संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 379 of 4582

Abhanga 379

English: Walks fast brushing-aside the path — watches from pāḷat — He stands nīṭa.

When the deva walks fast and watches from ambush — and you have to recognize this register
When the bhakta will embrace by jīva-tyāga, knowing all His forms — and you accept this resolve
When mana has met mana and the antara-bhōga is enjoyed by Nārāyaṇa — and you receive this image

The verse

चाले झडझडां उसंतूनि वाट । पाहे पाळतूनि उभा तो चि नीट वो ॥१॥ दावी बहुतांच्या बहुवेषपंथें । गुणातीतें खेळ मांडियेला येथें वो ॥ध्रु.॥ उगा राहे कां मारिसी कंकर । मात वाढविसी उत्तरा उत्तर वो ॥२॥ मिठी घालीन या जीवाचिया त्यागें । नाहीं ठाउकी पडिलीं तुझीं सोंगें रें ॥३॥ तुज मज काय सोयरीक ऐसी । नंदानंदन या थोरपणें जासी रे ॥४॥ मन मिनलें रे तुका म्हणे मना । भोग अंतरींचा पावे नारायणा वो ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Walks fast brushing-aside the path — watches from pāḷat — He stands nīṭa. Shows to many — many forms, many paths — guṇātīta has set up the khēḷa here. Stay quiet — why throw kankara — increasing māta back-and-forth? Will embrace by jīva-tyāga — your forms not unfamiliar to me. What sōyarīka between you and me? — Nanda-nandana, you go in thōrapaṇa. Tuka says: mana has met manabhōga of antaraNārāyaṇa enjoys.

मराठी: चाले झडझडां उसंतूनि वाट — पाहे पाळतूनि उभा तो चि नीट. दावी बहुतांच्या बहुवेषपंथें — गुणातीतें खेळ मांडियेला येथें. उगा राहे कां मारिसी कंकर — मात वाढविसी उत्तरा उत्तर. मिठी घालीन या जीवाचिया त्यागें — नाहीं ठाउकी पडिलीं तुझीं सोंगें. तुज मज काय सोयरीक — नंदानंदन या थोरपणें जासी. तुकाराम म्हणतां — मन मिनलें — भोग अंतरींचा पावे नारायणा.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
चाले झडझडां उसंतूनि वाट "walks — fast — brushing-aside the path"
पाहे पाळतूनि उभा तो चि नीट "watches from pāḷat — He stands nīṭa"
दावी बहुतांच्या बहुवेषपंथें "shows to many — many forms many paths"
गुणातीतें खेळ मांडियेला येथें "guṇātīta — has set up the khēḷa here"
उगा राहे कां मारिसी कंकर "stay quiet — why throw kankara (stones)?"
मात वाढविसी उत्तरा उत्तर "increasing the māta — back-and-forth"
मिठी घालीन या जीवाचिया त्यागें "I will embrace — by jīva-tyāga"
नाहीं ठाउकी पडिलीं तुझीं सोंगें "your forms — not unfamiliar to me"
तुज मज काय सोयरीक ऐसी "what sōyarīka — between you and me?"
नंदानंदन या थोरपणें जासी "Nanda-nandana — you go in thōrapaṇa"
मन मिनलें मना "mana has met mana"
भोग अंतरींचा पावे नारायणा "bhōga of antaraNārāyaṇa enjoys"

What it means

A gōpī-rōṣa-with-Krishna abhang. Six claims:

  1. चाले झडझडां उसंतूनि वाट — पाहे पाळतूनि उभा तो चि नीटwalks fast, brushing-aside the path — watches from ambush, stands straight. The opening-image: Krishna walks-fast and brushes-aside the path; but watches from pāḷat (ambush) — and stands straight (= visible). He plays at hide-and-watch.

  2. दावी बहुतांच्या बहुवेषपंथें — गुणातीतें खेळ मांडियेला येथेंshows to many many forms, many paths — guṇātīta has set up the khēḷa. The many-forms-claim: He shows many people many forms via many paths; the guṇātīta (beyond-guṇa) has set up the play here. The bahu-vēṣa-pamtha is His khēḷa.

  3. उगा राहे कां मारिसी कंकर — मात वाढविसी उत्तरा उत्तरstay quiet — why throw stones — increasing matter back-and-forth. The playful-chiding: stay quiet — why are you throwing stones (kankara)? — increasing the māta (matter, exchange) back-and-forth. The gōpī addresses Krishna directly; playful-rebuke.

  4. मिठी घालीन या जीवाचिया त्यागें — नाहीं ठाउकी पडिलीं तुझीं सोंगेंwill embrace by jīva-tyāga — your forms not unfamiliar. The resolve: I will embrace You by giving-up-life; your sōngē (disguises) — are not unfamiliar to me. I see through your forms; I will embrace at the cost of life.

  5. तुज मज काय सोयरीक ऐसी — नंदानंदन या थोरपणें जासीwhat kinship between you and me — Nanda-nandana, you go in big-status. The complaint: what kinship is this — Nanda-nandana, you go around in your thōrapaṇa (big-status). The gōpī chides Krishna's grand-airs.

  6. तुका म्हणे मन मिनलें — भोग अंतरींचा पावे नारायणाTuka says: mana met mana — antara-bhōga, Nārāyaṇa enjoys. The closing-resolution: mind has met mind; the bhōga (enjoyment) of the antara (inner) — Nārāyaṇa enjoys. The gōpī-Krishna meeting is mind-meeting-mind, with inner-bhōga the deva enjoys.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the gōpī-rōṣa-and-jīva-tyāga register:

  1. The deva plays hide-and-watch. Cālē jhaḍa-jhaḍām — pāhē pāḷatūnī. He walks fast and watches from ambush. Don't be surprised by the deva's hide-and-watch play.

  2. The bahu-vēṣa-pamtha is guṇātīta's khēḷa*. Don't be confused by the many forms-via-many-paths; it is the deva's setup. No one form exhausts Him*.

  3. Address the deva playfully — chide if you must. Ugā rāhē kām mārisī kankara. The gōpī-mode of address: playful-chide is allowed. Bhakti includes the right-to-rebuke.

  4. Embrace by jīva-tyāga* — knowing all His forms. Miṭhī ghālīna yā jīvāciyā tyāgē — nāhīm ṭhāukī paḍilīm tujhīm sōngē. The bhakta's resolve: embrace at the cost of life; the disguises don't fool. Recognize Him through his forms; embrace anyway*.

  5. Mana meets mana; the antara-bhōga is Nārāyaṇa*'s. Mana minalē — bhōga antarīmcā pāvē Nārāyaṇā. The deepest-claim: the meeting is mind-with-mind; the inner-bhōga the deva enjoys. The bhakta's offering of antara is the deva's enjoyment*.

For today: recognize the deva's hide-and-watch play; don't be confused by the many-forms; address the deva playfully when needed; embrace by jīva-tyāga, knowing all His forms; let the antara-bhōga be the deva's enjoyment.

This abhang is one of Tukaram's gōpī-rōṣa abhangs: playful-chiding-loving register. Compare 375 sakhī-bhāva and 381-383 Hindi-vrajāvalī love-songs in the same broad Krishna-bhakti register.

मराठी: ही ओवी gōpī-rōṣa-and-jīva-tyāga register नाव सांगते:

  1. Deva hide-and-watch खेळतो. चाले झडझडां — पाहे पाळतूनि. तो fast चालतो आणि pāḷat मधून पाहतो. Deva च्या hide-and-watch play ला surprised नका.

  2. Bahu-vēṣa-pamtha guṇātīta चा khēḷa*. Many forms-via-many-paths confuse नका; deva चा setup. कोणतीही एक form त्याला exhaust करत नाही*.

  3. Deva ला playfully address करा — chide if needed. उगा राहे कां मारिसी कंकर. Gōpī-mode of address: Playful-chide allowed. Bhakti मध्ये right-to-rebuke included.

  4. Jīva-tyāga ने embrace — सर्व त्याच्या forms माहीत असून. मिठी घालीन या जीवाचिया त्यागें — नाहीं ठाउकी पडिलीं तुझीं सोंगें. Bhakta चा resolve: life च्या cost ला embrace; disguises fool करत नाहीत. त्याला त्याच्या forms मधून ओळखा; तरी embrace करा*.

  5. Mana mana ला भेटतं; antara-bhōga Nārāyaṇa* चं. मन मिनलें — भोग अंतरींचा पावे नारायणा. Deepest-claim: Meeting mind-with-mind; Inner-bhōga deva enjoy करतो. Bhakta चं antara offering — देवाची enjoyment*.

आज: Deva च्या hide-and-watch play ला ओळखा; Many-forms ने confuse नका; Deva ला playfully address करा गरज पडल्यावर; Jīva-tyāga ने embrace, सर्व forms माहीत असून; Antara-bhōga देवाची enjoyment असू द्या.

Tukaram च्या gōpī-rōṣa abhangs पैकी एक: Playful-chiding-loving register. 375 sakhī-bhāva आणि 381-383 Hindi-vrajāvalī love-songsbroad Krishna-bhakti register मध्ये.

Where this applies

Related verses