Abhanga 159
English: Easy pounding — Nārāyaṇa is the ovi (work-song); the husk and the grain-essence separate by themselves.
The verse
सावडीं कांडण ओवी नारायण । निवडे आपण भूस सार ॥१॥ मुसळ आधारीं आवरूनि धरीं । सांवरोनि थिरीं घाव घालीं ॥ध्रु.॥ वाजती कांकणें अनुहात गजरें । छंद माहियेरे गाऊं गीति ॥२॥ कांडिता कांडण नव्हे भाग शीण । तुजमजपण निवडे तों ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे रूप उमटे आरिसा । पाक त्या सरिसा शुद्ध जाला ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Easy pounding — Nārāyaṇa is the ovi (work-song); the husk and the grain-essence separate by themselves. Hold the pestle in the support, wrapping firmly; settling steady, strike the blow. Bangles ring in the un-struck-sound clamor; let us sing songs of the māher-rhythm. While pounding, the pounding is no labor-fatigue — until your-and-my-ness is separated (out). Tuka says: the form is impressed in the mirror; along with that, the cooking-result also became pure.
मराठी: सावडीं कांडण — ओवी (कामाचं गाणं) नारायण; भूस आणि सार स्वतःहून निवडतात. मुसळ आधारात आवरून धर — सांवरून थिर, घाव घाल. कांकणं वाजतात अनुहात गजरात; माहियेरचा छंद गीत गाऊ. कांडता कांडण भाग-शीण नाही — तुज-मज-पण निवडेपर्यंत. तुकाराम म्हणतात — रूप आरशात उमटतं; पाक त्याच्यासरशी शुद्ध झाला.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सावडीं कांडण | "the easy/handy pounding" (or with the right hand) |
| ओवी नारायण | "the ovi (work-song) is Nārāyaṇa" |
| निवडे आपण भूस सार | "the husk and grain (essence) separate by themselves" |
| मुसळ आधारीं आवरूनि धरीं | "hold the pestle in the supporting (handle), wrapping (it firmly)" |
| सांवरोनि थिरीं घाव घालीं | "settling steady, strike the blow" |
| वाजती कांकणें अनुहात गजरें | "bangles ring in the anuhata (un-struck-sound) clamor" |
| छंद माहियेरे गाऊं गीति | "let us sing songs of the māher-rhythm" |
| कांडिता कांडण नव्हे भाग शीण | "while pounding, the pounding is no labor-fatigue" |
| तुजमजपण निवडे तों | "until your-and-my-ness is separated (out)" |
| रूप उमटे आरिसा | "the form is impressed in the mirror" |
| पाक त्या सरिसा शुद्ध जाला | "along with that, the cooking-result also became pure" |
What it means
Continuation of 158's kanḍaṇa (rice-pounding) imagery. Where 158 set up the work, this abhang names the trick that makes the work effortless: the ovi (work-song) is Nārāyaṇa.
The folk practice: women pounding rice sing ovis — short rhythmic verses — that synchronize the blows and lighten the work. Tukaram recodes: if the ovi itself is the deity's name, then the work and the practice are one event.
- भूस सार निवडे आपण — husk and grain separate by themselves. With the right rhythm, the work outputs separation without effort.
- अनुहात गजरें — the un-struck-sound clamor. Anuhata / anāhata is the un-struck inner sound of yogic tradition — the spontaneous resonance heard in deep meditation. Here it is mapped to the clamor of bangles — the everyday women's-work-sound is the cosmic anāhata.
- तुजमजपण निवडे — I-and-you-ness separates out — this is the actual output of the practice. The work is not for grain; it is for the separation of I-and-you. Compare 080: जेव्हां गेला अहंकार, तेव्हां आपपर बोळविले.
- रूप उमटे आरिसा — the form is impressed in the mirror. When I-and-you drops, the form (Nārāyaṇa) appears in the mirror (clean-mind). And पाक शुद्ध जाला — the cooking-result is purified along with the form-appearance.
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For someone today
This abhang names the song-makes-the-work-effortless principle. If your practice (any practice — meditation, work, chore, study) feels like labor-fatigue, the missing element is the accompanying ovi. The ovi doesn't have to be Nārāyaṇa specifically; it has to be something rhythmic that aligns the blows. Tukaram's specific suggestion: let the deity's name be the rhythm.
The output-test is precise: while pounding, no fatigue — until I-and-you is separated. Two markers:
- No fatigue while at it (because rhythm has replaced labor)
- I-and-you separating out as the work proceeds (because the doer-doing is dissolving into rhythm)
If both happen, you are doing it right. If neither, the ovi is missing or the pestle-grip (āvaruni dharī, sānvaroni thirī) is wrong. The diagnosis is structural.
मराठी: ही ओवी गाण्याने काम सोपं होतं हे principle सांगते. तुमची practice (कोणतीही — ध्यान, काम, चाकरी, अभ्यास) भाग-शीण वाटत असेल — तर missing element accompanying ओवी. ओवी नारायण च असायला हवी असं नाही; घावांना align करणारी rhythmic गोष्ट हवी. तुकारामांची specific सूचना: देवाचं नाव rhythm बनू द्या.
Output-test अचूक: कांडता कांडण भाग-शीण नाही — तुज-मज-पण निवडेपर्यंत. दोन markers:
- करत असताना भाग-शीण नाही (rhythm ने labor replace केलं म्हणून)
- तुज-मज-पण निवडत जाणं (कर्ता-करणं rhythm मध्ये विरघळतंय म्हणून)
दोन्ही होतंय — योग्य. एकही नाही — ओवी missing किंवा पकड (आवरूनि धरी, सांवरोनि थिरी) चुकीची. diagnosis structural आहे.
Where this applies
- Practice feels like labor. Add the ovi (rhythmic name).
- I-and-you separating out is the output. Recognize this as success-condition.
- Mirror-image clean appears spontaneously. पाक त्या सरिसा शुद्ध जाला.