Abhanga 2181
Even when a precious chance is right within reach, it can still slip past you, and all that's left afterward is honest regret rather than an excuse.
The verse
नेणों काय नाड । आला उचित काळा आड ॥१॥ नाहीं जाली संतभेटी । येवढी हानी काय मोठी ॥ध्रु.॥ सहज पायांपासीं । जवळी पावलिया ऐसी ॥२॥ चुकी जाली आतां काय । तुका म्हणे उरली हाय ॥३॥
Literal translation
Don't know what obstacle — [it] crossed the fitting time. Saint-meeting didn't happen — what greater loss than this? So naturally — near the feet — having reached near, like this. The miss happened — what now? Tuka says: the sigh remains.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नेणों काय नाड | "don't know what obstacle" |
| आला उचित काळा आड | "[that] crossed the fitting time" |
| नाहीं जाली संतभेटी | "saint-meeting didn't happen" |
| येवढी हानी काय मोठी | "what greater loss than this" |
| सहज पायांपासीं | "so naturally — near the feet" |
| जवळी पावलिया ऐसी | "having reached near, like this" |
| चुकी जाली आतां काय | "the miss happened — what now" |
| तुका म्हणे उरली हाय | "Tuka says — the sigh remains" |
What it means
Missed-fitting-time-for-saint-meeting + the-sigh-remains abhang.
The opening — unknown-obstacle: nēṇōm kāya nāḍa — ālā uchita kāḷā āḍa — don't know what obstacle — [it] crossed the fitting time. Nāḍa = obstacle, hindrance. Uchita kāḷa = the fitting time, the right occasion. Don't-know what-obstacle came-across-the-fitting-time.
The lost-saint-meeting: nāhīm jālī santa-bhēṭī — yēvaḍhī hānī kāya mōṭhī — saint-meeting didn't happen — what greater loss than this. The saint-meeting didn't-happen — what-greater-loss is-there?
The so-near image: sahaja pāyāmpāsīm — javaḷī pāvaliyā aisī — so naturally — near the feet — having reached near, like this. So-naturally-near the-feet — having-reached-so-close. (= the saints'-feet were-right-there; so-close.)
The closing — sigh-remains: chukī jālī ātām kāya — Tukā mhaṇē uralī hāya — the miss happened — what now? Tuka says — the sigh remains. Chukī = miss, mistake. Hāya = sigh, ah!, lament. The-miss-happened — what now? Only-the-sigh remains.
Contrast with 2180: where 2180 celebrates the gratitude of having-met-the-saints, 2181 laments having-missed-them despite-being-so-near. The pair shows both possibilities — the kṛpā-flood when met, the hāya-sigh when missed.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't know what obstacle — fitting time crossed; saint-meeting didn't happen — what greater loss; so near the feet — reached near, yet; the miss happened — what now — Tuka says — the sigh remains.
Where this applies
- When you were right at the doorstep of something meaningful, like meeting someone you deeply respect, and somehow still missed it
- When you can't even pinpoint what got in your way of an important moment, only that it's now gone
- When you catch yourself sighing over a chance that won't come back, instead of pretending it doesn't matter
- When you realize being physically or circumstantially close to something good doesn't guarantee you'll actually receive it