Abhanga 502

This is Tukaram's famous bedtime song, sung at the close of kirtana to put God to rest for the night. He speaks to God the way a family member would speak to someone who has stayed up too long: get up, you are tired, go to sleep now, Rukmini is standing there waiting with the bed already made. Then he apologizes for all his chatter, the noisy human talk that has kept the Lord awake, and finally bows and touches His feet before leaving. It shows that devotion does not have to be grand or formal; it can be as simple and tender as caring for someone you love at the end of a long day.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A put-deva-to-bed-with-Rukmiṇī-waiting abhang. Famous śayana-aratī style — the kīrtana-closing where the bhakta sends the deva to rest. Four claims:

1. उठा भागलेती उजगरा — जाला स्वामी निद्रा करा — get up — You're tired — uja-garā — Svāmī take nidrā. The opening-call: get up, You arebhāgalēti(tired-out, fatigued),uja-garā(= late, well-into-the-night); Svāmī, takenidrā(sleep) now. Bhakta-tells-tired-deva-to-go-sleep. The intimacy: the deva is treated as a tired-master who has sat up too long during the kīrtana.

2. वाट पाहाते रुक्मिणी — उभी मंचक संवारुणी — Rukmiṇī is waiting — standing — dressed the mamcaka. The consort-waiting-claim: Rukmiṇī (the consort) is waiting; standing, havingsamvāruṇī(arranged, dressed, prepared) themamcaka(cot, bed). The wife-has-prepared-the-bed-and-stands-waiting. The deva-as-householder.

3. केली करा क्षमा — बडबड पुरुषोत्तमा — forgive what was done — the baḍa-baḍa — Puruṣōttama. The apology-for-chatter: forgive (kṣamā kara) what was done; thebaḍa-baḍa(chatter, blathering, our-mortal-talk); Puruṣōttama. The kīrtana-bhakta apologizes for his mortal-chatter that has kept the deva awake. Self-effacing-courtesy.

4. लागतो चरणा — तुकयाबंधु नारायणा — touches the feet — Tukyā-bamdhu — Nārāyaṇa. The closing-pose: Tukyā-bamdhu touches (lāgatō) thecaraṇa(feet) ofNārāyaṇa. The bhakta touches-the-feet at parting. Foot-touching-at-night-departure.

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For someone today

This is Tukaram's famous bedtime song, sung at the close of kirtana to put God to rest for the night. He speaks to God the way a family member would speak to someone who has stayed up too long: get up, you are tired, go to sleep now, Rukmini is standing there waiting with the bed already made. Then he apologizes for all his chatter, the noisy human talk that has kept the Lord awake, and finally bows and touches His feet before leaving. It shows that devotion does not have to be grand or formal; it can be as simple and tender as caring for someone you love at the end of a long day.

मराठी: ही तुकारामांची प्रसिद्ध शयन आरती आहे, जी कीर्तनाच्या शेवटी देवाला रात्री विसावा देण्यासाठी म्हटली जाते. ते देवाशी अगदी घरातल्या माणसासारखे बोलतात, जो खूप उशिरापर्यंत जागा राहिला आहे: ऊठा, तुम्ही थकलात, आता निजा, रुक्मिणी अंथरुण तयार करून उभी वाट पाहत आहे. मग ते आपल्या बडबडीबद्दल, म्हणजे देवाला जागे ठेवणाऱ्या मानवी बडबडीबद्दल क्षमा मागतात आणि शेवटी निघण्याआधी देवाच्या चरणांना स्पर्श करतात. यातून कळते की भक्ती मोठी किंवा औपचारिक असायलाच हवी असे नाही; ती दिवसाच्या शेवटी आपल्या प्रिय व्यक्तीची काळजी घेण्याइतकी साधी आणि हळुवार असू शकते.

Where this applies

• Tired-deva — take nidrā. Bhakta-intimacy.
• Rukmiṇī waits. Domestic-divine.
• Apologize baḍa-baḍa. Self-effacing.
• Touch feet at parting. Foot-touching.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• 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 4497 — Tukaram describes a life so soaked in devotion that Krishna's presence fills every ordinar