Abhanga 2087
A person with no clarity about themselves cannot truly know or guide anyone else, and such self-deceived people put themselves beyond anyone's ability to save.
The verse
देहा लावी वात । पालव घाली जाली रात ॥१॥ कडिये मूल भोंवतें भोंये । मोकलुनि रडे धाये ॥२॥ लेंकरें वत्ति पुसे जगा । माझा गोहो कोण तो सांगा ॥३॥ आपुली शुद्धि जया नाहीं । आणिकांची ते जाणे काईं ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे ऐसे जन । नर्का जातां राखे कोण ॥५॥
Literal translation
Lights a lamp to body — throws the pallav, became night. Child in lap and around — falls — cries out abandoned. The child asks the people — who is my husband, tell me. One who has no self-clarity — what does he know of others? Tuka says: such people — going to hell — who saves?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| देहा लावी वात | "lights a lamp to body" |
| पालव घाली जाली रात | "throws the pallav — became night" |
| कडिये मूल भोंवतें भोंये | "child in lap and around — falls" |
| मोकलुनि रडे धाये | "cries out, abandoned" |
| लेंकरें वत्ति पुसे जगा | "the child asks the people" |
| माझा गोहो कोण तो सांगा | "who is my husband — tell me" |
| आपुली शुद्धि जया नाहीं | "one who has no self-clarity" |
| आणिकांची ते जाणे काईं | "what does he know of others" |
| तुका म्हणे ऐसे जन | "Tuka says — such people" |
| नर्का जातां राखे कोण | "going to hell — who saves" |
What it means
No-self-clarity-can't-know-others + going-to-hell-who-saves abhang.
The opening — confusion-imagery: dēhā lāvī vāta — pālava ghālī jālī rāta — lights a lamp to body — throws the pallav, became night. Lights-a-lamp on/of-the-body but throws-pallav-over (extinguishing it); night descends. Self-defeating action.
The abandoned-child: kaḍiyē mūla bhōmvatē bhōmyē — mōkalūni raḍē dhāyē — lēnkurē vatti pusē jagā — mājhā gōhō kōṇa tō sāngā — child in lap-and-around — falls — cries out abandoned — the child asks people — who is my husband, tell me. A bizarre image: the child (still in mother's lap) asks-people who-her-husband-is — absurd, since she's a child. This describes-the-utter-lack-of-self-knowledge of-those-who-pretend-to-teach-others.
THE KEY LINE: āpulī śuddhi jayā nāhīm — āṇikāñchī tē jāṇē kāīm — one who has no self-clarity — what does he know of others?. One-without-self-clarity cannot-know-others. Famous Tukārām aphorism on the prerequisite of self-knowledge for-teaching.
The closing — hell-question: Tukā mhaṇē aisē jana — narkā jātām rākhē kōṇa — Tuka says: such people — going to hell — who saves?. Who-can-save such-people from-hell?
[T]
For someone today
For today: lights a lamp to body — throws the pallav, became night; child in lap-and-around — falls, cries out abandoned; the child asks the people — who is my husband, tell me; one who has no self-clarity — what does he know of others?; Tuka says — such people — going to hell — who saves?
Where this applies
- When someone who barely understands themselves starts confidently advising others on how to live
- When you catch yourself giving guidance in an area where you have not actually done your own inner work
- When a person undoes their own good effort, like lighting a lamp only to cover it right after
- When you are asked to trust a guide or teacher and want to first check whether they truly know themselves