Abhanga 441
English: Hold yourself, yārā — upper-lower — both mār-kī-coṭ.
The verse
संबाल यारा उपर तलें दोन्हो मारकी चोट । नजर करे सो ही राखे पश्वा जावे लुट ॥१॥ प्यार खुदाई रे बाबा जिकिर खुदाई ॥ध्रु.॥ उडे कुदे ढुंग नचावे आगल भुलन प्यार । लडबड खडबड कांहेकां खचलावत भार ॥२॥ कहे तुका चलो एका हम जिन्होंके सात । मिलावे तो उसे देना तो ही चढावे हात ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Hold yourself, yārā — upper-lower — both mār-kī-coṭ. Whoever nazara karē — that one saves — paśva goes looted. Pyāra Khudāī, bābā — jikira Khudāī. Jumps-leaps — ḍhung dances — beforehand-deceived pyāra. Lurching-staggering — why entangle bhāra? Tuka says: let's go alone, we — with those — meeting comes — give to him — that one raises the hāta.
मराठी: संबाल यारा उपर तलें दोन्हो मारकी चोट — नजर करे सो ही राखे पश्वा जावे लुट. प्यार खुदाई रे बाबा — जिकिर खुदाई. उडे कुदे ढुंग नचावे आगल भुलन प्यार — लडबड खडबड कांहेकां खचलावत भार. तुकाराम म्हणतां — चलो एका हम जिन्होंके सात — मिलावे तो उसे देना — तो ही चढावे हात.
Word-by-word gloss
| Hindavi/Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| संबाल यारा उपर तलें | "hold yourself, yārā — upper-and-lower" |
| दोन्हो मारकी चोट | "both mār-kī-coṭ (death-strikes)" |
| नजर करे सो ही राखे | "whoever nazara karē — that one rākhē (saves)" |
| पश्वा जावे लुट | "paśva — goes looted" |
| प्यार खुदाई रे बाबा जिकिर खुदाई | "pyāra Khudāī — jikira Khudāī" |
| उडे कुदे ढुंग नचावे | "jumps-leaps — ḍhung dance" |
| आगल भुलन प्यार | "beforehand-deceived pyāra" |
| लडबड खडबड कांहेकां खचलावत भार | "lurching-staggering — why entangle bhāra" |
| कहे तुका चलो एका | "Tuka says: let's go — ēkā (alone)" |
| हम जिन्होंके सात | "we — with those" |
| मिलावे तो उसे देना | "meeting comes — give to him" |
| तो ही चढावे हात | "that one — raises the hāta" |
What it means
A Hindavi-fakir form Allah-bhakti abhang. First of the Hindavi-fakīrāyana cluster (441-444, with closing ॥३॥ at end of 0443). This represents Tukaram in the Muslim-mendicant fakir-form, addressing Khudāī (the Lord, in Persian-Hindavi register) and using zikr (jikira) — the Sufi-practice of remembrance. Comparable to Kabīr's and Daduṛām's use of mixed Hindi-Persian devotional vocabulary. Five claims:
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संबाल यारा — उपर तलें दोन्हो मारकी चोट — नजर करे सो ही राखे — पश्वा जावे लुट — hold yourself, yārā — upper-lower — both mār-kī-coṭ — whoever watches saves — paśva goes looted. The opening-watch-rule: Hold yourself, friend; the strikes come from above and below; whoever keeps watch — saves himself; the unwatched-animal (paśva) gets looted. Vigilance-is-protection.
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प्यार खुदाई रे बाबा — जिकिर खुदाई — pyāra Khudāī, bābā — jikira Khudāī. The refrain-claim: love of Khudāī, brother — zikr of Khudāī. Sufi-zikr-practice claim explicitly. The bhakti-form is pyāra (love) and jikira (zikr, name-remembrance)*.
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उडे कुदे ढुंग नचावे — आगल भुलन प्यार — jumps-leaps — ḍhung dances — beforehand-deceived pyāra. The false-pyāra image: some jump and leap and make the ḍhung (rump / lower body) dance; (this is) the beforehand-deceived (āgala bhulana) pyāra (love). Performative-dance-without-true-zikr is false. (Critique of mere external-display.)
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लडबड खडबड — कांहेकां खचलावत भार — lurching-staggering — why entangle bhāra? The no-burden-rule: lurching and staggering — why entangle yourselves with the heavy-burden? Don't burden the practice.
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कहे तुका — चलो एका — हम जिन्होंके सात — मिलावे तो उसे देना — तो ही चढावे हात — Tuka says: let's go alone — we with whom — meeting comes — give to him — that one raises the hāta. The closing-companion-and-hand-raise-claim: let's go — ēkā (alone, or as One); we — with those (whom we belong to / with whom Khudāī meets); when the meeting happens, give-to-him; that one will raise the hāta (hand of blessing / hand-of-raising). True-fellowship-with-the-Beloved leads to the hand-of-raising.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the Hindavi-fakir-pyāra-zikr-Khudāī register:
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Hold yourself; strikes come from above-and-below. Sambāla yārā — mār-kī-coṭ. In the bhakti-path, vigilance is needed; strikes can come from any direction. The watcher is saved; the unwatched-animal is looted.
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Pyāra Khudāī, jikira Khudāī. Pyāra Khudāī jikira Khudāī. The Sufi-form-of-bhakti: love and zikr-remembrance of the Lord. In Tukaram's voice, this register is fully-honored; the bhakti-form is plural in language*.
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Don't perform dance without true zikr*. Uḍē kudē ḍhung nacāvē. External-dance-without-internal-zikr is bhulana-pyāra (deceived-love); don't substitute display for the inner-practice*.
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Don't burden the practice. Khacalāvata bhāra. Lurching-and-staggering — don't make the practice heavy; don't entangle yourself in elaborate-additions.
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Go alone with those-of-Khudāī; meeting brings the hand-of-raising. Calō ēkā ham jinhōkē sāta. True-fellowship is with those-belonging-to-Khudāī; meeting brings the hand-of-blessing. Quality-not-quantity in companions.
For today: vigilance-watches; pyāra and zikr Khudāī; don't perform dance without inner-zikr; don't burden the practice; go with those-of-Khudāī; the hand-of-raising comes.
This abhang is one of Tukaram's-most-striking trans-religious bhakti-abhangs — fully in Hindavi-fakir register, addressing Khudāī with zikr vocabulary. 17th-century Maharashtra's Sufi-Bhakti dialogue is here in the Gatha. Compare Kabīr's mixed-vocabulary register*.
मराठी: ही ओवी Hindavi-fakir-pyāra-zikr-Khudāī register नाव सांगते:
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Hold yourself; strikes above-and-below. संबाल यारा — मार-की-चोट. Bhakti-path मध्ये vigilance लागते; Strikes कोणत्याही direction ने येऊ शकतात. Watcher saved; unwatched-animal looted.
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Pyāra Khudāī, jikira Khudāī. प्यार खुदाई जिकिर खुदाई. Sufi-form-of-bhakti: Lord च्या love आणि zikr-remembrance. Tukaram च्या voice मध्ये हा register fully-honored; Bhakti-form language मध्ये plural*.
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खरा zikr* शिवाय dance perform नका. उडे कुदे ढुंग नचावे. External-dance-without-internal-zikr bhulana-pyāra (deceived-love); Display ने inner-practice substitute नका*.
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Practice ला burden नका. खचलावत भार. Lurching-and-staggering — practice heavy नका; Elaborate-additions मध्ये entangle नका.
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Khudāī च्या वाल्यांसोबत एकटे जा; meeting hand-of-raising आणतं. चलो एका हम जिन्होंके सात. True-fellowship Khudāī च्या वाल्यांसोबत; Meeting hand-of-blessing आणतं. Companions मध्ये quality-not-quantity.
आज: Vigilance-watches; pyāra आणि zikr Khudāī; Inner-zikr शिवाय dance perform नका; Practice burden नका; Khudāī च्यांसोबत जा; hand-of-raising येतो.
Tukaram च्या most-striking trans-religious bhakti-abhangs पैकी एक — पूर्णपणे Hindavi-fakir register मध्ये, Khudāī ला zikr vocabulary ने address. 17th-century Maharashtra च Sufi-Bhakti dialogue Gatha मध्ये. Kabīr च्या mixed-vocabulary register compare.
Where this applies
- Vigilance saves; unwatched-animal looted. Watch.
- Pyāra Khudāī, jikira Khudāī. Sufi-form.
- Don't dance without inner-zikr. Anti-display.
- Don't burden practice. Light-touch.
- Go with those-of-Khudāī; hand-of-raising comes. Quality-fellowship.