संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 339 of 4582

Abhanga 339

This abhang names the captive-bhakta voice and Rāma's promised-rescue:

When the wicked have stolen and brought you to a difficult place — and you have to recognize this register
When Trijaṭā consoles you to be still — and you accept this consolation
When Rāma will come to Lankā-purī — and you receive this rescue-promise

The verse

येउनि गुंफेमाजी दुष्टें केली चोरी । कांहो मज आणिले अवघड लंकापुरी ॥१॥ मन उतावळि जाला दुरी पंथ । राहों न सके प्राण माझा कुडी आंत ॥ध्रु.॥ गाईवत्सा पत्नीपुरुषा विघडिलें । न कळे वो संचित चरण अंतरले ॥२॥ उलंघिली आज्ञा माव काय मी जाणें । देखुनी सूनाट घेउनि आलें सुनें ॥३॥ उपटी पक्षिया एक देउनि पाये । उदकवेढ्यामध्यें तेथें चाले काये ॥४॥ संमोखी त्रीजटा स्थिर स्थिर वो करी । घेइल तुकयास्वामी राम लंकापुरी ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Coming into the gumphā — the wicked stole — why have I been brought to the difficult Lankā-purī? Mana impatient — distant path — prāṇa cannot stay in the kūḍī. Cow-calf, wife-husband — separated — what sañcita do I know — feet have parted. Transgressed the ājñā — what māyā do I know — seeing emptiness, (he) brought (me) snatched. The bird tearing — with one foot — in the water-surrounded place — what works there? Trijaṭā consoles — be still, be still — Tuka's-Lord Rāma will take (me from) Lankā-purī.

मराठी: येउनि गुंफेमाजी — दुष्टें केली चोरी — कांहो मज आणिले अवघड लंकापुरी. मन उतावळि — जाला दुरी पंथ — राहों न सके प्राण माझा कुडी आंत. गाईवत्सा — पत्नीपुरुषा — विघडिलें — न कळे वो संचित — चरण अंतरले. उलंघिली आज्ञा — माव काय मी जाणें — देखुनी सूनाट — घेउनि आलें सुनें. उपटी पक्षिया — एक देउनि पाये — उदकवेढ्यामध्यें — तेथें चाले काये. संमोखी त्रीजटा — स्थिर-स्थिर वो करी — घेइल तुकयास्वामी राम लंकापुरी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
येउनि गुंफेमाजी दुष्टें केली चोरी "coming into the gumphā (hut), the wicked stole"
कांहो मज आणिले अवघड लंकापुरी "why have I been brought to the difficult Lankā-purī"
मन उतावळि जाला दुरी पंथ "mana impatient — distant path"
राहों न सके प्राण माझा कुडी आंत "prāṇa cannot stay in the kūḍī (body)"
गाईवत्सा पत्नीपुरुषा विघडिलें "cow-calf, wife-husband — separated"
न कळे वो संचित चरण अंतरले "what sañcita do I know — feet have parted"
उलंघिली आज्ञा माव काय मी जाणें "transgressed the ājñā — what māyā do I know"
देखुनी सूनाट घेउनि आलें सुनें "seeing the emptiness — brought (me) snatched"
उपटी पक्षिया एक देउनि पाये "the bird tearing — with one foot"
उदकवेढ्यामध्यें तेथें चाले काये "in the water-surrounded place — what works there?"
संमोखी त्रीजटा स्थिर स्थिर वो करी "Trijaṭā consoles — be still, be still"
घेइल तुकयास्वामी राम लंकापुरी "Tukya-svāmī Rāma will take (me from) Lankā-purī"

What it means

A Sītā-in-Lankā voice abhang. Tukaram speaks as if Sītā in Rāvaṇa's captivity. Six claims:

  1. येउनि गुंफेमाजी — दुष्टें केली चोरी — कांहो मज आणिले अवघड लंकापुरी — coming into the gumphā, the wicked stole — why brought to the difficult Lankā-purī. The abduction — Rāvaṇa-as-samsāra-as-wicked. The lament: why have I been brought here?

  2. मन उतावळि — दुरी पंथ — प्राण कुडी आंत राहों न सके — mana impatient — distant path — prāṇa cannot stay in the kūḍī. The captive's anguish — body-prāṇa restless, path far.

  3. गाईवत्सा पत्नीपुरुषा विघडिलें — न कळे संचित — चरण अंतरले — cow-calf, wife-husband separated — what sañcita do I know — feet have parted. The separation-imagery — cow from calf, wife from husband; Sītā from Rāma's feet. What sañcita brought this — I don't know. (Compare 161, 269 separation-from-Rāma's-feet register.)

  4. उलंघिली आज्ञा — माव काय मी जाणें — सूनाट घेउनि आलें सुनें — transgressed the ājñā, what māyā do I know — saw emptiness, brought snatched. The self-blame: I transgressed the ājñā (= the Lakshmaṇa-rēkhā); what māyā I (do not understand). Sūnāṭa — empty-place. Saw the empty hermitage, brought-snatched.

  5. उपटी पक्षिया एक देउनि पाये — उदकवेढ्यामध्यें तेथें चाले काये — bird tearing with one foot — in water-surrounded place, what works. The Jaṭāyu-bird tearing at Rāvaṇa with one foot — but in Lankā, surrounded by water, what avails?

  6. संमोखी त्रीजटा — स्थिर स्थिर वो करी — घेइल तुकयास्वामी राम लंकापुरी — Trijaṭā consoles — be still, be still — Tukya-svāmī Rāma will take me from Lankā-purī. The closing: Trijaṭā (the friendly rākṣasī of the Aśokavana) consoles — be still; Rāma will come. The captive-bhakta's faith: Rāma will come to Lankā-purī.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the captive-bhakta voice and Rāma's promised-rescue:

  1. You may have been brought to the difficult Lankā-purī. Samsāra-as-Lankā — the wicked-thief brought you. Recognize the captivity — don't deny it.

  2. The captive's prāṇa* is restless. Body-mind-anguish in the captive-state. The anguish is not your failure; it is the captive-state's mark*.

  3. Your sañcita* is unknown to you. Na kaḷē sañcita. You don't know what sañcita brought you here. The not-knowing is honest; don't fabricate the cause-account*.

  4. You may have transgressed the ājñā — māyā* you do not know. Self-blame is honest; māyā exceeds your knowing. The captive-confession*.

  5. In the water-surrounded place, even the bird's tearing-foot does not avail. Some external-help is bound to fail in the captive-place. The self-help-fantasy fails.

  6. Trijaṭā consoles — Rāma will come. Sthira sthira vō karī. Be still, be still. The consolation comes through the friendly-presence in the captive-place (Trijaṭā). Rāma will come. The rescue-promise is the captive-bhakta's anchor.

For today: if you find yourself in samsāra-as-Lankā, recognize the captivity; don't fabricate the sañcita-cause; the captive's anguish is the captive-state's mark; receive the friendly-presence's be still consolation; trust that Tukya-svāmī Rāma will come to your Lankā-purī.

This abhang is consoling for the long-captivity-bhakta: it is not the triumph-Rāma but the captive-Sītā voice that is heard. The captive-bhakta is given Trijaṭā's consolation and Rāma's rescue-promise.

मराठी: ही ओवी captive-bhakta voice and Rāma's promised-rescue नाव सांगते:

  1. तुम्ही कदाचित कठीण लंकापुरी* मध्ये आणले असाल. Samsāra-as-Lankā — दुष्ट-थीफ ने आणलं. Captivity ओळखा — deny नका*.

  2. Captive चा prāṇa* restless असतो. Body-mind-anguish — captive-state's mark. तुमची failure नाही*.

  3. Sañcita unknown to you. न कळे संचित. कोणत्या sañcita ने इथे आणलं माहीत नाही. Not-knowing honest; cause-account fabricate करू नका.

  4. Ājñā transgress झाली असेल — māyā* तुम्हाला माहीत नाही. Self-blame honest; māyā exceeds your knowing. Captive-confession*.

  5. Udaka-veḍhyā मध्ये पक्ष्याचा foot-tear* काही करत नाही. External-help bound to fail in captive-place. Self-help-fantasy fails*.

  6. Trijaṭā console करते — Rāma येईल. स्थिर-स्थिर वो करी. Be still, be still. Friendly-presence consolation — Trijaṭā. Rāma will come. Rescue-promise — captive-bhakta's anchor.

आज: Samsāra-as-Lankā मध्ये असाल — captivity ओळखा; sañcita-cause fabricate करू नका; captive's anguish captive-state mark आहे; friendly-presence's be still console receive करा; Tukya-svāmī Rāma तुमच्या Lankā-purī ला येईल trust करा.

Long-captivity-bhakta साठी consoling: triumph-Rāma नाही, captive-Sītā voice ऐकवते. Captive-bhakta ला Trijaṭā's consolation and Rāma's rescue-promise.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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