संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 541 of 4582

Abhanga 541

When time eats all form and the seed-sprout is hidden in the infinite — and you have to recognize this register
When the cycle of creation-destruction is recognized — and you accept this transience
When the riddle of word-pervading-space is not knowable in ordinary terms — and you receive this mystery

The verse

काळें खादला हा अवघा आकार । उत्पित्तसंहारघडमोडी ॥१॥ वीज तो अंकुर आच्छादिला पोटीं । अनंता सेवटीं एकाचिया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे शब्दें व्यापिलें आकाश । गुढार हें तैसें कळों नये ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Kāḷa — eaten — whole ākāra — utpatti-samhāra-ghaḍa-mōḍī. Bīja-ankura — hidden — pōṭa — ananta — sēvaṭīm — of one. Tuka says: śabda — pervaded ākāśa — guḍhāra — not kaḷōm like-that.

मराठी: काळें खादला हा अवघा आकार — उत्पित्तसंहारघडमोडी. वीज तो अंकुर आच्छादिला पोटीं — अनंता सेवटीं एकाचिया. तुकाराम म्हणतां — शब्दें व्यापिलें आकाश — गुढार हें तैसें कळों नये.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
काळें खादला हा अवघा आकार "kāḷa — eaten — whole ākāra"
उत्पित्तसंहारघडमोडी "utpatti-samhāra-ghaḍa-mōḍī"
वीज तो अंकुर आच्छादिला पोटीं "bīja-ankura — hidden — pōṭa"
अनंता सेवटीं एकाचिया "ananta — sēvaṭīm — of one"
शब्दें व्यापिलें आकाश "śabda — pervaded ākāśa"
गुढार हें तैसें कळों नये "guḍhāra — not kaḷōm like-that"

What it means

A kāḷa-eats-all-form-ananta-riddle abhang. Cosmological-meditation register. Three claims:

  1. काळें खादला हा अवघा आकार — उत्पित्तसंहारघडमोडी — kāḷa eaten whole ākāra — utpatti-samhāra-ghaḍa-mōḍī. The opening-cosmological-claim: kāḷa (time) has eaten (khādalā) this whole ākāra (form, manifested-shape); utpatti-samhāra-ghaḍa-mōḍī (creation-destruction-making-breaking) — the cycle. Time-eats-all-form-as-cycle*.

  2. वीज तो अंकुर आच्छादिला पोटीं — अनंता सेवटीं एकाचिया — bīja-ankura hidden in pōṭa — ananta — sēvaṭīm — of one. The seed-sprout-hidden-claim: the bīja (seed) and ankura (sprout) are ācchādilā (covered, hidden) in the pōṭa (belly, inside); at the sēvaṭīm (end) of the ananta (infinite, endless); of one (ēkācīyā). Seed-and-sprout-hidden-inside; the-end-of-the-infinite-is-of-one. Cosmic-cyclical-image: even after time-eats-the-form, the seed-and-sprout remain hidden inside; from-the-one-the-many-arise-and-return*.

  3. तुका म्हणे शब्दें व्यापिलें आकाश — गुढार हें तैसें कळों नये — Tuka says: śabda pervaded ākāśa — guḍhāra not kaḷōm like-that. The closing-riddle-claim: Tuka says: the ākāśa (sky, space) is vyāpilē (pervaded) by śabda (sound, word); this guḍhāra (riddle, mystery, secret) — is not kaḷōm (knowable) like-that. Word-pervades-space-but-the-riddle-isn't-knowable-by-ordinary-means. Mystery-cannot-be-grasped-by-ordinary-knowing. (The śabda-vyāpilē-ākāśa image: sound-pervades-space because space is the guṇa-of-śabda in Sānkhya / Vaiśeṣika; here the cosmological-claim becomes a metaphor for the riddle that-pervades-everything-but-isn't-graspable.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the kāḷa-eats-form-ananta-riddle register:

  1. Time eats all form; creation-destruction is the cycle. Kāḷa khādalā ākāra — utpatti-samhāra-ghaḍa-mōḍī. Recognize the impermanence-cycle: nothing-form survives time. Don't-attach-to-form.

  2. The bīja-ankura is hidden in the pōṭa; the end of the ananta* is one. Bīja-ankura ācchādilā pōṭa — ananta sēvaṭīm ēka. Even when form is eaten, the seed-and-sprout remain hidden inside; the infinite ends in the one. Cosmic-cycle-from-one-to-one*.

  3. Word pervades space; this riddle is not knowable like-that. Śabda vyāpilē ākāśa — guḍhāra na kaḷōm. The pervading-relation (word-in-space, deva-in-world) is a riddle; ordinary-knowing-doesn't-reach-it. Don't-try-to-grasp-by-ordinary-means.

For today: recognize impermanence: time-eats-all-form; but the seed-and-sprout remain in the inside; the infinite ends-in-the-one; the pervading-mystery is a riddle not-knowable-by-ordinary-means.

This abhang is Tukaram's cosmological-meditation register — unusual: most Tukaram-abhangs are bhakti-petitional, this one is cosmological-meditative. Compare 0521 jana-dhana-tana tṛṇa-samāna; same impermanence but here cosmic-time-eats-form. The guḍhāra-na-kaḷōm claim is metaphysical-humility: ordinary-knowing-can't-grasp-the-riddle.

मराठी: ही ओवी kāḷa-eats-form-ananta-riddle register नाव सांगते:

  1. Time सर्व form खातं; creation-destruction cycle. काळ खादला आकार — उत्पत्ति-संहार-घड-मोडी. Impermanence-cycle ओळखा: कोणतीच-form-time-survive करत नाही. Form-attach नका.

  2. Bīja-ankura pōṭa मध्ये hidden; ananta चं end एक. बीज-अंकुर आच्छादिला पोटीं — अनंत सेवटीं एक. Form खाल्ली तरी, seed-and-sprout आत hidden राहतात; infinite एका मध्ये ends. Cosmic-cycle-from-one-to-one*.

  3. Word ākāśa व्यापतो; हे guḍhāra* like-that knowable नाही. शब्द व्यापिलें आकाश — गुढार न कळों. Pervading-relation (word-in-space, देव-in-world) riddle; ordinary-knowing-reach-नाही. Ordinary-means-grasp नका*.

आज: Impermanence ओळखा: time-सर्व-form-खातं; पण bīja-and-ankura आत राहतात; infinite एका मध्ये ends; Pervading-mystery riddle ordinary-means-knowable नाही.

Tukaram च-cosmological-meditation-register — Unusual: most Tukaram-abhangs bhakti-petitional, हा cosmological-meditative. 0521 jana-dhana-tana tṛṇa-samāna compare; तीच impermanence पण इथे cosmic-time-eats-form. Guḍhāra-na-kaḷōm claim metaphysical-humility: ordinary-knowing-riddle-grasp-can't.

Where this applies

Mortality / Vairāgya Bhakti

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