Abhanga 2282
For today: lamp before the blind — bhakti without bhāva like that; 'I ate' — finally cries — original delusion; padmiṇī to napumsaka — speech without taste; doesn't come to hand — useless tosses — without bhāva, simple ones — Tukā says.
The verse
अंधापुढें दीप नाचती नाचणें । भक्तिभावेंविण भक्ति तैसी ॥१॥ खादलें म्हणोनि सेवटीं बोबाली । ठायींची भुली कां नेणां रया ॥ध्रु.॥ नपुंसका काय करील पद्मिणी । रुचिविण वाणी तैसे होय ॥२॥ हातां नये तैसा वांयां च तळमळी । भावेंविण भोळीं म्हणे तुका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Lamp dances before the blind — danced — bhakti without bhāva is like that. 'I have eaten' — finally cries — don't you know the original delusion, friend? What will padmiṇī do to a napumsaka — speech without taste is like that. Doesn't come to hand — uselessly tosses — without bhāva, the simple-ones — Tukā says.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अंधापुढें दीप नाचती नाचणें | "lamp dances before the blind — danced" |
| भक्तिभावेंविण भक्ति तैसी | "bhakti-without-bhāva is like that" |
| खादलें म्हणोनि सेवटीं बोबाली | "'I have eaten' — finally cries" |
| ठायींची भुली कां नेणां रया | "don't you know the original delusion, friend" |
| नपुंसका काय करील पद्मिणी | "what will padmiṇī do to a napumsaka" |
| रुचिविण वाणी तैसे होय | "speech without taste is like that" |
| हातां नये तैसा वांयां च तळमळी | "doesn't come to hand — uselessly tosses" |
| भावेंविण भोळीं म्हणे तुका | "without bhāva, the simple-ones — Tukā says" |
What it means
Bhakti-without-bhāva-is-futile + lamp-before-blind + padmiṇī-to-napumsaka abhang.
The lamp-before-blind simile: andhāpuḍhē dīpa nāchatī nāchaṇē — bhakti-bhāvēmviṇa bhakti taisī — lamp dances before the blind — danced — bhakti without bhāva is like that. Andha = blind. Dīpa = lamp. A lamp dancing-before-a-blind-person; bhakti without-bhāva is like-that (= the lamp's-light doesn't-reach-the-blind; bhakti's-content doesn't-reach-the-bhāva-less).
The hungry-still-crying: khādalēm mhaṇōni sēvaṭīm bōbālī — ṭhāyīñchī bhulī kām nēṇām rayā — 'I have eaten' — finally cries — don't you know the original delusion, friend. One-who-says 'I-ate' yet-finally-cries-(of-hunger); don't-you-know the-original-delusion, friend?
The padmiṇī-to-napumsaka simile: napumsakā kāya karīla padmiṇī — ruchiviṇa vāṇī taisē hōya — what will padmiṇī do to a napumsaka — speech without taste is like that. Padmiṇī = the most-beautiful kind of woman (in classical-erotic-typology). Napumsaka = eunuch, impotent. What can-padmiṇī (= the supreme-beauty) do to-a-napumsaka? Speech without-ruchi (taste/relish) is like-that (= the most-beautiful-thing is-wasted on-the-incapable-recipient).
The closing — useless-tossing without-bhāva: hātām nayē taisā vāmyām cha taḷamaḷī — bhāvēmviṇa bhōḷīm mhaṇē Tukā — doesn't come to hand — uselessly tosses — without bhāva, the simple-ones — Tukā says. (What) doesn't-come-to-hand uselessly-tosses; without bhāva, the-simple-ones (try in vain), Tukā-says.
Echoes 2263's sāra tō bhāva — bhāva is the essence, without-which-everything-else is-futile.
[T]
For someone today
For today: lamp before the blind — bhakti without bhāva like that; 'I ate' — finally cries — original delusion; padmiṇī to napumsaka — speech without taste; doesn't come to hand — useless tosses — without bhāva, simple ones — Tukā says.
Where this applies
- When you go through religious or spiritual routines without any real feeling behind them.
- When you claim to be satisfied or fine while inwardly you're still aching and unfulfilled.
- When you say the right words to someone but they land flat because there's no real warmth behind them.
- When you keep trying hard at something meaningful but nothing seems to land, and something essential feels missing.