Abhanga 149
This abhang speaks to the moment when something is calling you clearly and unmistakably, and you've been negotiating with it instead of answering. The flute-sound is real, and so is the unfinished work — but the point being made is that this is the moment for meeting, and finishing the work will not produce that meeting. The instruction is unsentimental: drop the work, and bear whatever the household will say about it. In fact, the household's protest is the very sign that you've actually responded — if everyone approves of your dropping everything, you probably haven't dropped anything that mattered.
The verse
या हो या चला जाऊं सकळा । पाहों हा सोहळा आजि वृंदावनींचा ॥१॥ वाइला गोपाळें वेणुनाद पडे कानीं । धीर नव्हे मनीं चित्त जालें चंचळ ॥ध्रु.॥ उरलें तें सांडा काम नका करूं गोवी । हे चि वेळ ठावी मज कृष्णभेटीची ॥२॥ निवतील डोळे याचें श्रीमुख पाहातां । बोलती तें आतां घरचीं सोसूं वाईट ॥३॥ कृष्णभेटीआड कांहीं नावडे आणीक । लाज तरी लोक मन जालें उदास ॥४॥ एकाएकीं चालियेल्या सादावीत सवें । तुका म्हणे देवें रूपें केल्या तन्मय ॥५॥
Literal translation
"Come, come — let us all go — see today's festival of Vrindavan." The cowherd's flute-sound has fallen on the ear; patience cannot stay in the mind — the heart has become restless. "Drop the unfinished — don't coil yourself in work — this is the moment I recognize for meeting Krishna." "The eyes will be cooled by seeing his auspicious face — what the household says — I will bear it now." Before Krishna's meeting, nothing else is liked; shame, people, mind itself — all become indifferent. They walked together, calling each other along; Tuka says: the deity made (them) tanmaya (one-with-his-form).
मराठी: "या हो या — चला सर्वजणी — आज वृंदावनीचा सोहळा पाहू." गोपाळाने वाजवलेला वेणुनाद कानी पडला; मनात धीर राहत नाही — चित्त चंचळ झालं. "उरलं ते सांडा — कामात गोवी करू नका — ही वेळ कृष्णभेटीची, मला माहीत आहे." "श्रीमुख पाहता डोळे निवतील; घरचे जे बोलतील ते वाईट सोसू." कृष्णभेटीच्या आड दुसरं काही आवडत नाही; लाज, लोक — मन उदास झालं. एकाएकी चालल्या — एकमेकींना हाक मारत; तुकाराम म्हणतात — देवाने त्यांना त्याच्या रूपात तन्मय केलं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| या हो या चला जाऊं सकळा | "come, come — let us all go" |
| पाहों हा सोहळा आजि वृंदावनींचा | "see today's festival of Vrindavan" |
| वाइला गोपाळें वेणुनाद पडे कानीं | "the cowherd's flute-sound has fallen on the ear" |
| धीर नव्हे मनीं चित्त जालें चंचळ | "patience does not stay in the mind — the heart has become restless" |
| उरलें तें सांडा काम नका करूं गोवी | "drop the unfinished — do not coil yourself in work" |
| हे चि वेळ ठावी मज कृष्णभेटीची | "this is the time I know — for meeting Krishna" |
| बोलती तें आतां घरचीं सोसूं वाईट | "what the household speaks — I will bear (the bad) now" |
| कृष्णभेटीआड कांहीं नावडे आणीक | "before Krishna's meeting — nothing else is liked" |
| लाज तरी लोक मन जालें उदास | "shame too — and people — the mind has become indifferent" |
| देवें रूपें केल्या तन्मय | "the deity made (them) one with his form" |
What it means
The classical gopis-hearing-the-flute image. The cowherd-women drop everything (cooking, breastfeeding, grooming) and run to the forest when Krishna's flute calls. The structural claim: the call's arrival makes negotiation impossible. धीर नव्हे मनीं चित्त जालें चंचळ — patience cannot stay; the heart has become restless. The middle teaching is operational: drop the unfinished, do not coil in work, this is the time. The closing — देवें रूपें केल्या तन्मय — the deity made them one-with-his-form — names the result: those who answer the call become tanmaya (of-his-form). [T] [Tradition]
For someone today
This abhang speaks to the moment when something is calling you clearly and unmistakably, and you've been negotiating with it instead of answering. The flute-sound is real, and so is the unfinished work — but the point being made is that this is the moment for meeting, and finishing the work will not produce that meeting. The instruction is unsentimental: drop the work, and bear whatever the household will say about it. In fact, the household's protest is the very sign that you've actually responded — if everyone approves of your dropping everything, you probably haven't dropped anything that mattered.
The closing offers comfort: those who answered the call became one with his form. The cost was real, but so is the gain.
मराठी: ही ओवी त्या क्षणासाठी आहे जेव्हा काहीतरी तुम्हाला स्पष्टपणे, निःसंदिग्धपणे हाक मारत असतं आणि तुम्ही प्रत्यक्ष उत्तर देण्याऐवजी त्याच्याशी घासाघीस करत असता. वेणुनाद खरा आहे, आणि उरलेलं कामही खरं आहे — पण इथला मुद्दा असा की हीच वेळ भेटीची आहे, आणि काम पूर्ण करत बसणं ती भेट घडवून आणणार नाही. सूचना निर्भीड आहे: काम सोडा, आणि घरचे जे बोलतील ते सोसा. खरं तर घरच्यांचा विरोध हीच खूण आहे की तुम्ही खरोखर प्रतिसाद दिला आहे — जर सगळ्यांनाच तुमचं सोडणं मान्य वाटलं, तर बहुधा तुम्ही काही महत्त्वाचं सोडलेलंच नाही.
शेवट दिलासा देतो: ज्यांनी हाकेला प्रतिसाद दिला ते त्याच्या रूपाशी एकरूप झाले. किंमत खरी होती, पण मिळकतही तितकीच खरी आहे.
Where this applies
- Call is unmistakable, you're negotiating. धीर नव्हे मनीं.
- Unfinished work as excuse. Drop.
- Household-protest is the cost. Bear it.