Abhanga 187
Tukaram says that wherever Krishna is, the field has fodder, meaning that being close to the real presence takes care of what you need without you having to chase it separately. He chose to walk behind Krishna for life, not beside him or ahead of him, and he says even a single moment of that company is enough, there is no minimum time required for it to matter. The closing line is the real point: Tuka has become so practiced in this way of living that he is now, simply by being who he is, making other people practiced in it too. Living close to what you love does not need to be argued or taught, it spreads on its own once it is real in you.
The verse
बहु बरा बहु बरा । यासांगातें मळि चारा ॥१॥ म्हणोनि जीवेंसाठीं । घेतली कान्होबाची पाठी ॥ध्रु.॥ बरवा बरवा दिसे । समागम याचा निमिषें ॥२॥ पुढती पुढती तुका । सोंकला सोंकवितो लोकां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Very fine, very fine — with him, the field has fodder. Hence for life — I took Kānhobā's back-side (= followed him). Fine, fine looks his company — in (even) a moment. More and more, Tuka — became practiced and is making people practiced.
मराठी: बहु बरा, बहु बरा — यासांगातें मळी-चारा. म्हणूनि जीवासाठी — कान्होबाची पाठी घेतली. बरवा-बरवा दिसतो — त्याचा समागम निमिषभर. पुढती-पुढती तुका — सोंकला, सोंकवितो लोकां.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बहु बरा बहु बरा | "very fine, very fine" |
| यासांगातें मळि चारा | "with him — the field has fodder" |
| म्हणोनि जीवेंसाठीं | "hence, for (one's) life" |
| घेतली कान्होबाची पाठी | "I took Kānhobā's pāṭhī (back-side / following)" |
| बरवा बरवा दिसे | "fine, fine he looks" |
| समागम याचा निमिषें | "his samāgama (company) — in a moment" |
| पुढती पुढती तुका | "more and more, Tuka" |
| सोंकला सोंकवितो लोकां | "(became) sokaḷe and is making people sokaḷe" |
What it means
A continuation-of-186 long-comrade abhang with a structural twist — the contagion-of-being-practiced. Three claims:
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बहु बरा — यासांगातें मळि चारा — very fine — with him, the field has fodder. The with-him-comes logic: Krishna's presence makes the field provide. The bhakta does not need to arrange the supply separately; being-with-Krishna is the supply-condition.
-
जीवेंसाठीं — घेतली कान्होबाची पाठी — for life — I took Kānhobā's back. Pāṭhī (back-side) means following-position. The bhakta has chosen the follow-position for life — not co-equal, not lead, but behind.
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समागम याचा निमिषें — बरवा बरवा — his company in a moment is fine. Niamiṣē — for a moment. Even one moment of his company is fine. The duration-required-for-quality is zero.
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The closing claim is the central one: सोंकला सोंकवितो लोकां — (became) practiced and is making people practiced. The sokaḷe (habituated) state is contagious. Tuka becoming practiced-with-Krishna makes him practice-bringer to others. This is the spread-mode of bhakti: not by teaching, not by argument, but by contagion of being-practiced. [T]
For someone today
Tukaram says that wherever Krishna is, the field has fodder, meaning that being close to the real presence takes care of what you need without you having to chase it separately. He chose to walk behind Krishna for life, not beside him or ahead of him, and he says even a single moment of that company is enough, there is no minimum time required for it to matter. The closing line is the real point: Tuka has become so practiced in this way of living that he is now, simply by being who he is, making other people practiced in it too. Living close to what you love does not need to be argued or taught, it spreads on its own once it is real in you.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की कृष्ण जिथे असतो तिथे शेतात चारा आपोआप असतो, म्हणजे खऱ्या उपस्थितीजवळ राहिलं की गरजेच्या गोष्टी वेगळ्या शोधाव्या लागत नाहीत. त्यांनी आयुष्यभर कृष्णाच्या मागे चालणं निवडलं, बरोबरीने किंवा पुढे नाही, आणि म्हणतात की त्याची संगत एका क्षणासाठी जरी मिळाली तरी पुरेशी आहे, त्यासाठी कुठलाही किमान वेळ लागत नाही. शेवटची ओळ खरा गाभा सांगते — तुका इतका सरावला आहे की तो आता, फक्त जसा आहे तसा राहूनच, इतर लोकांनाही या मार्गावर सरावतो आहे. जे तुम्हाला प्रिय आहे त्याच्या जवळ राहणं शिकवावं लागत नाही, ते खरं असलं की आपोआप पसरतं.
Where this applies
- With-him-fodder-comes logic. Recognize the supply-condition.
- Take the back-side, life-decision. Follow-posture.
- A moment of company is enough. निमिषें बरवा.
- Spread is by contagion of practiced-state, not teaching. Become sokaḷe first.