संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 510 of 4582

Abhanga 510

English: You go to nija-mandira — we go to our ghara.

When the bhakta tries to leave but cannot — and you have to recognize this register
When let the lōbha be — we are at Your feet — and you accept this clinging-stance
When the diśā is lost and the feet pull back — and you receive this inability-to-leave

The verse

तुम्हीं जावें निजमंदिरा । आम्ही जातों आपुल्या घरा ॥१॥ विठोबा लोभ असों देई । आम्ही असों तुमचें पाई ॥ध्रु.॥ चित्त करी सेवा । आम्ही जातों आपुल्या गावां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे दिशा भुलों । फिरोन पायापाशीं आलों ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: You go to nija-mandira — we go to our ghara. Viṭhōbā — let the lōbha be — we are at Your feet. Mind does sēvā — we go to our own gāva. Tuka says: I lost the diśā — turning back, I came to the feet.

मराठी: तुम्हीं जावें निजमंदिरा — आम्ही जातों आपुल्या घरा. विठोबा लोभ असों देई — आम्ही असों तुमचें पाई. चित्त करी सेवा — आम्ही जातों आपुल्या गावां. तुकाराम म्हणतां — दिशा भुलों — फिरोन पायापाशीं आलों.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
तुम्हीं जावें निजमंदिरा "You go — nija-mandira"
आम्ही जातों आपुल्या घरा "we go — to our ghara"
विठोबा लोभ असों देई "Viṭhōbā — let the lōbha be"
आम्ही असों तुमचें पाई "we are — at Your pāī"
चित्त करी सेवा "mind does sēvā"
आम्ही जातों आपुल्या गावां "we go to our own gāva"
दिशा भुलों "I lost the diśā"
फिरोन पायापाशीं आलों "turning back — came to the feet"

What it means

A try-to-leave-but-come-back-to-feet abhang. Continues the night-departure register but with a charming-twist: the bhakta tries to depart but his diśā is lost — he turns back to the feet. Four claims:

  1. तुम्हीं जावें निजमंदिरा — आम्ही जातों आपुल्या घराYou go to nija-mandira — we go to our ghara. The parting-call: You (the deva) go to nija-mandira (own-temple, the inner-shrine); we (the bhaktas) go to our ghara (home). Both-have-their-own-home; the parting is mutual-and-equal.

  2. विठोबा लोभ असों देई — आम्ही असों तुमचें पाईViṭhōbā — let the lōbha be — we are at Your feet. The clinging-claim: Viṭhōbā — let the lōbha (affection, fondness, attachment) be (= continue, persist); we are (we-stay) at Your feet. Bodily-departure-but-feet-stay. Lōbha-as-the-bond-that-doesn't-break.

  3. चित्त करी सेवा — आम्ही जातों आपुल्या गावांmind does sēvā — we go to our own gāva. The split-claim: the citta (mind) does the sēvā (continues serving); we go to our own gāva (village). Body-leaves-mind-stays-in-sēvā*.

  4. तुका म्हणे दिशा भुलों — फिरोन पायापाशीं आलोंTuka says: I lost the diśā — turning back, came to the feet. The closing-charm: Tuka says: I bhulum (lost, forgot) the diśā (direction); turning back (phirōna)I came to the feet. I-tried-to-leave-but-direction-lost-feet-pulled-me-back. The bhakta-cannot-actually-leave.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the try-to-leave-but-come-back-to-feet register:

  1. Each goes to his own home; the parting is equal. Tumhī jāvē nija-mandirā — āmhī jātōm ghara. The bhakta-and-deva both have their own homes; the parting is symmetric.

  2. Let the lōbha* be; we are at Your feet. Viṭhōbā — lōbha asōm dēī — āmhī asōm pāī. The bond-of-affection should persist; bodily-departure leaves the feet-attached. Don't-lose-the-lōbha*.

  3. Mind continues sēvā; we go to our gāva*. Citta karī sēvā — āmhī jātōm gāvā. Body-can-leave-but-the-mind-stays-in-sevā. Split-attention-stance*.

  4. Lost direction — turned back to the feet. Diśā bhulōm — phirōna pāyāpāśīm ālōm. The bhakta tries-to-leave-but-cannot; the diśā is lost; the feet pull-back. Charming-confession-of-inability-to-leave.

For today: the parting from the deva is symmetric (each to own home); the lōbha persists; the mind stays-in-sēvā; but the bhakta cannot-actually-leave — the diśā is lost, the feet pull back.

This abhang is Tukaram's charming-failure-to-depart registerthe bhakta tries to leave but the deva-feet pull back. Compare 0510-512 cluster: deva-asleep-but-bhakta-cannot-leave variants. The diśā-bhulōm-phirōna-pāyāpāśīm-ālōm image is one of Tukaram's most charming-confessions.

मराठी: ही ओवी try-to-leave-but-come-back-to-feet register नाव सांगते:

  1. प्रत्येक आपल्या घरी; parting equal. तुम्हीं जावें निजमंदिरा — आम्ही जातों घरा. Bhakta आणि देव दोघांचे घरं; parting symmetric.

  2. Lōbha राहू द्या; आम्ही पायी आहोत. विठोबा — लोभ असों देई — आम्ही असों पाई. Affection-bond persist पाहिजे; Bodily-departure feet-attached सोडतं. Lōbha-गमावू नका*.

  3. Mind sēvā करतं; आम्ही गावी जातो. चित्त करी सेवा — आम्ही जातों गावां. Body-leave करू शकतं पण mind sēvā मध्ये राहतं. Split-attention-stance.

  4. Diśā गमावलं — पायांकडे परत आलो. दिशा भुलों — फिरोन पायापाशीं आलों. Bhakta leave-करायचा-प्रयत्न पण नाही; diśā lost; feet pull-back. Charming-confession-of-inability-to-leave*.

आज: देवापासूनचं parting symmetric (प्रत्येक आपल्या घरी); lōbha persist; Mind sēvā मध्ये राहतं; पण bhakta actually leave करू शकत नाही — diśā lost, feet pull back.

Tukaram च-charming-failure-to-depart-registerBhakta try-to-leave पण देव-feet-pull-back. 0510-512 cluster: देव-asleep-पण-bhakta-leave-नाही-शकत variants compare. Diśā-bhulōm-phirōna-pāyāpāśīm-ālōm image Tukaram च्या most-charming-confessions पैकी एक.

Where this applies

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