Abhanga 2809
Kaim vāhāvē jīvana — sometimes carrying jīvana (water-as-life); kaim palangī śayana — sometimes sleeping on a palanga (bed).
The verse
कैं वाहावें जीवन । कैं पलंगीं शयन ॥१॥
जैसी जैसी वेळ पडे । तैसें तैसें होणें घडे ॥ध्रु.॥
कैं भौज्य नानापरी । कैं कोरड्या भाकरी ॥२॥
कैं बसावें वहनीं । कैं पायीं अन्हवाणी ॥३॥
कैं उत्तम प्रावणॉ । कैं वसनें तीं जीर्णे ॥४॥
कैं सकळ संपत्ती । कैं भोगणें विपत्ती ॥५॥
कैं सज्जनाशीं संग । कैं दुर्जनाशीं योग ॥६॥
तुका म्हणे जाण । सुख दुःख तें समान ॥७॥
Literal translation
Kaim vāhāvē jīvana — sometimes carrying jīvana (water-as-life); kaim palangī śayana — sometimes sleeping on a palanga (bed). Jaisi jaisi vēḷa paḍē — as-as the vēḷa (occasion) falls; taise taise hōṇē ghaḍe — so-so the hōṇē (happening) takes place. Kaim bhaujya nānā-parī — sometimes bhojya (foods) in many-kinds; kaim kōraḍyā bhākarī — sometimes dry bhākarī (bread). Kaim basāvē vahanī — sometimes sitting in vahana (vehicle); kaim pāyī anhavāṇī — sometimes barefoot on (one's own) feet. Kaim uttama prāvaraṇa — sometimes excellent prāvaraṇa (cover, garment); kaim vasane tīm jīrṇe — sometimes those clothes (are) jīrṇa (tattered). Kaim sakaḷa sampatti — sometimes all-prosperity; kaim bhōgaṇē vipatti — sometimes enduring vipatti (misfortune). Kaim sajjanāśīm sanga — sometimes company with sajjana; kaim durjanāśīm yōga — sometimes yōga (conjunction) with durjana. Tukā says: jāṇa — sukha duḥkha tē samāna — know — sukha and duḥkha are samāna (equal).
What it means
A 7-verse equanimity-verse. The structure is six kaim-kaim (sometimes-sometimes) pairs followed by the sukha-duḥkha-samāna close.
The six pairs name life's contrasts: 1. Water-carrying vs sleeping-on-bed — labor-vs-rest 2. Many-kinds-of-food vs dry-bread — affluence-vs-poverty 3. Vehicle vs barefoot — mobility-vs-effort 4. Fine-garments vs tattered-clothes — adornment-vs-want 5. Prosperity vs misfortune — wealth-vs-loss 6. Sajjana-company vs durjana-yōga — social-good-vs-bad
The dhrūpada-line gives the principle: jaisi jaisi vēḷa paḍē — taise taise hōṇē ghaḍe — as the occasion falls, so the happening takes place. The cosmos-runs-its-occasions; the bhakta accepts what falls.
The close: sukha duḥkha tē samāna — sukha and duḥkha are samāna (equal). The equanimity-conclusion: across all six contrasts, the bhakta-stance is sukha-duḥkha-samāna — both are equal.
This is a canonical Vārkarī equanimity-template, comparable to (and complementary with) the bhakti-only-Hari-saves texts.
For someone today
A canonical 7-verse equanimity-template. Sometimes carrying water, sometimes sleeping on a bed; sometimes many foods, sometimes dry bread; sometimes vehicle, sometimes barefoot; sometimes fine garments, sometimes tattered; sometimes prosperity, sometimes misfortune; sometimes sajjana-company, sometimes durjana-yōga. As the occasion falls, so it happens. Know: sukha and duḥkha are equal. The verse permits the cosmic-acceptance-stance: things-happen-as-they-fall; you maintain sukha-duḥkha-samāna. The six-pair-list is portable — you can substitute your-own-current-contrasts.
Where this applies
- The canonical sukha-duḥkha-samāna equanimity template
- Recognizing the six-pair-contrast across life-circumstances
- The as-the-occasion-falls-so-the-happening-takes-place acceptance
- The Tukārām pairing-style applied to one's own life-contrasts