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 448 of 4582

Abhanga 448

English: Allah karē sō hōya — bābā — kartāra's crown — cow-calf, He drives — yārī-tiger, no seven.

When Allah-does-as-He-wills is the truth — and you have to recognize this register
When the deva himself becomes the rider — and you accept this image
When the one who understands becomes a darvesh — and you receive this transformation-claim

The verse

अल्ला करे सो होय बाबा करतारका सिरताज । गाउ बछरे तिस चलावे यारी बाघो न सात ॥१॥ ख्याल मेरा साहेबका । बाबा हुवा करतार । व्हांटें आघे चढे पीठ । आपे हुवा असुवार ॥२॥ जिकिर करो अल्लाकी बाबा सबल्यां अंदर भेस । कहे तुका जो नर बुझे सो हि भया दरवेस ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Allah karē sō hōya — bābā — kartāra's crown — cow-calf, He drives — yārī-tiger, no seven. My khyāl of sāhēba — bābā became kartāra — in-front-and-behind, mounts the back — He became asuvāra. Jikira of Allah — bābā — all-bodies-inside vēsa. Tuka says: who bujhē — that one became darvēsa.

मराठी: अल्ला करे सो होय — बाबा करतारका सिरताज — गाउ बछरे तिस चलावे — यारी बाघो न सात. ख्याल मेरा साहेबका — बाबा हुवा करतार — व्हांटें आघे चढे पीठ — आपे हुवा असुवार. तुकाराम म्हणतां — जिकिर करो अल्लाकी — बाबा सबल्यां अंदर भेस — जो नर बुझे सो हि भया दरवेस.

Word-by-word gloss
Hindavi/Marathi Meaning
अल्ला करे सो होय "Allah karē sō hōya"
बाबा करतारका सिरताज "bābā — kartāra's crown"
गाउ बछरे तिस चलावे "cow-calf — He drives them"
यारी बाघो न सात "yārī-tiger no seven"
ख्याल मेरा साहेबका "my khyāl of sāhēba"
बाबा हुवा करतार "bābā became kartāra"
व्हांटें आघे चढे पीठ "in-front-and-behind, mounts the back"
आपे हुवा असुवार "He became asuvāra"
जिकिर करो अल्लाकी "do jikira of Allah"
बाबा सबल्यां अंदर भेस "bābā — all-bodies-inside vēsa"
जो नर बुझे सो हि भया दरवेस "who bujhē — that one became darvēsa"

What it means

A Hindavi-fakir Allah-karē-sō-hōya abhang. Continuation of the Hindavi-Sufi cluster. Three claims:

  1. अल्ला करे सो होय — बाबा करतारका सिरताज — गाउ बछरे तिस चलावे — यारी बाघो न सातAllah karē sō hōya — bābā kartāra-kā siratāja — cow-calf He drives — yārī-tiger no seven. The opening-claim: Allah does what He wills; bābā is the crown of the kartāra (Creator); He drives even cow and calf (= cattle, peaceable creatures); but no friendship-with-tiger and the seven (predators). Allah-as-creator-and-driver.

  2. ख्याल मेरा साहेबका — बाबा हुवा करतार — व्हांटें आघे चढे पीठ — आपे हुवा असुवारmy khyāl of sāhēba — bābā became kartāra — in-front-and-behind mounts the back — He became asuvāra. The deva-as-rider claim: my khyāl (concern / mind) is of the sāhēba (Lord); bābā became kartāra; in-front-and-behind, He mounts the back (= takes complete control); He himself became the asuvāra (rider). Allah is both Lord and Rider; the bhakta is the mount*.

  3. जिकिर करो अल्लाकी — बाबा सबल्यां अंदर भेस — कहे तुका जो नर बुझे सो हि भया दरवेसdo jikira of Allah — bābā all-bodies-inside vēsa — Tuka says: who understands becomes darvēsa. The closing-claim: do the jikira (zikr) of Allah; bābā is in all bodies as the vēsa (form); Tuka says: the man who bujhē (understands) — that one became a darvēsa (dervish, Sufi-mystic). Understanding-makes-darvesh.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Allah-does-as-He-wills, become-darvesh-by-understanding register:

  1. Allah karē sō hōya* — accept what comes. Don't fight the divine-will; what He does — happens. Surrender-to-Allah*.

  2. Allah is both Lord and Rider; you are the mount. Āpē huvā asuvāra. The deva is not just transcendent-Lord but the rider-on-your-life; He takes the back-mount. The bhakta-mount carries the deva-rider.

  3. Do the jikira of Allah; Allah is in all bodies as the vēsa*. Jikira karō Allah-kī — sabalyām andara bhēsa. Do the zikr-remembrance; recognize that the deva has many vēsa (forms / disguises) inside all bodies*.

  4. Whoever understands becomes a darvēsa*. Jō nara bujhē — bhayā darvēsa. Understanding (not just hearing or chanting) is what makes one a darvesh (dervish, Sufi-mystic). Comprehension-as-transformation.

For today: accept Allah-karē-sō-hōya; let the deva be the rider on your back; do the jikira; recognize Allah-in-all-vēsa; understanding makes one a darvesh.

This abhang continues the Hindavi-fakir cluster's Sufi-tauhīd register, here with the understanding-becomes-darvesh claim. Tukaram identifies the Vārkarī-bhakta with the Sufi-darvesh; both are made by understanding-Allah-in-all-vēsa**.

मराठी: ही ओवी Allah-does-as-He-wills, become-darvesh-by-understanding register नाव सांगते:

  1. Allah karē sō hōya* — जे येतं ते accept करा. Divine-will विरुद्ध fight नका; तो जे करतो ते — होतं. Allah ला surrender*.

  2. Allah Lord आणि Rider दोन्ही; तुम्ही mount. आपे हुवा असुवार. Deva फक्त transcendent-Lord नाही पण rider-on-your-life; Back-mount घेतो. Bhakta-mount deva-rider carry करतो.

  3. Allah ची jikira करा; Allah सर्व bodies-inside vēsa*. जिकिर करो अल्लाकी — सबल्यां अंदर भेस. Zikr-remembrance करा; Deva ला many vēsa (forms / disguises) सर्व bodies inside ओळखा*.

  4. जो bujhēdarvēsa* बनतो. जो नर बुझे — भया दरवेस. Understanding (फक्त hearing किंवा chanting नाही) — darvesh बनवतं. Comprehension-as-transformation*.

आज: Allah-karē-sō-hōya accept करा; Deva ला rider-on-your-back होऊ द्या; Jikira करा; Allah-in-all-vēsa ओळखा; Understanding darvesh बनवतं.

Hindavi-fakir cluster च्या Sufi-tauhīd register मध्ये continue, understanding-becomes-darvesh claim सहित. Tukaram Vārkarī-bhakta आणि Sufi-darvesh ला identify करतो; दोन्ही understanding-Allah-in-all-vēsa ने बनतात.

Where this applies

Related verses