Abhanga 2220
A bond only survives if both sides show up for it, not just the one making all the noise.
The verse
काशासाटीं बैसों करूनियां हाट । वाउगा बोभाट डांगोरा हा ॥१॥ काय आलें एका जिवाच्या उद्धारें । पावशी उच्चारें काय हो तें ॥ध्रु.॥ नेदी पट परी अन्नें तों न मरी । आपुलिये थोरीसाटीं राजा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आतां अव्हेरिलें तरी । मग कोण करी दुकान हा ॥३॥
Literal translation
For what should I sit setting up a market — this useless uproar, the drum-beat? What does it bring [you], one jīva's uplift — what utterance do you get [from it]? [The king] doesn't give cloth — but [I] don't die by [lack of] food — for his own greatness, the king. Tuka says: if disregarded now — who will keep this shop?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काशासाटीं बैसों करूनियां हाट | "for what should I sit setting up a market" |
| वाउगा बोभाट डांगोरा हा | "this useless uproar, the drum-beat" |
| काय आलें एका जिवाच्या उद्धारें | "what does it bring [you], one jīva's uplift" |
| पावशी उच्चारें काय हो तें | "what utterance do you get [from it]" |
| नेदी पट परी अन्नें तों न मरी | "[the king] doesn't give cloth — but [I] don't die by [lack of] food" |
| आपुलिये थोरीसाटीं राजा | "for his own greatness, the king" |
| तुका म्हणे आतां अव्हेरिलें तरी | "Tuka says — if disregarded now" |
| मग कोण करी दुकान हा | "who will keep this shop" |
What it means
Why-set-up-the-market + if-disregarded-who-keeps-the-shop abhang. Tenth abhang of the niḍrā-cluster — bhakti-as-market argument.
The market-image: kāśāsāṭīm baisōm karūniyām hāṭa — vā'ugā bōbhāṭa ḍāngōrā hā — for what should I sit setting up a market — this useless uproar, the drum-beat. Hāṭa = market, fair. Bōbhāṭa = uproar. Ḍāngōrā = drum-beat (used to announce wares). For-what should-I-sit-setting-up-the-market (of-bhakti); this useless-uproar, this drum-beat (of-announcement)?
The one-jīva-uplift question: kāya ālē ēkā jīvāchyā uddhārē — pāvaśī uchchārē kāya hō tē — what does it bring [you], one jīva's uplift — what utterance do you get [from it]. What's-in-it-for-you, the-uplift of-one-jīva (mine)? What utterance-do-you-get from-it? (= do-you-gain-anything by-saving-this-one-bhakta?)
The king-and-cloth image: nēdī paṭa parī annē tōm na marī — āpuliyē thōrīsāṭīm rājā — [the king] doesn't give cloth — but [I] don't die by [lack of] food — for his own greatness, the king. A-king who-doesn't-give-cloth (to-his-petitioner) — at-least the-petitioner-doesn't-die-of-hunger (the king-still-keeps-the-petitioner-alive); the king does-(give)-for-his-own-greatness (= his reputation-as-a-generous-king). (= but-you, Lord, aren't-even-doing-the-minimum the-king-does-for-his-reputation.)
The closing — disregarded-shop: Tukā mhaṇē ātām avhērilē tarī — maga kōṇa karī dukāna hā — Tuka says: if disregarded now — who will keep this shop. Dukāna = shop. If-disregarded-now, who-will-keep-(running)-this-shop (of bhakti)? (= if-you-don't-take-up-my-cause, who-else-will-be-a-bhakta-to-promote-you?)
The niḍrā-argument: the bhakta-uses-mercantile-logic — the relationship-between-Lord-and-bhakta is-mutual-trade; the Lord's-reputation-depends-on-the-bhakta-being-saved. If-disregarded-now, no-future-bhaktas-will-set-up-shop. A bold rhetorical-pressure on the silent-Viṭhṭhal.
[T]
For someone today
For today: for what should I set up market — useless uproar, drum-beat; what does one jīva's uplift bring you; king doesn't give cloth but I don't die — for his greatness; Tuka says — if disregarded now — who keeps this shop.
Where this applies
- When you wonder whether loud public displays of devotion or loyalty actually matter to the other side
- When you notice someone doing the bare minimum just to protect their reputation
- When you feel like you're the only one keeping a relationship or cause alive
- When you push back and ask what will happen if no one shows up to carry something forward