संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1005 of 4582

Abhanga 1005

Tukaram says the sweetness of kirtana, of singing God's praise, is not something you can manufacture by trying harder. It is something God himself chooses to give, and he gives it to whoever becomes ready to receive it. What makes you ready is vairagya, the strength of letting go, which is powerful enough to defeat the six inner enemies: desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and envy. Tukaram says that when this is done fully, nothing of the old self is left over, and he announces this to the world without hesitation.

When the sweetness of kīrtana — Dēva himself selects it — and you have to recognize this register
When let someone become qualified — Hari will give — and you accept this image
When by strength of vairāgya, defeat the six wretches — and you allow this image

The verse

कीर्तनाची गोडी । देव निवडी आपण ॥१॥ कोणी व्हा रे अधिकारी । त्यासी हरि देईल ॥ध्रु.॥ वैराग्याचे बळें । साही खळ जिणावे ॥२॥ उरेल ना उरी । तुका करी बोभाट ॥३॥

Literal translation

Kīrtanagōḍī — Dēva — nivaḍī. Someone — adhikārī — Hari — give. Vairāgyabaḷasāha-khaḷa — defeat. Urī — not remain — Tuka — bōbhāṭa.

मराठी: कीर्तनाची गोडी — Dēva आपण निवडी. कोणी व्हा रे अधिकारी — त्यासी Hari देईल. वैराग्याचे बळें — साही खळ जिणावे. उरेल ना उरी — Tuka करी बोभाट.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
कीर्तनाची गोडी "kīrtanagōḍī"
देव निवडी आपण "Dēva — nivaḍī"
कोणी व्हा रे अधिकारी "someone — adhikārī"
त्यासी हरि देईल "Hari — will-give"
वैराग्याचे बळें "vairāgyabaḷa"
साही खळ जिणावे "sāhakhaḷa — defeat"
उरेल ना उरी "urī — not remain"
तुका करी बोभाट "bōbhāṭa"

What it means

A the-sweetness-of-kīrtana-Dēva-himself-selects-let-someone-become-adhikārī-Hari-will-give-by-strength-of-vairāgya-defeat-six-wretches-no-remainder-Tuka-makes-a-public-cry abhang. No-remainder-Tuka-cries register. Four claims:

  1. कीर्तन-गोडी — Dēva-निवडी. Sweetness-of-kīrtana-Dēva-selects-claim. Thegōḍī(sweetness) ofkīrtanaDēva himself nivaḍī (selects, picks-out). (Thetaste of kīrtana is something Dēva himself reserves to give.)

  2. कोणी-अधिकारी — Hari-देईल. Someone-be-qualified-Hari-gives-claim. Let someone becomeadhikārī (qualified, fit-recipient);to him Hari will give.

  3. वैराग्य-बळ — साही-खळ-जिणावे. Defeat-the-six-wretches-claim. By thebaḷa(strength) ofvairāgya (dispassion);defeat the sāha (six) khaḷa (wretches — the ariṣaḍvarga: kāma, krōdha, lōbha, mōha, mada, mātsarya).

  4. Tuka: उरेल-ना-उरी — बोभाट. No-remainder-Tuka-cries-claim. Nourī (remainder, residue) shall remain;Tukamakes abōbhāṭa (public cry, loud-announcement). (Tuka publiclyannounces this — no remainder, complete consumption / complete liberation.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram says the sweetness of kirtana, of singing God's praise, is not something you can manufacture by trying harder. It is something God himself chooses to give, and he gives it to whoever becomes ready to receive it. What makes you ready is vairagya, the strength of letting go, which is powerful enough to defeat the six inner enemies: desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and envy. Tukaram says that when this is done fully, nothing of the old self is left over, and he announces this to the world without hesitation.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की कीर्तनातील गोडी नुसत्या प्रयत्नाने निर्माण करता येत नाही. ती देवच ठरवून देतो, आणि जो त्यासाठी पात्र होतो त्यालाच ती मिळते. पात्र होण्याचे बळ वैराग्यातून येते, जे काम, क्रोध, लोभ, मोह, मद आणि मत्सर या सहा शत्रूंना पराभूत करण्याइतके सामर्थ्यवान असते. तुकाराम म्हणतात की हे पूर्ण झाल्यावर जुन्या स्वतःचा काहीच अंश उरत नाही, आणि ते हे मोठ्याने जगाला सांगतात.

Where this applies

Related verses