Abhanga 555
Guard a spiritual practice from anger and distraction, watch the company you keep, and know that acting without attachment is what actually reaches the highest reality.
The verse
जप करितां राग । आला जवळी तो मांग ॥१॥ नको भोंवतालें जगीं । पाहों जवळी राख अंगीं ॥ध्रु.॥ कुड्याची संगती । सदा भोजन पंगती ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ब्रम्ह । साधी विरहित कर्म ॥३॥
Literal translation
Japa — anger near — māmga. Don't around-to-jaga — look-near — rākha on body. Kuḍyā samgati — always — bhōjana-pamgati. Tuka says: brahma — sādhī — virahita-karma.
मराठी: जप करितां राग — आला जवळी तो मांग. नको भोंवतालें जगीं — पाहों जवळी राख अंगीं. कुड्याची संगती — सदा भोजन पंगती. तुकाराम म्हणतां — ब्रम्ह साधी विरहित कर्म.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जप करितां राग | "japa — anger" |
| आला जवळी तो मांग | "near — māmga" |
| नको भोंवतालें जगीं | "don't around-to-jaga" |
| पाहों जवळी राख अंगीं | "look-near — rākha on body" |
| कुड्याची संगती | "kuḍyā — samgati" |
| सदा भोजन पंगती | "always — bhōjana-pamgati" |
| ब्रम्ह साधी विरहित कर्म | "brahma — sādhī — virahita-karma" |
What it means
A short japa-with-anger-virahita-karma abhang. Discipline-of-citta register. Three claims:
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जप करितां राग — आला जवळी तो मांग — japa — anger came near — māmga. The opening-claim: while doingjapa(mantra-repetition) — if anger came near; (it is as if a)māmga(a vile-one, an untouchable in the village-hierarchy) came near.Anger-during-japa-defiles-as-if-untouchable-came-close. (Tukaram is using a caste-caste image to describe the defiling-effect of anger; the point is the defilement-of-the-japa-practice, not endorsement-of-untouchability.)
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नको भोंवतालें जगीं — पाहों जवळी राख अंगीं — कुड्याची संगती — सदा भोजन पंगती — don't around-to-jaga — look-near — rākha on body — kuḍyā samgati — always bhōjana-pamgati. The body-discipline-claim: don't look around-to-the-jaga(the world, things-around); look near — keeprākha(ash) on the body (the ascetic's-mark, ashes-on-body);the kuḍyā (false, corrupt) samgati (company);always (will) bhōjana-pamgati (eats-at-the-same-row, becomes equal-companion at table).Don't-let-corrupt-company-share-your-table.Watch-out-for-bad-company-they-become-equals-at-meal.
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तुका म्हणे ब्रम्ह — साधी विरहित कर्म — Tuka says: brahma — sādhī — virahita-karma. The closing-rule-claim: Tuka says:brahma; issādhī(achieved) — byvirahita-karma (action-without-attachment).Brahma-attained-only-by-action-without-attachment.Final-rule-of-discipline.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram notices how easily a spiritual practice can be spoiled by what is happening inside you at the same time. If anger rises while you are repeating God's name, he says it defiles the practice as surely as an unwanted intrusion would, so guard your inward focus rather than letting your mind wander to the world around you. He also warns about the company you keep, spending time with corrupt or dishonest people has a way of pulling you down to sit at their table as an equal, without you quite noticing it happening. His closing rule is simple, the highest reality is reached through action done without attachment, not through empty ritual.
मराठी: एखादी आध्यात्मिक साधना त्याचवेळी मनात चालणाऱ्या गोष्टींमुळे किती सहज बिघडू शकते हे तुकाराम दाखवतात. जपादरम्यान जर राग आला, तर तो जपाला तेवढाच अशुद्ध करतो जेवढी एखादी नको असलेली गोष्ट जवळ आली तर करेल, म्हणून मन बाहेरच्या जगाकडे भरकटू न देता आतल्या एकाग्रतेचे रक्षण करा. ते सोबतीबद्दलही इशारा देतात, भ्रष्ट किंवा अप्रामाणिक लोकांबरोबर वेळ घालवला की नकळत त्यांच्याच पंगतीत समान बनून बसण्याची वेळ येते. त्यांचा शेवटचा नियम साधा आहे, सर्वोच्च सत्य आसक्तीविरहित कृतीने मिळते, रिकाम्या विधीने नाही.
Where this applies
- Anger near japa defiles. Protect-japa.
- Look-near, not around. Inward.
- Kuḍyā samgati — table-equal. Watch.
- Virahita-karmaattainsbrahma. Final-rule.