Abhanga 2265
For today: what's the use of washing skin — kāḷa-kuṭa inside; world-quarreler — ruined boys and women; cover at pānavathā — uselessly nod head; struck cymbal — mind-indriyas loose; moving mālā — japa on viṣaya time-after-time; Tukā says — this trade — Name of Viṭhōbā is essence.
The verse
काय धोविलें कातडें । काळकुट भीतरि कुडें ॥१॥ उगा राहें लोकभांडा । चाळविल्या पोरें रांडा ॥ध्रु.॥ घेसी बुंथी पानवथां । उगा च हालविसी माथा ॥२॥ लावूनि बैसे टाळी । मन इंद्रियें मोकळीं ॥३॥ हालवीत बैस माळा । विषयजप वेळोवेळां ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे हा व्यापार । नाम विठोबाचें सार ॥५॥ ॥२॥
Literal translation
English: What's the use of washing the skin — inside is the kāḷa-kuṭa, crooked. Be quiet, you world-quarreler — you've ruined boys and women. You take the cover at the pānavathā — uselessly you nod your head. You sit having struck the cymbal — mind and indriyas are loose. Sitting moving the mālā — ★ time-after-time, you japa on viṣaya. ★ Tukā says: this is the trade — ★ the Name of Viṭhōbā is the essence ★. ॥2॥
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय धोविलें कातडें | "what's the use of washing the skin" |
| काळकुट भीतरि कुडें | "inside [is the] kāḷa-kuṭa, crooked" |
| उगा राहें लोकभांडा | "be quiet, you world-quarreler" |
| चाळविल्या पोरें रांडा | "you've ruined boys and women" |
| घेसी बुंथी पानवथां | "you take the cover at the pānavathā" |
| उगा च हालविसी माथा | "uselessly you nod your head" |
| लावूनि बैसे टाळी | "you sit having struck the cymbal" |
| मन इंद्रियें मोकळीं | "mind and indriyas are loose" |
| हालवीत बैस माळा | "sitting moving the mālā" |
| विषयजप वेळोवेळां | "time-after-time, you japa on viṣaya" |
| तुका म्हणे हा व्यापार | "Tukā says — this is the trade" |
| नाम विठोबाचें सार | "the Name of Viṭhōbā is the essence" |
| ॥२॥ | colophon — closes the 2-abhang cluster (2264-2265) |
What it means
Kāḷa-kuṭa-inside + outer-show-inner-viṣaya-japa + Name-of-Viṭhobā-is-essence abhang. ★ Ends with ॥२॥ closing the 2-cluster (2264-2265). ★
The opening — washing skin vs kāḷa-kuṭa-inside: kāya dhōvilē kātaḍē — kāḷa-kuṭa bhītari kuḍē — what's the use of washing the skin — inside is the kāḷa-kuṭa, crooked. Kāḷa-kuṭa = the deadly-poison (kālakūṭa from the churning-of-the-ocean). What-good is-washing-the-skin when-kāḷa-kuṭa (deadly-poison) is-inside, crooked?
The lōka-bhāṇḍā: ugā rāhē lōka-bhāṇḍā — chāḷavilyā pōrē rāṇḍā — be quiet, you world-quarreler — you've ruined boys and women. Lōka-bhāṇḍā = world-quarreler, public-disputant. Be-quiet, you-world-quarreler; you've-ruined-boys-and-women. (= the disputant has-corrupted-the-young.)
The pānavathā-cover: ghēsī bunthī pānavathām — ugā cha hālavisī māthā — you take the cover at the pānavathā — uselessly you nod your head. Bunthī = cover, head-wrap. Pānavathā = the water-fetching-place, the well/pond where people gather. You-take-the-cover at-the-pānavathā (= you appear-as-modest-while-going-to-the-water-place); uselessly-you-nod-your-head (= empty-piety-gesture).
The cymbal-and-mind: lāvūni baisē ṭāḷī — mana indriyē mōkaḷīm — you sit having struck the cymbal — mind and indriyas are loose. You-sit having-struck-the-(bhajana)-cymbal; but mind-and-indriyas-are-loose.
★ THE VIṢAYA-JAPA EXPOSURE ★: hālavīta baisa māḷā — viṣaya-japa vēḷō-vēḷām — sitting moving the mālā — time-after-time, you japa on viṣaya. Māḷā = the rosary. Viṣaya-japa = recitation-on-the-sense-objects. ★ Sitting-moving-the-rosary; (but) time-after-time you-japa-on-viṣaya (your-real-meditation is-on-sense-objects, not-on-the-Name). ★ A devastating-exposure of-the-rosary-fingering-but-mind-on-objects bhakta.
★ THE CLOSING — NAME-OF-VIṬHOBĀ-IS-ESSENCE ★: Tukā mhaṇē hā vyāpāra — nāma Viṭhōbāchē sāra — Tukā says: this is the trade — the Name of Viṭhōbā is the essence. This (rosary-with-viṣaya-japa) is-the-(actual)-trade; (the true-essence is): the Name-of-Viṭhōbā is-the-essence. The contrast: false-trade vs. true-essence.
The ॥२॥ colophon closes a 2-abhang cluster (2264-2265): - 2264: positive — go-meet-Rakhumā'ī's-groom, take-free-boundless-plunder - 2265: negative — what's-the-use-of-hypocrisy, Name-of-Viṭhobā-is-essence
The pair: go-to-Pandharī (positive) + don't-fake-bhakti (negative).
[T]
For someone today
For today: what's the use of washing skin — kāḷa-kuṭa inside; world-quarreler — ruined boys and women; cover at pānavathā — uselessly nod head; struck cymbal — mind-indriyas loose; moving mālā — japa on viṣaya time-after-time; Tukā says — this trade — Name of Viṭhōbā is essence.
Where this applies
- Skin-washed-kāḷa-kuṭa-inside.* Kāya-dhōvilē-kātaḍē-kāḷa-kuṭa-bhītari-kuḍē.
- Lōka-bhāṇḍā-ruined-pōrē-rāṇḍā.* Ugā-lōka-bhāṇḍā-chāḷavilyā-pōrē-rāṇḍā.
- Cover-at-pānavathā-nod-head.* Bunthī-pānavathām-hālavisī-māthā.
- Cymbal-struck-mind-indriyas-loose.* Lāvūni-baisē-ṭāḷī-mana-indriyē-mōkaḷīm.
- Moving-mālā-but-japa-on-viṣaya. Hālavīta-māḷā-viṣaya-japa-vēḷō-vēḷām.
- Name-of-Viṭhōbā-is-the-essence. Vyāpāra-nāma-Viṭhōbāchē-sāra.