संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 443 of 4582

Abhanga 443

English: The āval name Allah is great — taking, don't get deluded — knowing — in the kāla-jamu above this — strike the tumba.

When Allah is one, Nabī is one — recognition — and you have to recognize this register
When no small-big distinction; meet at one place — and you accept this unity
When the mute is kept at the feet — and you receive this protection

The verse

आवल नाम आल्ला बडा लेते भुल न जाये । इलाम त्याकालजमुपरताही तुंब बजाये ॥१॥ आल्ला एक तुं नबी एक तुं ॥ध्रु.॥ काटतें सिर पावों हात नहीं जीव उराये । आगले देखे पिछले बुझे । आपें हजुर आयें ॥२॥ सब सबरी नचाव म्याने । खडा आपनी सात । हात पावों रखते जबाब । नहीं आगली बात ॥३॥ सुनो भाई बजार नहीं । सब हि निरचे लाव । नन्हा बडा नहीं कोये एक ठोर मिलाव ॥४॥ एक तार नहीं प्यार । जीवतनकी आस । कहे तुका सो हि मुंढा । राखलिये पायेनपास ॥५॥ ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: The āval name Allah is great — taking, don't get deluded — knowing — in the kāla-jamu above this — strike the tumba. Allah ek tu, Nabī ek tu. Cutting head-feet-hands — no jīva remains — sees ahead and behind — Himself became hāzar. All sabarī danced in the middle — staying with own — hand-foot, the answers ready — no agalī talk. Listen brother — no bāzāra — all niraścē-lāva — no small-big, no one — meet at one ṭhōra. No ēka-tāra love — jīvatana-kī hope — Tuka says: that mute — kept at pāyē-na-pāsa. (॥३॥)

मराठी: आवल नाम आल्ला बडा — लेते भुल न जाये — इलाम त्याकालजमुपरताही तुंब बजाये. आल्ला एक तुं नबी एक तुं. काटतें सिर पावों हात — नहीं जीव उराये — आगले देखे पिछले बुझे — आपें हजुर आयें. सब सबरी नचाव म्याने — खडा आपनी सात — हात पावों रखते जबाब — नहीं आगली बात. सुनो भाई बजार नहीं — सब हि निरचे लाव — नन्हा बडा नहीं कोये — एक ठोर मिलाव. तुकाराम म्हणतां — एक तार नहीं प्यार — जीवतनकी आस — सो हि मुंढा राखलिये पायेनपास. (॥३॥)

Word-by-word gloss
Hindavi/Marathi Meaning
आवल नाम आल्ला बडा "the āval (original) name Allah is great"
लेते भुल न जाये "taking, don't get deluded"
इलाम त्याकालजमुपरताही तुंब बजाये "knowing — kāla-jamu (death-judgment) above this — strike tumba"
आल्ला एक तुं नबी एक तुं "Allah ek tu, Nabī ek tu"
काटतें सिर पावों हात नहीं जीव उराये "cutting head-feet-hands — no jīva remains"
आगले देखे पिछले बुझे आपें हजुर आयें "ahead-behind seen — Himself became hāzar"
सब सबरी नचाव म्याने खडा आपनी सात "all sabarī danced in middle — staying with own"
हात पावों रखते जबाब नहीं आगली बात "hand-foot the answers ready — no agalī talk"
सुनो भाई बजार नहीं "listen brother, no bāzāra"
सब हि निरचे लाव "all niraścē-lāva"
नन्हा बडा नहीं कोये एक ठोर मिलाव "no small-big, no one — meet at one ṭhōra"
एक तार नहीं प्यार "no ēka-tāra love"
जीवतनकी आस "jīvatana-kī (life-body) hope"
कहे तुका सो हि मुंढा राखलिये पायेनपास "Tuka says: that mute — kept at pāyē-na-pāsa"

What it means

A Hindavi-fakir-Allah-Nabī-unity abhang. Third of the cluster. The closing ॥३॥ marker likely indicates 3 abhangs of this fakir-form (or a section-counter). Six claims:

  1. आवल नाम आल्ला बडा — लेते भुल न जाये — इलाम त्याकालजमुपरताही तुंब बजायेāval-name Allah is great — taking, don't get deluded — knowing in kāla-jamu above this — strike tumba. The opening-claim: the original-name Allah is great; taking it, don't get deluded; knowing-this-truth above the kāla-jamu (death-day-judgment / yawm al-din)strike the tumba (drum / gourd / signal). The Allah-name above the death-judgment.

  2. आल्ला एक तुं नबी एक तुंAllah ek tu, Nabī ek tu. The unity-refrain: Allah is one — You; Nabī (Prophet) is one — You. The Sufi-tauhīd-claim: Allah and Nabī are not-two; (You are) the One. Tukaram in the explicit Sufi-tauhīd register. (Compare Kabīr's same move — Rāma-Rahīma are not two.)

  3. काटतें सिर पावों हात — नहीं जीव उराये — आगले देखे पिछले बुझे — आपें हजुर आयेंcutting head-feet-hands — no jīva remains — sees ahead and behind — Himself became hāzar. The all-cut-Allah-hāzar claim: though head, feet, hands are cut — no jīva-remainder (no separate-life-stream); (He) sees ahead and behind; Himself has become hāzar (present). Allah is Hāzir-and-Nāzir — present-and-witnessing. Even after dismemberment, no other remains.

  4. सब सबरी नचाव म्याने — खडा आपनी सातall sabarī danced in middle — staying with own. The patience-women image: all the sabarī (patience-women) danced in the middle; staying with one's own. In the company of patience-virtues, the dance happens*.

  5. सुनो भाई बजार नहीं — सब हि निरचे लाव — नन्हा बडा नहीं कोये — एक ठोर मिलावlisten brother, no bāzāra — all niraścē-lāva — no small-big, no one — meet at one ṭhōra. The anti-bāzāra-meet-at-one-place claim: listen brother, this is no bāzāra (market); all is niraścē-lāva (without-distinction-attached); no nahnā-baḍā (small-big), no one (separated); meet at one ṭhōra (place). Anti-distinction; meet-at-the-One.

  6. एक तार नहीं प्यार — जीवतनकी आस — कहे तुका सो हि मुंढा राखलिये पायेनपासno ēka-tāra love — jīvatana-kī hope — Tuka says: that mute kept at the feet. The closing-image: no single-thread love (= no exclusive-personal); only jīvatana-kī āsa (life-body-hope); Tuka says: that mute onekept at the pāyē-na-pāsa (the feet-place / near-the-feet). The mute-fakir kept-at-the-feet*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Allah-Nabī-unity-and-mute-kept-at-feet register:

  1. Allah-name is great; don't be deluded. Āval nāma Allah baḍā — bhūla na jāya. The Lord's-name is the highest; don't be deluded into other-claims.

  2. Allah and Nabī are one — both are You. Allah ek tu, Nabī ek tu. Sufi-tauhīd: the deva and the prophet are the One. Don't separate; the unity is the truth.

  3. Even after dismemberment, no separate-jīva remains; Allah is Hāzir. Kāṭatē sira-pāva-hāta — nahīm jīva uraya — āpēm hāzur āyē. In the deepest realization, even dismemberment doesn't reveal a separate self; only Hāzir-Allah remains.

  4. This is not a bāzāra; meet at one ṭhōra*. Bāzāra nahīm — ēka ṭhōra milāva. Bhakti is not a marketplace; it is the meeting-at-one-place. No small-big distinction. Don't bring market-mode*.

  5. Mute, kept at the feet. Sō hī mumḍhā — pāyē-na-pāsa. The mute-one (the silenced fakir) is kept-near-the-feet. Silence-and-feet-presence is the deepest place.

For today: the Allah-name is great; don't be deluded; Allah and Nabī are the One; even dismemberment reveals no separate self; this is not a market — meet at one place; mute, stay at the feet.

This abhang is Tukaram's strongest-Sufi-tauhīd-register abhangAllah-ek-tu-Nabī-ek-tu. The 17th-century Maharashtra Sufi-bhakti dialogue is at its deepest here.

मराठी: ही ओवी Allah-Nabī-unity-and-mute-kept-at-feet register नाव सांगते:

  1. Allah-name great; deluded होऊ नका. आवल नाम आल्ला बडा — भूल न जाये. Lord-name highest; Other-claims मध्ये deluded होऊ नका.

  2. Allah आणि Nabī एक — दोन्ही तुम्हीच. Allah ek tu, Nabī ek tu. Sufi-tauhīd: Deva आणि Prophet One. Separate नका; Unity truth.

  3. Dismemberment नंतर पण separate-jīva नाही; Allah Hāzir. कापलं डोकं-पाय-हात — जीव उरत नाही — आपें हाजुर आयें. Deepest realization मध्ये dismemberment सुद्धा separate self reveal करत नाही; फक्त Hāzir-Allah remains.

  4. हा bāzāra नाही; एक ṭhōra* मध्ये भेटा. बजार नहीं — एक ठोर मिलाव. Bhakti marketplace नाही; one-place-meeting. Small-big distinction नाही. Market-mode आणू नका*.

  5. Mute, पायाजवळ kept. सो हि मुंढा — पायेनपास. Mute-one (silenced fakir) feet-near kept. Silence-and-feet-presence deepest place.

आज: Allah-name great; deluded होऊ नका; Allah-Nabī One; Dismemberment पण separate self दाखवत नाही; हा market नाही — one place मध्ये भेटा; Mute, feet-वर राहा.

Tukaram च strongest-Sufi-tauhīd-register abhangAllah-ek-tu-Nabī-ek-tu. 17th-century Maharashtra च Sufi-bhakti dialogue deepest here.

Where this applies

Related verses