संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 839 of 4582

Abhanga 839

The Name is right at your mouth and the treasure is already in your hands, the only real question is why you don't use them.

When the name is right near the mouth — yet not taken day-and-night — and you have to recognize this register
When the sukha-neighborhood awaits; why don't you handle the treasure well? — and you receive this final challenge

The verse

जवळी मुखापाशीं । असतां नेघे अहर्निशीं ॥१॥ भवनिर्दाळण नाम । विठ्ठल विठ्ठल नासी काम ॥ध्रु.॥ सुखाचें शेजार । करूं कां नावडें घर ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ठेवा । कां हा न करी चि बरवा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Javaḷīmukha-pāśīm. While-being — don't-take — ahar-niśīm. Bhava-nirdāḷaṇanāma. Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal — destroys — kāma. Sukhaśejāra — let-us-make — why — nāvaḍēghara. Tuka says: ṭhēvā — why — na-karībaravā.

मराठी: जवळी मुखापाशीं असतांना — अहर्निशीं घेत नाहीं. भव-निर्दाळण नाम — Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal कामाला नासी (नष्ट करतो). सुखाचें शेजार — घर करूं — कां नावडें?. Tuka म्हणे: ठेवा — कां हा बरवा करीत नाहीं?.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
जवळी मुखापाशीं "javaḷīmukha-pāśīm"
असतां नेघे अहर्निशीं "while-being — don't-take — ahar-niśīm"
भवनिर्दाळण नाम "bhava-nirdāḷaṇanāma"
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल नासी काम "Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal — destroys — kāma"
सुखाचें शेजार "sukhaśejāra"
करूं कां नावडें घर "let-us-make — why — nāvaḍēghara"
ठेवा "ṭhēvā"
कां हा न करी चि बरवा "why — this — don't-handle — baravā"

What it means

A name-right-near-mouth-yet-not-taken-bhava-destroyer-Viṭṭhal-destroys-kāma-sukha-neighborhood-let's-make-home-why-not-appeal-deposit-why-not-handle-well abhang. Name-right-near-yet-not-taken register. Three claims:

  1. जवळी-मुखापाशीं — असतां-नेघे-अहर्निशीं — भव-निर्दाळण-नाम — Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal-काम-नासी. Name-right-near-mouth-yet-not-taken-claim. (The Name) isjavaḷī (close, right-here) — near-the-mukha; while-being-(so), (you) don't take-itahar-niśīm (day-and-night);the bhava-nirdāḷaṇa (bhava-shatterer / samsāra-destroyer) nāma; Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal destroys (the) kāma. Name-right-at-the-mouth-and-samsāra-destroyer-yet-not-taken. (The reproach: the Name is right-there — what stops you from-taking-it day-and-night?)

  2. सुखाचें-शेजार — घर-करूं — कां-नावडें. Sukha-neighborhood-let's-make-home-claim. Asukha-śejāra (a neighborhood-of-bliss — the Pandharī-pangati, the satsang-of-the-bhaktas);let-us-make-(our)-ghara (home) (there);why does it not nāvaḍē (appeal, please)?Sukha-neighborhood-available; why-doesn't-it-appeal?. (Sukhācē-śejāra — the bhakti-community — isavailable; it's a question oftaste/appeal; why-not-find-it-appealing?)

  3. Tuka: ठेवा — कां-हा-बरवा-न-करी. Deposit-why-not-handle-well-claim. Tuka says: theṭhēvā (deposit, treasure — the deposit of the Name, the treasure of bhakti);why do (you) not baravā karī (handle (it) well, manage (it) well)?Treasure-given; why-not-managed-well?. (Mature-shopkeeper-Tuka closes with theṭhēvā image: the deposit is in-your-hand; why-not-manage-it-well?)

[T]

For someone today

The Name you need is not far away, it is as close as your own mouth, yet you go day and night without saying it. That single Name, Tukaram says, is strong enough to destroy the grip of worldly craving. The company of good people, a neighborhood of real happiness, is right there for you to join, so why does it not appeal to you? The treasure of devotion has already been placed in your hands, and the only question left is why you don't take care of it.

मराठी: तुला हवं असलेलं नाव लांब कुठे नाही, ते तुझ्या मुखाजवळच आहे, तरीही तू ते रात्रंदिवस घेत नाहीस. तुकाराम म्हणतात की हे एकच नाव सांसारिक वासनेची पकड मोडून टाकण्याइतकं सामर्थ्यवान आहे. खऱ्या सुखाचा शेजार, चांगल्या माणसांची सोबत, तुझ्यासाठी सहज उपलब्ध आहे, मग ते का आवडत नाही? आणि भक्तीचा ठेवा आधीच तुझ्या हातात दिलेला आहे, उरलेला प्रश्न इतकाच आहे की तू तो नीट का सांभाळत नाहीस.

Where this applies

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