Abhanga 2246
For today: coming to birth, what did you do — you've lost the principal; why not turn back even now — public-disgrace; ruined the bundle's-purse — now you'll beg; Tuka says — go to your own place, having come.
The verse
जन्मा येउनि काय केलें । तुवां मुदल गमाविलें ॥१॥ कां रे न फिरसी माघारा । अझुनि तरी फजितखोरा ॥ध्रु.॥ केली गांठोळीची नासी । पुढें भीके चि मागसी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ठाया । जाई आपल्या आलिया ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Coming to birth, what did you do — you've lost the principal. Why don't you turn back — even now, public-disgrace one? You ruined the bundle's-purse — now you'll beg. Tuka says: go to your own place, having come.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जन्मा येउनि काय केलें | "coming to birth, what did you do" |
| तुवां मुदल गमाविलें | "you've lost the principal (mudala)" |
| कां रे न फिरसी माघारा | "why don't you turn back" |
| अझुनि तरी फजितखोरा | "even now, public-disgrace one" |
| केली गांठोळीची नासी | "you ruined the bundle's-purse (gāṇṭhōḷī)" |
| पुढें भीके चि मागसी | "now you'll beg" |
| तुका म्हणे ठाया | "Tuka says — to your own place" |
| जाई आपल्या आलिया | "go, having come" |
What it means
Lost-the-principal-now-you'll-beg + turn-back-even-now abhang. Jīva-warning in mercantile-register.
The mercantile-warning: janmā yē'uni kāya kēlē — tuvām mudala gamāvilē — coming to birth, what did you do — you've lost the principal. Mudala = principal, capital. Gamāvilē = lost, squandered. Coming-to-birth, what-did-you-do? You-have-lost-the-mudala (= the capital-of-puṇya, the human-birth's-investment-value). Tukārām-the-grain-merchant uses-trade-language — the bhakti-life as-trade-investment.
The turn-back call: kām rē na phirasī māghārā — ajhuni tarī phajita-khōrā — why don't you turn back — even now, public-disgrace one. Phajita-khōrā = public-disgrace one. Why-don't-you-turn-back even-now, you public-disgrace?
The bundle-purse ruined: kēlī gāṇṭhōḷīcī nāsī — puḍhē bhīkē chi māgasī — you ruined the bundle's-purse — now you'll beg. Gāṇṭhōḷī = the small-purse tied at the end of the dhoti or sari, used to carry money/grain in trade. You-ruined the-(traveling-)purse; now-you'll-beg-(ahead). A vivid market-image: the trader-who-spent-his-purse-on-the-wrong-goods now-must-beg.
The closing — go-to-your-own-place: Tukā mhaṇē ṭhāyā jā'ī āpalyā āliyā — Tukā says: go to your own place, having come. Go-to-your-own-place (= the bhakti-life, Viṭho's-feet), since-you-have-come (to-this-human-birth). (= use-the-opportunity-of-the-human-birth to-reach-your-true-place.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: coming to birth, what did you do — you've lost the principal; why not turn back even now — public-disgrace; ruined the bundle's-purse — now you'll beg; Tuka says — go to your own place, having come.
Where this applies
- Lost-the-mudala-of-birth.* Janmā-mudala-gamāvilē.
- Turn-back-even-now-disgrace-one.* Phirasī-māghārā-phajita-khōrā.
- Bundle-purse-ruined-now-beg.* Gāṇṭhōḷīcī-nāsī-bhīkē-māgasī.
- Go-to-your-own-place-having-come.* Ṭhāyā-jā'ī-āpalyā-āliyā.