संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 522 of 4582

Abhanga 522

English: In mṛtyu-loka we have āvaḍī — none except Hari-nāma.

When only Hari-nāma is likable, everything else disgusts — and you have to recognize this register
When gold and gems become clay and stones — and you accept this radical-belittlement
When even women appear repulsive — and you receive this brahmacarya-stance

The verse

मृत्युलोकीं आम्हां आवडती परी । नाहीं एका हरिनामें विण ॥१॥ विटलें हें चित्त प्रपंचापासूनि । वमन हें मनीं बैसलेंसे ॥ध्रु.॥ सोनें रूपें आम्हां मृत्तिके समान । माणिकें पाषाण खडे तैसे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तैशा दिसतील नारी । रिसाचियापरी आम्हांपुढें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: In mṛtyu-loka we have āvaḍī — none except Hari-nāma. Citta — viṭalē — from prapamca — vamana sat in mana. Sōnē-rūpē — for us — mṛttikā-samāna — māṇikēm-pāṣāṇa-khaḍē same. Tuka says: women too — appear — rīsa-cyā parī.

मराठी: मृत्युलोकीं आम्हां आवडती परी — नाहीं एका हरिनामें विण. विटलें हें चित्त प्रपंचापासूनि — वमन हें मनीं बैसलेंसे. सोनें रूपें आम्हां मृत्तिके समान — माणिकें पाषाण खडे तैसे. तुकाराम म्हणतां — तैशा दिसतील नारी — रिसाचियापरी आम्हांपुढें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
मृत्युलोकीं आम्हां आवडती परी "in mṛtyu-loka — we have āvaḍī"
नाहीं एका हरिनामें विण "none — except Hari-nāma"
विटलें हें चित्त प्रपंचापासूनि "citta — viṭalē — from prapamca"
वमन हें मनीं बैसलेंसे "vamana — sat in mana"
सोनें रूपें आम्हां मृत्तिके समान "sōnē-rūpē — for us — mṛttikā-samāna"
माणिकें पाषाण खडे तैसे "māṇikēm-pāṣāṇa-khaḍē — same"
तैशा दिसतील नारी रिसाचियापरी "women — appear — rīsa-cyā parī"

What it means

A only-Hari-nāma-likable-here-everything-else-disgusts abhang. Strong vairāgya-register. Four claims:

  1. मृत्युलोकीं आम्हां आवडती परी — नाहीं एका हरिनामें विण — in mṛtyu-loka we have āvaḍī — none except Hari-nāma. The exclusive-liking-claim: in mṛtyu-loka (death-world = this earthly-world) — we have āvaḍī (liking, fondness); but none except for the Hari-nāma (Hari's-name). Hari-nāma-only-likable.

  2. विटलें हें चित्त प्रपंचापासूनि — वमन हें मनीं बैसलेंसे — citta viṭalē from prapamca — vamana sat in mana. The disgust-claim: the citta (mind) has viṭalē (turned-away, sickened, become-disgusted) from prapamca (worldly-affairs); the vamana (vomit / what-was-vomited-out) has baisalēm (sat) in mana. Worldly-affairs-as-vomit-in-the-mind. (The vamana image: once you have vomited something out, the disgust-of-it sits in the mind; you don't go back to it.)

  3. सोनें रूपें आम्हां मृत्तिके समान — माणिकें पाषाण खडे तैसे — sōnē-rūpē mṛttikā-samāna — māṇikēm-pāṣāṇa-khaḍē same. The gold-equals-clay-claim: sōnē (gold) and rūpē (silver) — for us — mṛttikā-samāna (clay-equal, mud-equal); māṇikēm (rubies, gems), pāṣāṇa (rocks), khaḍē (pebbles) — same. Precious-and-worthless-equalized. Wealth-in-equal-with-mud*.

  4. तुका म्हणे तैशा दिसतील नारी — रिसाचियापरी आम्हांपुढें — Tuka says: women too — appear — rīsa-cyā parī. The closing-brahmacarya-claim: Tuka says: even women will disatīla (appear) before us taiśā (in-the-same-way); like a rīsa (a base-creature, a wretched-thing — possibly a bear, a beast, or anything-repulsive). Even-women-appear-repulsive. Strong-brahmacarya-stance. (The rīsa* image is deliberately ugly: women whose-attractiveness-pulls-the-mind appear like wretched-beasts to the disenchanted-bhakta.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the only-Hari-nāma-here-everything-else-disgusts register:

  1. Only Hari-nāma is likable in this mṛtyu-loka*. Mṛtyu-lōkīm — Hari-nāma vīṇa nāhīm. In the death-world, only the deva's-name is worth liking; everything else is mortal*.

  2. The citta has sickened of prapamca; vamana* sits in mind. Citta viṭalē — vamana manī. Worldly-affairs are like vomit — once you've expelled them, you don't go back. The disgust is the mark of true-vairāgya*.

  3. Gold equals clay; gems equal stones. Sōnē-rūpē mṛttikā — māṇikēm-pāṣāṇa. Wealth-radically-belittled. Don't-distinguish-wealth-from-mud.

  4. Even women appear like rīsa*. Nārī rīsa-cyā parī. Strong-brahmacarya-stance; even attraction is overcome. Don't-be-attracted-to-the-mortal*.

For today: only-Hari-nāma-likable-in-this-death-world; the citta-disgust-of-prapamca-is-vairāgya's-mark; wealth-equals-mud; attraction-overcome.

This abhang is Tukaram's radical-vairāgya register — the strongest-disenchantment with the world. Compare 0523 strī-samga-nakō; same brahmacarya-stance but here the disgust extends-to-everything. Tukaram's vairāgya is not-ascetic-by-rule; it is born of citta-viṭalēpaṇa (mind-sickness-of-the-world).

मराठी: ही ओवी only-Hari-nāma-here-everything-else-disgusts register नाव सांगते:

  1. या mṛtyu-loka मध्ये फक्त Hari-nāma* likable. मृत्यु-लोकी — हरिनाम विण नाही. Death-world मध्ये, फक्त देवाचं-नाम liking-worthy; बाकी सर्व mortal*.

  2. Citta prapamca पासून sickened; vamana मन-मध्ये बसलं. चित्त विटलें — वमन मनी. Worldly-affairs vomit सारखं — एकदा expel केलं की परत नाही. Disgust true-vairāgya चं mark*.

  3. Gold-clay-equal; gems-stones-equal. सोनें-रूपें मृत्तिकें — माणिकें-पाषाण. Wealth-radically-belittled. Wealth-mud-distinguish नका.

  4. Women सुद्धा rīsa* सारखी दिसतात. नारी रिसाचियापरी. Strong-brahmacarya-stance; Attraction सुद्धा overcome. Mortal-attracted नका*.

आज: फक्त-Hari-nāma-likable-इथे-death-world-मध्ये; Citta-prapamca-disgust-vairāgya-mark; Wealth-mud-equal; Attraction-overcome.

Tukaram च-radical-vairāgya-register — World च strongest-disenchantment. 0523 strī-samga-nakō compare; तीच brahmacarya-stance पण इथे disgust सर्वकाही पर्यंत extend. Tukaram च vairāgya ascetic-by-rule नाही; citta-viṭalēpaṇa (mind-sickness-of-the-world) मधून जन्म.

Where this applies

Name Bhakti

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