Abhanga 515

The temple door is shut for the night, and Tukaram tells the lingering worshippers there's no use making a fuss about it. He tells them plainly to go home now rather than dragging things on into the late hours. God has fallen asleep, he says, so there's nothing to be gained by standing around outside the door. Push too hard past that natural stopping point, he warns, and you'll only irritate God and find your service refused. Knowing when to stop and let something rest for the night is itself part of devotion, not a failure of it.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A short temple-door-shut-deva-asleep-go-home abhang. Closure-of-the-night-cluster. Unique tone: the bhakta-as-temple-keeper is firm with persistent-worshippers who won't leave. Four claims:

1. आडकलें देवद्वार — व्यर्थ काय करकर — deva-door āḍakalē — what use vyartha kara-kara? The opening-statement: thedeva-dvāra(deva-door, temple-door) hasāḍakalē(stuck-shut, closed); what use isvyartha kara-kara(futile clamor, useless-noise)? Door-shut-stop-the-clamor.

2. आतां चला जाऊं घरा — नका करूं उजगरा — now let's go home — don't make uja-garā. The home-call: now let's go home (ghara); don't makeuja-garā(delay-into-night, late-into-the-night). Don't-stay-too-late. The bhakta-attendant gently herds the worshippers home.

3. देवा लागलीसे निज — येथें उभ्या काय काज — deva — lāgalīsē nija — what kāja of standing here? The deva-asleep-claim: the deva haslāgalīsē nija(fallen-asleep); what is thekāja(work, point) ofubhyā(standing) here? No-point-in-standing-when-deva-is-asleep. Persistent-standing-is-pointless.

4. राग येतो देवा — तुका म्हणे नेघे सेवा — deva gets angry — Tuka says: won't take sēvā. The closing-warning: deva getsrāga(angry, irritated); Tuka says: won't takesēvā(= will refuse the service-offering). Persistence-causes-anger-and-refused-sēvā. Don't-be-the-bhakta-who-causes-anger-by-staying-too-long.

[T]

For someone today

The temple door is shut for the night, and Tukaram tells the lingering worshippers there's no use making a fuss about it. He tells them plainly to go home now rather than dragging things on into the late hours. God has fallen asleep, he says, so there's nothing to be gained by standing around outside the door. Push too hard past that natural stopping point, he warns, and you'll only irritate God and find your service refused. Knowing when to stop and let something rest for the night is itself part of devotion, not a failure of it.

मराठी: मंदिराचं दार रात्रीसाठी बंद झालं आहे, आणि तुकाराम रेंगाळणाऱ्या भक्तांना सांगतात की त्याबद्दल कुरकुर करण्यात काही अर्थ नाही. ते स्पष्टपणे सांगतात, आता घरी जा, रात्र उशिरापर्यंत लांबवू नका. देव झोपला आहे, असं ते म्हणतात, त्यामुळे दाराबाहेर उभं राहण्यात काहीच फायदा नाही. तो नैसर्गिक थांबण्याचा क्षण ओलांडून पुढे रेटलात, तर देव चिडेल आणि तुमची सेवा नाकारली जाईल, असा इशारा ते देतात. योग्य वेळी थांबणं आणि गोष्टींना रात्रीपुरती विश्रांती देणं हाच भक्तीचा एक भाग आहे, तिचा अभाव नव्हे.

Where this applies

• Door shut — clamor futile. Stop-the-clamor.
• Go home; don't late-night. Closure-discipline.
• Deva-asleep — pointless standing. Know-when.
• Persistence → anger, refused sēvā. Don't-intrude.

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