Abhanga 2081
English: Know that essence — otherwise, much deception.
The verse
जाणावें तें सार । नाहीं तरी दगा फार ॥१॥ डोळे झांकिलिया रवि । नाहीं ऐसा होय जेवीं ॥ध्रु.॥ बहुथोड्या आड । निवारितां लाभें जाड ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे खरें । नेलें हातींचे अंधारें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Know that essence — otherwise, much deception. Eyes closed, the sun — becomes as-if-not-there. Between much-and-little — warding off, the gain becomes thick. Tuka says: true — darkness took (it) from the hand.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जाणावें तें सार | "know that essence" |
| नाहीं तरी दगा फार | "otherwise — much deception" |
| डोळे झांकिलिया रवि | "eyes closed, the sun" |
| नाहीं ऐसा होय जेवीं | "becomes as-if-not-there" |
| बहुथोड्या आड | "between much-and-little" |
| निवारितां लाभें जाड | "warding off, the gain becomes thick" |
| तुका म्हणे खरें | "Tuka says — true" |
| नेलें हातींचे अंधारें | "darkness took (it) from the hand" |
What it means
Know-essence-or-be-deceived + darkness-takes-from-hand abhang.
The opening: jāṇāvē tē sāra — nāhīm tarī dagā phāra — know that essence — otherwise, much deception. Know-the-essence; otherwise much-deception (dagā = cheating).
The eyes-closed image: ḍōḷē jhānkiliyā ravi — nāhīm aisā hōya jēvīm — eyes closed, the sun — becomes as-if-not-there. Closing-eyes makes-the-sun seem-not-there (= perception-is-not-reality; refusing-to-see doesn't-erase-truth). Classic perceptual-image.
The much-and-little: bahu-thōḍyā āḍa — nivāritām lābhē jāḍa — between much-and-little — warding off, the gain becomes thick. Between-too-much-and-too-little (extremes), warding-them-off, the gain-becomes-thick (substantial).
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kharē — nēlē hātīñchē andhārē — Tuka says: true — darkness took (it) from the hand. Truly — darkness (ignorance) took-it from-the-hand (= we-lost-it). Ignorance steals-the-truth-from-our-very-grasp.
[T]
For someone today
For today: know that essence — otherwise much deception; eyes closed, the sun — becomes as-if-not-there; between much-and-little — warding off, the gain becomes thick; Tuka says — true — darkness took it from the hand.
Where this applies
- Know-essence-or-be-deceived.* Jāṇāvē-sāra-dagā-phāra.
- Eyes-closed-sun-not-there.* Ḍōḷē-jhānkiliyā-ravi-jēvīm.
- Between-extremes-gain-is-thick.* Bahu-thōḍyā-āḍa-nivāritām-lābhē-jāḍa.
- Darkness-takes-from-hand.* Kharē-nēlē-hātīñchē-andhārē.