Abhanga 412

Tukaram resolves to keep singing every side of Krishna's story, playful, mischievous, tender, and protective, and to stay bound to that living relationship for as long as he lives.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A sing-the-līlā-charitra-pavāḍē abhang. Closes one Krishna-līlā cluster and ends with colophon ḍānkā - abhang 8, opening the next cluster of 8 ḍānkā (clan-deity-invocation) abhangs (413-420). Five claims:

1. गाईन ते लीळा चरित्र पवाडे — राखिले संवगडे सहित गाई — I will sing the līlā-caritra-pavāḍē — protected the samvagaḍē with the gāī. The resolve-to-sing: I will sing thelīlā-caritra-pavāḍē(thepavāḍāform, the heroic-narrative) of Krishna; He protected thesamvagaḍē(companions, friends) along with thegāī(cows). Krishna-as-protector-of-friends-and-cattle.

2. चोरिलें नवनीत बांधविला गळा — जे तुम्हीं गोपाळा छंद केले — stole navanīta — tied at gaḷā — what chand you've done, Gopāla. The butter-stolen-and-tied image: Krishna stole the butter; He was tied at the throat (= Yaśodā tied Krishna with rope as punishment for butter-stealing — theDāmōdaraepisode); whatchand(tricks) you have done,Gopāla. (Dāmōdara-līlā = one tied at the udara/belly; here gaḷā/throat.)

3. मोहिल्या गोपिका पांवयाच्या छंदें — केली ते गोविंदें क्रीडा गाऊं — gopikā misled by pāvayā's chand — Govinda's krīḍā I will sing. The flute-līlā: the gopikās were misled by thepāvayā(flute)'schand; I will sing theGovinda'skrīḍā (play). Flute-mōha and Govinda-krīḍā as song-subjects.

4. मायबापा लाड दाखविलें कौतुक — तें या आणूं सुख अंतरासी — निर्दाळिले दुष्ट भक्तां प्रतिपाळी — ऐसा म्हणों बळी आमुचा स्वामी — to māya-bāpa shown lāḍa-kautuka — let antara taste this sukha — ground-down duṣṭa, supports bhaktas — let us call our svāmī baḷī. The complete-portrait: tomāya-bāpa(Yaśodā-Nanda) — shownlāḍa-kautuka(affection-wonder); let ourantarataste thissukha; He ground-down theduṣṭa(wicked) and supports thebhaktas; let us call oursvāmībaḷī(mighty). The four-fold-portrait of Krishna-bāla: protector-of-friends, butter-thief-tied, flute-līlā, duṣṭa-grinder.

5. तुका म्हणे सरसी असों येणें वोघें — लागोनि संबंधें सर्वकाळ — Tuka says: let us stay with this vōgha — joined by sambandha sarva-kāḷa. The closing-resolve: let us stay together with thisvōgha(current, flow); joined bysambandha(relation) forsarva-kāḷa(all-time). Eternal-sambandha resolve.

The colophon डांका - अभंग ८ — ḍānkā - abhang 8 — opens the next cluster: 8 abhangs of the ḍānkā (clan-deity-invocation, possession-trance) form (413-420), where Tukaram replaces the typical Tuḷjābhavānī-style kuḷa-svāminī with Viṭhāī.

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For someone today

Here Tukaram declares his intent: he will sing Krishna's whole story, not just the pretty parts. He wants to celebrate Krishna the protector who watched over friends and cattle, the naughty child who stole butter and got tied up for it, the flute player who enchanted the cowherd women, and the strong one who defends devotees and puts down the wicked. Watching Krishna's tender, playful bond with his parents brings Tukaram inward joy, and he closes by promising to stay joined to this relationship with God for the rest of his life, not as an occasional visitor but as someone flowing continuously in that current.

मराठी: इथे तुकाराम एक निश्चय व्यक्त करतात, ते कृष्णाची संपूर्ण कथा गातील, फक्त सुंदर भागच नाही. मित्रांचे आणि गुरांचे रक्षण करणारा कृष्ण, लोणी चोरून बांधला गेलेला खोडकर बालक, बासरीने गोपींना मोहित करणारा वादक आणि भक्तांचे रक्षण करून दुष्टांचा नाश करणारा बलशाली कृष्ण, या सगळ्या रूपांचे ते कौतुक करू इच्छितात. आई-वडिलांसोबतचे कृष्णाचे प्रेमळ, खेळकर नाते पाहून तुकारामांच्या मनात आतून आनंद उमटतो, आणि शेवटी ते वचन देतात की ते आयुष्यभर या नात्याशी जोडलेले राहतील, अधूनमधून येणारा पाहुणा म्हणून नव्हे तर त्या प्रवाहात सतत वाहणारा भक्त म्हणून.

Where this applies

• Sing the līlā-charitra-pavāḍa. Singing-resolve.
• Four-fold-portrait of Krishna-bāla. Attend all registers.
• Deva's lāḍa-kautuka is antara-sukha. Inner-witness.
• Stay with vōgha; eternal-sambandha. Don't break.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2481 — Pandharpur surpasses even the greatest pilgrimage cities because people there set aside pr
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4483 — Tukaram tells of the gopis whose all-consuming secret longing for Krishna, hidden beneath