Abhanga 2926
Āhe sakaḷām vegaḷā — (he) is vegaḷā (separate) from all; kheḷe kaḷā chōrōnī — plays the kaḷā (art) (while) hiding.
The verse
आहे सकळां वेगळा । खेळे कळा चोरोनि ॥१॥
खांबसुत्राचिये परी । देव दोरी हालवितो ॥ध्रु.॥
आपण राहोनि निराळा । कैसी कळा नाचवी ॥२॥
जेव्हां असुडितो दोरी । भूमीवरी पडे तेव्हां ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे तो जाणावा । सखा करावा आपुला ॥४॥
Literal translation
Āhe sakaḷām vegaḷā — (he) is vegaḷā (separate) from all; kheḷe kaḷā chōrōnī — plays the kaḷā (art) (while) hiding. Khāmba-sutrāñciye parī — like a khāmba-sūtra (the pillar-string, the puppet-thread); Deva dōrī hālavitō — Deva moves the dōrī (rope, string). Āpaṇa rāhōnī nirāḷā — himself staying nirāḷa (separate); kaisī kaḷā nāchavī — how (he) makes the kaḷā (art, performance) dance? Jevhām asuḍitō dōrī — when (he) asuḍitō (cuts, releases, gives-up) the dōrī; bhūmī-varī paḍe tevhām — then (the puppet) falls on the ground. Tukā says: tō jāṇāvā — know him; sakhā karāvā āpulā — make (him your) sakhā (friend), as your-own.
What it means
A 4-verse canonical khāmba-sūtra (puppet-thread) image-verse. Extends 2820 (Nārāyaṇa-puppeteer) and 2913 (body-as-puppet) with a new-detail: the falling-when-the-rope-is-let-go.
Verse 1: Āhe sakaḷām vegaḷā — kheḷe kaḷā chōrōnī — (he is) separate from all — plays the art while hiding. The opening: the Lord is separate-from-all-creatures; he plays-the-show-hiddenly.
Dhrūpada: Khāmba-sutrāñciye parī — Deva dōrī hālavitō — like the puppet-thread, Deva moves the rope. The canonical puppet-image: Deva-as-puppeteer, moving-the-strings.
Verse 2: Āpaṇa rāhōnī nirāḷā — kaisī kaḷā nāchavī — himself staying separate — how (he) makes the art dance. The wonder: the puppeteer-himself stays-apart from the puppet; yet he makes the puppet-perform.
Verse 3 (the new image): Jevhām asuḍitō dōrī — bhūmī-varī paḍe tevhām — when (he) lets-loose the rope — then (the puppet) falls on the ground. The crucial-extension: when the Lord-releases-the-string, the puppet-falls. This is the death-image — the puppet falling-when-the-string-is-let-go is the moment-of-death. The body falls because-the-Lord-lets-go-of-the-string.
Close: Tukā mhaṇe tō jāṇāvā — sakhā karāvā āpulā — know him — make him your sakhā. The recommendation: recognize-the-puppeteer; make-him-your-friend (so that-he-treats-you-well in the show, and-perhaps-gently-when-letting-go).
For someone today
A canonical puppet-thread image with extended-detail. (He is) separate from all — plays the art while hiding. Like a puppet-thread, Deva moves the rope. Himself staying separate, how (he) makes the art dance? When (he) lets-loose the rope — then (the puppet) falls on the ground. Know him — make him your sakhā. The verse provides the complete-puppet-image: (1) Deva is the puppeteer, separate-and-hidden; (2) all-our-actions are him moving-the-string; (3) at-death, he simply-releases-the-string; (4) recognize-him as your sakhā. The image is theologically-deep: we live-and-die at-his-pleasure; the only-discipline is to know-him-and-make-him-our-friend. (Pairs with 2820 Nārāyaṇa-puppeteer and 2913 body-as-puppet.)
Where this applies
- The canonical khāmba-sūtra (puppet-thread) — Deva moves-rope, puppet-falls-when-loosened extended image
- Recognizing Deva is the puppeteer; when he lets-loose the rope, the puppet falls
- Know-him, make-him-your-sakhā — bhakta's-recommendation
- Pairs with 2820 (Nārāyaṇa-puppeteer, monkeys-floated-stones), 2913 (body-as-puppet design-argument)
- Death-image: the rope let-loose = the moment of death