संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 917 of 4582

Abhanga 917

English: Ādhāra — vicāra — dhīra — jīva.

When on whose foundation shall I do vicāra; who gives dhīra to jīva — and you have to recognize this register

When not paṇḍita, no pure yāti — and you accept this image

When kalī-people too clever; they'll mock when I sing Your guṇa — and you allow this image

The verse

कोणाच्या आधारें करूं मी विचार । कोण देइल धीर माझ्या जीवा ॥१॥ शास्त्रज्ञ पंडित नव्हें मी वाचक । यातिशुद्ध एक ठाव नाहीं ॥२॥ कलियुगीं बहु कुशळ हे जन । छळितील गुण तुझे गातां ॥३॥ मज हा संदेह झाला दोहीं सवा । भजन करूं देवा किंवा नको ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे आतां दुरावितां जन । किंवा हें मरण भलें दोन्ही ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Ādhāra — vicāra — dhīra — jīva. Śāstra-jña-paṇḍita-vācaka — none. Yāti-śuddha — none. Kalī-yugīm — kuśaḷa-jana — chaḷitīla — guṇa. Sandēha — dōhī savā. Bhajana — or-not. Tuka says: durāvitām jana — maraṇa — both — bhalē.

मराठी: कोणाच्या आधारें मी विचार करूं — माझ्या जीवाला धीर कोण देईल?. शास्त्र-ज्ञ, पंडित, वाचक मी नव्हें — यातिशुद्ध, एक ठाव नाहीं. कलियुगीं हे जन बहु कुशळ — तुझे गुण गातां छळितील. मज हा संदेह दोहीं-सवा झाला — भजन करूं, देवा, किंवा नको?. Tuka म्हणे: आतां जन दुरावितां — किंवा हें मरण — दोन्ही भलें.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
कोणाच्या आधारें करूं मी विचार	"ādhāra — vicāra"
कोण देइल धीर माझ्या जीवा	"dhīra — jīva"
शास्त्रज्ञ पंडित नव्हें मी वाचक	"śāstra-jña-paṇḍita-vācaka — none"
यातिशुद्ध एक ठाव नाहीं	"yāti-śuddha — none"
कलियुगीं बहु कुशळ हे जन	"kalī-yugīm — kuśaḷa"
छळितील गुण तुझे गातां	"chaḷitīla — guṇa"
मज हा संदेह झाला दोहीं सवा	"sandēha — dōhī savā"
भजन करूं देवा किंवा नको	"bhajana — or-not"
आतां दुरावितां जन	"durāvitām jana"
किंवा हें मरण भलें दोन्ही	"maraṇa — both — bhalē"

What it means

A whose-foundation-no-paṇḍita-no-pure-yāti-kalī-people-too-clever-will-mock-when-I-sing-Your-guṇa-this-sandēha-bhajana-or-not-distance-jana-or-die-both-good abhang. Should-I-sing-or-die register. Five claims:

आधार-कोणाचा — धीर-जीवाला. Whose-foundation-claim. On whose ādhāra shall I do vicāra?; who gives dhīra to my jīva?
शास्त्र-पंडित-वाचक-नव्हें — याति-शुद्ध-नाहीं. No-credentials-claim. I am not śāstra-jña, paṇḍita, vācaka; I have no yāti-śuddha. No-formal-credentials.
कलियुगीं-कुशळ-जन — गुण-गातां-छळितील. Kalī-people-will-mock-claim. In kalī-yuga, jana are bahu kuśaḷa; they'll chaḷitīla when I sing Your *guṇa. Public-too-clever-they'll-mock.
संदेह-दोहीं-सवा — भजन-करूं-कां-नको. Should-I-do-bhajana-or-not-claim. This sandēha is mine in dōhī savā ways; should I do bhajana or not? Anxious-dilemma.
Tuka: जन-दुरावितां — मरण — दोन्ही-भलें. Distance-or-die-both-good-claim. Tuka says: now — distance the jana; or this *maraṇa; both are bhalē. Distance-or-death-equally-acceptable. (Heart-rending closing: in the face of public-mockery, Tuka considers either withdrawal or death* as good options.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the should-I-sing-or-die register:

Whose foundation? who gives dhīra? No-foundation.
Not paṇḍita, no pure yāti. No-credentials.
Kalī-people too clever; will mock when I sing. Public-mockery.
Should I do bhajana or not? Dilemma.
Distance jana — or death — both good. Distance-or-die.

For today: whose ādhāra?; who gives dhīra?; not paṇḍita, no *yāti-śuddha; kalī-jana too kuśaḷa, will chaḷitīla when I sing guṇa; sandēha in dōhī savā ways — bhajana or not?; distance jana — or maraṇa — both *bhalē.

This abhang is Tukaram's should-I-sing-or-die-anxious-dilemma register — one of the most-vulnerable autobiographical-moments in the Gatha. Compare 0916 distance-jana-far-from-my-citta (Tuka's mudra); same withdrawal-impulse but here organized as acute-dilemma-that-leans-toward-death. The kivā hē maraṇa bhalē dōnhī (or this maraṇa — both good) is the precise dilemma-collapse-into-equanimity-of-acceptance*.

मराठी: ही ओवी should-I-sing-or-die register नाव सांगते:

आधार; धीर. No-foundation.
पंडित-नव्हें; याति-शुद्ध-नाहीं. No-credentials.
कलियुगीं-छळितील. Public-mockery.
भजन-कां-नको. Dilemma.
दुरावितां-मरण-दोन्ही-भलें. Distance-or-die.

आज: Ādhāra कोणाचा? dhīra कोण?; Paṇḍita-vācaka नव्हें, yāti-śuddha नाहीं; Kalī-jana kuśaḷa — guṇa-gātā chaḷitīla; Sandēha dōhī savā — bhajana कां नकोम?; Jana durāvitām — किंवा maraṇa — दोन्ही bhalē*.

Tukaram च-should-I-sing-or-die-anxious-dilemma-register — Most-vulnerable autobiographical-moments in the Gatha पैकी एक. 0916 distance-jana-far-from-my-citta (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच withdrawal-impulse पण इथे acute-dilemma-that-leans-toward-death च्या मार्गाने. Kivā hē maraṇa bhalē dōnhī precise dilemma-collapse-into-equanimity-of-acceptance.

Where this applies

No-credentials.* Caste / learning.
Public-mockery.* Kalī.
Distance-or-die.* Acceptance.