Abhanga 2498
The verse
थडियेसी निघतां पाषाणांच्या सांगडी । बुडतां मध्यभागीं तेथें कोण घाली उडी ॥१॥ न करी रे तैसें आपआपणा । पतंग जाय वांयां जीवें ज्योती घालूनियां ॥ध्रु.॥ सावधपणें सोमवल वाटी भरोनियां प्याला । मरणा अंतीं वैद्य बोलावितो गहिला ॥२॥ तुकाम्हणे करीं ठायींचा चि विचार । जंवें नाहीं पातला यमाचा किंकर ॥३॥ ॥९॥
Literal translation
English: ★ Heading to shore with a stone-raft — drowning in mid-stream, who jumps in to save ★. Don't do that — moth wastes life jumping at flame. With care, fill the cup of sōmavala — at death, only the vaidya is called in panic. ★ Tuka says: consider in advance — before Yama's-servant arrives ★. ★ ॥9॥ (closing-colophon of 9-abhang sub-section) ★.
What it means
★ THE STONE-RAFT + MOTH-AT-FLAME LIFE-WARNING ABHANG ★. Closes a 9-abhang sub-section.
The stone-raft: thaḍiyēsī nighatām pāṣāṇāñchyā sāngaḍī — heading to shore with a stone-raft. ★ Setting-out-to-cross with-a-stone-raft (= heavy-with-attachments, will-sink) — drowning-mid-stream, who-jumps-in? ★ Vivid metaphor for-life's-attachments.
The moth-at-flame: patanga jāya vāmyā jīvē jyōtī ghālūniyām — moth wastes life jumping at flame. Classical patanga-jyoti image of-self-destruction.
The advance-counsel: karīm ṭhāyīñchā chi vichāra — janvē nāhīm pātalā Yamāchā kinkara — ★ consider in advance — before Yama's-servant arrives ★.
★ THE COLOPHON ★: ॥९॥ — closes another 9-abhang sub-section (cf. 2489's laḷatēm-9). Structural marker.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ★ stone-raft drowns mid-stream ★; ★ moth wastes life at flame ★; ★ consider before Yama-servant arrives ★.
Where this applies
- Stone-raft-drowning-mid-stream.* Thaḍiyēsī-pāṣāṇāñchyā-sāngaḍī.
- Moth-at-flame-wastes-life.* Patanga-jyōtī-ghālūniyām.