Abhanga 2212
For today: until I've spent myself by jīva-tyāga — till then, empty-words are useless; let me resolve — your jīva finds me or vanishes; thought arose to go to the vana — firm; Tuka says — words spent only after resolve real.
The verse
नाहीं जों वेचलों जिवाचिया त्यागें । तोंवरी वाउगें काय बोलों ॥१॥ जाणिवलें आतां करीं ये उदेश । जोडी किंवा नाश तुमची जीवें ॥ध्रु.॥ ठायींचे चि आलें होतें ऐसें मना । जावें ऐसें वना दृढ जालें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मग वेचीन उत्तरें । उद्धेसिलें खरें जाल्यावरी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Until I've spent [myself] by jīva-tyāga — till then, what empty-words to speak? Let me now make this resolve — your-jīva either finds [me] or vanishes. This very thought arose from the place — to go to the vana — became firm. Tuka says: then I will spend words — only after the resolve becomes real.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नाहीं जों वेचलों जिवाचिया त्यागें | "until I've spent [myself] by jīva-tyāga" |
| तोंवरी वाउगें काय बोलों | "till then, what empty-words to speak" |
| जाणिवलें आतां करीं ये उदेश | "let me now make this resolve" |
| जोडी किंवा नाश तुमची जीवें | "your-jīva — either finds [me] or vanishes" |
| ठायींचे चि आलें होतें ऐसें मना | "this very thought arose from the place [my mind]" |
| जावें ऐसें वना दृढ जालें | "to go to the vana — became firm" |
| तुका म्हणे मग वेचीन उत्तरें | "Tuka says — then I will spend words" |
| उद्धेसिलें खरें जाल्यावरी | "only after the resolve becomes real" |
What it means
No-more-empty-words-till-jīva-tyāga + go-to-the-vana-resolve abhang. Second abhang of the niḍrā-cluster (2211-2230) — the forest-retreat resolve.
The opening — no-empty-words: nāhīm jōm vēchalōm jīvāchiyā tyāgē — tōmvarī vāugē kāya bōlōm — until I've spent [myself] by jīva-tyāga — till then, what empty-words to speak. Until I-have-spent-myself by-jīva-renunciation (= until the resolution-is-tested), what's-the-use of-empty-words?
The find-or-vanish: jāṇavilē ātām karīm yē udēśa — jōḍī kimvā nāśa tumacī jīvē — let me now make this resolve — your-jīva either finds [me] or vanishes. Udēśa = resolve, intention. Jōḍī = meets, joins. Nāśa = vanishes, perishes. Let me-make-this-resolve now: your-jīva (= my-life-which-is-yours) either-meets-(you) or-vanishes. An ultimatum to Viṭhṭhal: either-meet-me, or-let-me-die.
The forest-retreat resolve: ṭhāyīñchē chi ālē hōtē aisē manā — jāvē aisē vanā dṛḍha jālē — this very thought arose from the place [in my mind] — to go to the vana — became firm. Vana = forest, wilderness. Dṛḍha = firm. The thought arose-from-the-very-place-in-the-mind: to-go-to-the-vana (forest-retreat). The resolve has-become firm. Tukārām considering vana-prasthāna (forest-retreat) in-response-to-public-harassment — a classic-bhakta-response, but for-Tukārām unusual since-he-was-householder.
The closing — words-after-resolve-tested: Tukā mhaṇē maga vēchīna uttarē — uddhēsilē kharē jālyāvarī — Tuka says: then I will spend words — only after the resolve becomes real. Only-after the-resolve becomes-real, then-I-will spend-words again.
The poetry-renunciation thread: this abhang is consistent-with-the-kavitvā-buḍavaṇē moment — the bhakta resolves no-more-empty-poetry until-the-jīva-is-tested by tyāga.
[T]
For someone today
For today: until I've spent myself by jīva-tyāga — till then, empty-words are useless; let me resolve — your jīva finds me or vanishes; thought arose to go to the vana — firm; Tuka says — words spent only after resolve real.
Where this applies
- Until-jīva-tyāga-no-empty-words.* Vēchalōm-jīvāchiyā-tyāgē-vāugē-bōlōm.
- Resolve-find-or-vanish.* Jāṇavilē-udēśa-jōḍī-nāśa-tumacī-jīvē.
- Forest-retreat-firm-resolve.* Ṭhāyīñchē-manā-jāvē-vanā-dṛḍha.
- Words-after-resolve-real.* Vēchīna-uttarē-uddhēsilē-kharē-jālyāvarī.