Abhanga 2036
For today: who in kathā stands holding-back body — uncountable sin; that sinner — better not coming — coward in battle, what use?; sitting in kathā but discussing other things — kumbhī-pāka; Tuka says — those on this-shore and that-shore — drown in the middle.
The verse
कथे उभा अंग राखे जो कोणी । ऐसा कोण गणी तया पापा ॥१॥ येथें तो पातकी न येता च भला । रणीं कुचराला काय चाले ॥ध्रु.॥ कथे बैसोनी आणीक चर्चा । धिग त्याची वाचा कुंभपाक ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ऐलपैल ते थडीचे । बुडतील साच मध्यभागीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Who in kathā stands holding-back body — who can count such sin? Here that sinner — better not coming — the coward in battle, what use? Sitting in kathā but discussing other things — fie on his speech — kumbhī-pāka. Tuka says: those on this-shore and that-shore — will truly drown in the middle.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कथे उभा अंग राखे जो कोणी | "who in kathā stands holding-back body" |
| ऐसा कोण गणी तया पापा | "who can count such sin" |
| येथें तो पातकी न येता च भला | "here that sinner — better not coming" |
| रणीं कुचराला काय चाले | "the coward in battle — what use" |
| कथे बैसोनी आणीक चर्चा | "sitting in kathā but discussing other things" |
| धिग त्याची वाचा कुंभपाक | "fie on his speech — kumbhī-pāka (hell)" |
| तुका म्हणे ऐलपैल ते थडीचे | "Tuka says — those on this-shore and that-shore" |
| बुडतील साच मध्यभागीं | "will truly drown in the middle" |
What it means
Holding-back-body-in-kathā-is-sin + this-shore-that-shore-drowns-in-middle abhang. OPENS 2-abhang kathā-avoiders-as-sinners cluster (2036-2037+).
The opening — condemnation: kathē ubhā anga rākhē jō kōṇī — aisā kōṇa gaṇī tayā pāpā — who in kathā stands holding-back body — who can count such sin?. Whoever, in-the-middle-of-kathā, holds-back-his-body (= doesn't dance, doesn't participate fully) — his-sin is-uncountable. Tukārām's uncompromising bhakti-praxis: kīrtana requires full-bodily-participation.
The coward-in-battle: yēthē tō pātakī na yētā cha bhalā — raṇīm kucharālā kāya chālē — here that sinner — better not coming — the coward in battle, what use?. Such-a-sinner is-better-off not-coming-at-all (kucharālā raṇīm = the coward in battle is no help).
The discussion-in-kathā: kathē baisōnī āṇīka charchā — dhig tyāchī vāchā kumbhā-pāka — sitting in kathā but discussing other things — fie on his speech — kumbhī-pāka. Kumbhī-pāka = the boiling-cauldron-hell. Whoever sits-in-kathā but-talks-of-other-things — his-mouth-deserves kumbhī-pāka. Stark hell-warning.
THE MIDDLE-SHORE IMAGE: Tukā mhaṇē aila-paila tē thaḍīchē — buḍatīla sācha madhya-bhāgīm — those on this-shore and that-shore — will truly drown in the middle. Aila-paila = this-side-that-side (= ambivalent / half-committed). The half-committed (those on neither shore fully) drown-in-the-middle. Powerful warning against ambivalence.
[T]
For someone today
For today: who in kathā stands holding-back body — uncountable sin; that sinner — better not coming — coward in battle, what use?; sitting in kathā but discussing other things — kumbhī-pāka; Tuka says — those on this-shore and that-shore — drown in the middle.
Where this applies
- Holding-back-body-in-kathā-uncountable-sin.* Kathē-anga-rākhē-pāpā.
- Better-not-coming-coward-in-battle.* Pātakī-na-yētā-kucharālā-raṇīm.
- Talking-in-kathā-deserves-kumbhī-pāka.* Baisōnī-āṇīka-charchā-vāchā-kumbhā-pāka.
- Both-shores-drown-in-the-middle.* Aila-paila-thaḍīchē-buḍatīla-madhya-bhāgīm.