Abhanga 197

This abhang names what to do at a kīrtana / collective-celebration / golden-day moment:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A kīrtana-call abhang. Five claims:

1. जाणतां ही नेणतां — knowing or not knowing. The kīrtana does not require prior-understanding. Both the knower and the not-knower are invited. (Continuation of 196's radical inclusivity.)

2. फावलें तें घ्यारे आतां — take what is given now. Fāvalē — what has been given / favored / arrived — is the available-grace at this moment. Take it. The grace is time-bound.

3. आजि सोनियाचा दिवस — सोनियाचा वोडवला रंग — today is golden, the golden color has appeared. The time-bound claim. This is not every day; today is special. The ranga (color) of sonayā (gold) has risen / appeared. Don't postpone.

4. हिंडती रानोरान भुजंगांत कांट्यावन — सुख तयांहून आम्हां गातां नाचतां — they wander forest-to-forest in snakes-and-thorn-thicket; happier than them are we — singing-dancing. The householder-bhakta's claim against renunciate-supremacy. The forest-yogis (snake-and-thorn-condition) are not happier than the kīrtana-singers. The household-collective-singing is more joyful than the solitary-forest-renunciation.

5. ब्रम्हादिकां सांवळें दुर्लभ सुखा — आजि येथें आलें फुका — नाम मुखा कीर्तनीं — even for Brahmā etc., the dark-one is hard-to-attain; today here came for free — the name into the mouth in kīrtana. The for-free claim. What cosmic-deities cannot get, the kīrtana-bhaktas get for free — fukā — gratis. The kīrtana-mouth is the delivery-channel.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names what to do at a kīrtana / collective-celebration / golden-day moment:

1. Come — knowing or not knowing. Don't gate-keep yourself by deficient understanding. Both knowers and non-knowers are invited. Drop the qualification-test.

2. Take what is given now. Fāvalē — the given. The grace is time-bound. Don't postpone for some better-prepared future-self; take it now.

3. Today is golden — recognize. Some days are sonayā-divasa (golden-day) where the ranga has appeared. Most days are not. Don't treat them as equivalent. When today is golden, recognize and act.

4. Householder-singing is happier than forest-yoga. Sukha tayāhūna āmhā gātām nāchatām. The renunciation-supremacy frame is wrong — at least, not the only frame. The singing-dancing-collective is happier than the solitary-thorn-thicket. If the world has been telling you that real spirituality requires withdrawal — Tukaram's claim is no, the kīrtana-householder-collective is the happier path.

5. For-free, in the mouth. The cosmic-deities pay-and-cannot-get; the kīrtana-bhakta gets for free through the mouth. The vocal-channel is the for-free delivery. Open your mouth and sing; the sāvale will arrive for free.

For today: stop gate-keeping yourself; take what is given now; recognize when today is golden; trust that the singing-dancing-collective is more joyful than the solitary-renunciate path; open your mouth and sing — fukā nāma āle.

मराठी: ही ओवी kīrtana / collective-celebration / golden-day moment वर काय करायचं नाव सांगते:

1. या — जाणतां वा नेणतां. Deficient understanding मुळे स्वतःला gate-keep करू नका. दोन्ही knower आणि non-knower invited. Qualification-test सोडा.

2. फावलं ते आता घ्या. फावलं — given. Grace time-bound. Better-prepared future-self साठी postpone करू नका; आता घ्या.

3. आज सोनियाचा दिवस — ओळखा. काही दिवस सोनयाचा-दिवस — रंग उगवलाय. बहुतेक नाहीत. Equivalent treat करू नका. आज सोनियाचा — ओळखा आणि कृती करा.

4. घरगुती-गाणं forest-योग पेक्षा सुखी. सुख तयांहून आम्हां गातां नाचतां. Renunciation-supremacy frame चुकीचा — किमान, एकमेव frame नाही. गाणं-नाचणं-collective solitary-thorn-thicket पेक्षा सुखी. जग सांगत असेल real spirituality ला withdrawal लागते — तुकारामांचा दावा नाही, kīrtana-householder-collective सुखी मार्ग.

5. फुकट, तोंडात. Cosmic-deities pay-करतात-but-मिळत नाही; kīrtana-bhakta ला फुकट तोंडातून. Vocal-channel for-free delivery. तोंड उघडा आणि गा; सांवळे फुकट येईल.

आज: स्वतःला gate-keep करणं थांबवा; आता दिलेलं घ्या; आज सोनियाचा कधी आहे ओळखा; singing-dancing-collective solitary-renunciate path पेक्षा more joyful — विश्वास ठेवा; तोंड उघडा आणि गा — फुका नाम आलं.

Where this applies

• Knowers and non-knowers both invited. Drop the qualification-test.
• Today is golden — act, don't postpone. फावलें तें घ्यारे आतां.
• Singing-dancing happier than forest-yoga. Reject renunciation-supremacy.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374
• Abhanga 2377 — English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time.
• Abhanga 2387
• Abhanga 2402