Abhanga 301
Tukaram asks why we feel no shame calling our children, spouse, and wealth 'mine' — as if we truly possessed them, when in fact each has its own life, its own path, and none of it is really ours to claim. When death's hand finally reaches for us, none of these things can save us — not our family, not our money — only God can truly free us from death's grip. Tukaram says it's frustrating to keep repeating this to someone who still doesn't understand: such a person doesn't even recognize the real power that keeps them alive in the first place, mistaking their possessions for their source of life. Recognize your mine-claims for what they are, and remember what actually sustains you.
The verse
माझें म्हणतां याला कां रे नाहीं लाज । कन्या पुत्र भाज धन वित्त ॥१॥ कोणी सोडवी ना काळाचे हातींचें । एकाविणें साचें नारायणा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे किती सांगावें चांडाळा । नेणे जीवकळा कोण्या जीतो ॥३॥
Literal translation
Calling these mine — why no shame? — kanyā, putra, bhāj, dhana-vitta. No one releases from kāḷa's hand — except Nārāyaṇa, truly. Tuka says: how much to tell the chāṇḍāḷa? — doesn't know — by which jīva-kaḷā (he) lives.
मराठी: माझें म्हणतां याला कां रे नाहीं लाज — कन्या पुत्र भाज धन वित्त. कोणी सोडवी ना काळाचे हातींचें — एकाविणें साचें नारायणा. तुका म्हणे किती सांगावें चांडाळा — नेणे जीवकळा कोण्या जीतो.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| माझें म्हणतां याला कां रे नाहीं लाज | "calling thesemine— why no shame?" |
| कन्या पुत्र भाज धन वित्त | "kanyā (daughter), putra (son), bhāj (wife), dhana-vitta (wealth-property)" |
| कोणी सोडवी ना काळाचे हातींचें | "no onereleasesfromkāḷa's hand" |
| एकाविणें साचें नारायणा | "except Nārāyaṇa, truly" |
| किती सांगावें चांडाळा | "how much to tell thechāṇḍāḷa" |
| नेणे जीवकळा कोण्या जीतो | "doesn't know — by whichjīva-kaḷā(life-art) (he) lives" |
What it means
A no-shame-mine-claim abhang. Three claims:
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माझें म्हणतां याला कां रे नाहीं लाज — कन्या पुत्र भाज धन वित्त — calling thesemine— why no shame? — daughter, son, wife, wealth-property. The list ofmine-claims that should produce shame: kanyā, putra, bhāj, dhana-vitta. (Bhāj — wife in colloquial-Marathi.) The shame is structurally appropriate: these are not actually-yours (they have their own jīva, their own karma, their own destinies); calling them mine is category-error.
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कोणी सोडवी ना काळाचे हातींचें — एकाविणें साचें नारायणा — no one releases from kāḷa's hand — except Nārāyaṇa truly. The exclusive-release claim. Kāḷa (death / time) holds everything; no kanyā / putra / bhāj / dhana-vitta releases anyone from kāḷa's grip. Only Nārāyaṇa releases truly. (Compare 248's all in death's hand; 286's Hanumat banished kāḷa.)
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तुका म्हणे किती सांगावें चांडाळा — नेणे जीवकळा कोण्या जीतो — how much to tell the chāṇḍāḷa — doesn't know jīva-kaḷā by which he lives. The closing-frustration. Chāṇḍāḷa in Tukaram's recoded register = the wickedly-acting one (compare 75, 213, 246). How many times do we have to tell? The chāṇḍāḷadoesn't know the jīva-kaḷā — the art / craft / power by which he himself lives. He thinks he lives by his ownmine-claims; he doesn't recognize the actual jīva-source.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram asks why we feel no shame calling our children, spouse, and wealth 'mine' — as if we truly possessed them, when in fact each has its own life, its own path, and none of it is really ours to claim. When death's hand finally reaches for us, none of these things can save us — not our family, not our money — only God can truly free us from death's grip. Tukaram says it's frustrating to keep repeating this to someone who still doesn't understand: such a person doesn't even recognize the real power that keeps them alive in the first place, mistaking their possessions for their source of life. Recognize your mine-claims for what they are, and remember what actually sustains you.
मराठी: तुकाराम विचारतात, आपण मुलगा, मुलगी, पत्नी आणि संपत्तीला 'माझं' म्हणताना आपल्याला लाज का वाटत नाही — जणू ते खरंच आपलं आहे, पण प्रत्यक्षात प्रत्येकाचं स्वतःचं आयुष्य, स्वतःचा मार्ग असतो, आणि यातलं खरंच आपलं काहीच नसतं. मृत्यूचा हात जेव्हा शेवटी आपल्यापर्यंत पोहोचतो, तेव्हा यातलं काहीही आपल्याला वाचवू शकत नाही — ना कुटुंब, ना पैसा — फक्त देवच खरोखर मृत्यूच्या पकडीतून सोडवू शकतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात, अजूनही न समजणाऱ्या माणसाला किती वेळा सांगायचं याचा त्रास होतो — अशा माणसाला आपल्याला खरंच जिवंत ठेवणारी शक्ती कोणती हेच माहीत नसतं, तो आपल्या मालकीच्या वस्तूंनाच आपल्या जगण्याचं कारण समजतो. आपले 'माझं' म्हणण्याचे दावे नेमके काय आहेत हे ओळखा, आणि आपल्याला खरंच कोण जगवतं याची आठवण ठेवा.
Where this applies
- Mine-claims are category-errors. No-shame is a symptom.
- Only Nārāyaṇa releases from kāḷa. Mine-claims don't.
- Don't be the chāṇḍāḷa who doesn't know the jīva-kaḷā. Recognize what keeps you alive.