संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2089 of 4582

Abhanga 2089

For today: the dilemma-door (narrow) — outside, much expansive; what to do — that silence — mind wanders ten directions; outside displays the dress — inside traces of vāsanā; no taming of indriyas — what kind of shop opened?; the outside polished well — inside all bland; Tuka says — in the end — nothing comes to hand.

When you'd expose outer-display-inner-vāsanā + nothing-in-hand-at-end — aḍachaṇīchē-dāra-bāhēra-paisa-phāra; mauna-dāhī-diśā-mana; bāhēra-dāvī-vēśa-vāsanēchē-lēśa; indriyām-damana-na-dukāna; sāravilē-vari-avaghē-phikē; antīm-kāhīm-na-hātīm

The verse

अडचणीचें दार । बाहेर माजी पैस फार ॥१॥ काय करावें तें मौन्य । दाही दिशा हिंडे मन ॥ध्रु.॥ बाहेर दावी वेश । माजी वासनेचे लेश ॥२॥ नाहीं इंद्रियां दमन । काय मांडिला दुकान ॥३॥ सारविलें निकें । वरि माजी अवघें फिकें ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे अंतीं । कांहीं न लगे चि हातीं ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: The dilemma-door (narrow) — outside, much expansive. What to do — that silence — mind wanders ten directions. Outside displays the dress — inside — traces of vāsanā. No taming of indriyas — what kind of shop opened? The outside polished well — inside all bland. Tuka says: in the end — nothing comes to hand.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
अडचणीचें दार "the dilemma-door (narrow)"
बाहेर माजी पैस फार "outside, much expansive"
काय करावें तें मौन्य "what to do — that silence"
दाही दिशा हिंडे मन "mind wanders ten directions"
बाहेर दावी वेश "outside displays the dress"
माजी वासनेचे लेश "inside — traces of vāsanā"
नाहीं इंद्रियां दमन "no taming of indriyas"
काय मांडिला दुकान "what kind of shop opened"
सारविलें निकें "the outside polished well"
वरि माजी अवघें फिकें "inside all bland"
तुका म्हणे अंतीं "Tuka says — in the end"
कांहीं न लगे चि हातीं "nothing comes to hand"

What it means

Outside-polished-inside-bland + nothing-in-hand-at-end abhang. DIAGNOSIS of false-renunciate.

The opening — narrow-door-wide-outside: aḍachaṇīchē dāra — bāhēra mājhi paisa phārathe dilemma-door (narrow) — outside, much expansive. The (right) door-is-narrow; outside is-too-expansive (with distractions).

The fake-mauna: kāya karāvē tē mauna — dāhī diśā hiṇḍē manawhat to do — that silence — mind wanders ten directions. What-mauna (silence) is-it when-the-mind-wanders ten-directions?.

THE FALSE-RENUNCIATE-DIAGNOSIS: bāhēra dāvī vēśa — mājhi vāsanēchē lēśaoutside displays the dress — inside — traces of vāsanā. Vēśa = the renunciate-garb / costume. Lēśa = traces / signs. Outer-renunciate-dress; inner-traces-of-craving.

The indriya-failure: nāhīm indriyām damana — kāya māṇḍilā dukānano taming of indriyas — what kind of shop opened. Without-indriya-taming, what-kind-of-spiritual-shop did-you-open?.

The polish-and-bland: sāravilē nikē — vari mājhi avaghē phikēthe outside polished well — inside all bland. Polished-outside, bland-inside.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē antīm — kāhīm na lagē chi hātīmTuka says: in the end — nothing comes to hand. At-the-end, nothing-in-hand.

[T]

For someone today

For today: the dilemma-door (narrow) — outside, much expansive; what to do — that silence — mind wanders ten directions; outside displays the dress — inside traces of vāsanā; no taming of indriyas — what kind of shop opened?; the outside polished well — inside all bland; Tuka says — in the end — nothing comes to hand.

Where this applies

Related verses