Abhanga 2175
Don't chase honor through your body or others' opinions; ask it of God, treat the body as simply what carries you through life, and don't waste words on needless talk.
The verse
माझिया देहाची मज नाहीं चाड । कोठें करूं कोड आणिकांचें ॥१॥ इच्छितां ते मान मागा देवापासीं । आसा संचितासी गुंपले हो ॥ध्रु.॥ देह आम्ही केला भोगाचे सांभाळीं । राहिलों निराळीं मानामानां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कोणें वेचावें वचन । नसतां तो सीण वाढवावा ॥३॥
Literal translation
I have no fondness for my own body — where shall I do fondness of others? For the honor wanted, ask the Lord — attached you are to āśā and samchita. We made the body to manage bhōga — we remained apart from honor-non-honor. Tuka says: who should spend words — needlessly grow weariness.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| माझिया देहाची मज नाहीं चाड | "I have no fondness for my own body" |
| कोठें करूं कोड आणिकांचें | "where shall I do fondness of others" |
| इच्छितां ते मान मागा देवापासीं | "for the honor wanted, ask the Lord" |
| आसा संचितासी गुंपले हो | "attached you are to āśā and samchita" |
| देह आम्ही केला भोगाचे सांभाळीं | "we made the body to manage bhōga" |
| राहिलों निराळीं मानामानां | "we remained apart from honor-non-honor" |
| तुका म्हणे कोणें वेचावें वचन | "Tuka says — who should spend words" |
| नसतां तो सीण वाढवावा | "needlessly grow weariness" |
What it means
No-fondness-for-own-body + apart-from-honor-non-honor abhang.
The opening — no-fondness-for-own-body: mājhiyā dēhāchī maja nāhīm chāḍa — kōṭhē karūm kōḍa āṇikāñchē — I have no fondness for my own body — where shall I do fondness of others. Chāḍa = fondness, interest, eagerness. Kōḍa = fondness, attention. I-have-no-fondness for-my-own-body; where-then would-I-place-fondness for-others'? (= if I-don't-cherish my-own-flesh, I-can't cherish-others'.)
The honor-from-Lord: ichchhitām tē māna māgā Dēvāpāsīm — āsā samchitāsī gumpalē hō — for the honor wanted, ask the Lord — attached you are to āśā and samchita. If-you-want-honor, ask-the-Lord; you-are-attached-to āśā (hope) and samchita (stored-karma). (= direct-the-want to-the-Lord, not-to-people.)
The bhōga-managing body: dēha āmhī kēlā bhōgāchē sāmbhāḷīm — rāhilōm nirāḷīm mānāmānām — we made the body to manage bhōga — we remained apart from honor-non-honor. We've-made the-body merely-to-manage bhōga (= prārabdha, what-must-be-experienced); we've-stayed-apart from honor-and-dishonor. The Tukārām-position: the body is-for-bhōga-management, not-for-honor-pursuit.
The closing — who-spend-words-needlessly: Tukā mhaṇē kōṇē vēchāvē vachana — nasatām tō sīṇa vāḍhavāvā — Tuka says: who should spend words — needlessly grow weariness. Who-should spend-words; otherwise-merely growing-weariness. (= speaking-much, without-purpose, is-just-fatigue.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: no fondness for own body — where fondness of others; for honor wanted — ask the Lord — attached to āśā-samchita; body made for bhōga-management — apart from honor-non-honor; Tuka says — who spend words — needlessly grow weariness.
Where this applies
- When you catch yourself vain about your looks or health and want others to admire it too
- When you're chasing recognition or status and it leaves you restless
- When praise or criticism throws you off balance more than it should
- When you notice you're talking on and on without real purpose and end up drained