abhang.
The opening paradox: kathā purāṇa aikatām — jhōmpa nāthili tatvatā — khāṭēvari paḍatām — vyāpī chintā taḷamaḷa — hearing kathā-purāṇa — sleep that wasn't comes as fact; lying on the cot — worry pervades, restlessness. Brilliant inversion-exposing-the-householder: at kathā, sleep-arrives; on-the-cot, worry-arrives — exactly-the-opposite of what-should-happen.
The karma-gati: aisī gahana karma-gati — kāya tayāsī raḍatī — jālē jāṇatē jō chittī — kāhīm nēghē āpulā — such deep karma-gati — what to weep; whoever became wise in chitta — takes nothing of his own. The wise-in-chitta don't-claim-anything as-their-own.
The water-doesn't-hold: udaka lāvitām na dharē — chintā karī kēvhām sarē — won't hold when applying water — when will worry end?. Like-water-on-an-oiled-surface (= the spiritual-instruction doesn't-soak-in); worry won't-end.
The procrastination: jāūm nakā dhīrē — mhaṇē karitām ḍhavāḷyā — don't go slowly — says while making excuses. Don't-procrastinate; excuse-making is-the-disease.
THE TICK AND FROG IMAGES: javaḷī gōnchiḍa kṣīrā — jaisī kamaḷaṇī dadurā — tick near milk — like lotus near the frog. Gōnchiḍa = tick (sucks blood, doesn't drink milk even when near it). Dadurā = frog (sits at the lotus-root but doesn't take its nectar). The hypocrite-householder is like-tick-near-milk and-frog-near-lotus — adjacent-but-not-partaking. Two-vivid-images of-spiritual-adjacency-without-realization.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē durā — dēśa-tyāgē tayāsī — Tuka says: far — by leaving-country (for the bhakta). Such-a-tick/frog should-be-kept-far; the-bhakta-should-leave-country (to-avoid such).
[T]
For someone today
For today: hearing kathā — the sleep that wasn't comes; on the cot — worry pervades; such deep karma-gati — what to weep; wise in chitta — takes nothing as own; water doesn't hold — worry doesn't end; don't go slowly — excuses; tick near milk — frog near lotus; Tuka says — far — by leaving country.
Where this applies
- Kathā-brings-sleep-cot-brings-worry.* Kathā-purāṇa-jhōmpa-nāthili-khāṭēvari-chintā-taḷamaḷa.
- Karma-gati-wise-takes-nothing.* Karma-gati-jāṇatē-chittī-kāhīm-na.
- Water-doesn't-hold-procrastination.* Udaka-na-dharē-chintā-sarē-dhīrē-ḍhavāḷyā.
- Tick-near-milk-frog-near-lotus-stay-far.* Gōnchiḍa-kṣīrā-kamaḷaṇī-dadurā-dēśa-tyāgē.