संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1048 of 4582

Abhanga 1048

English: Cōra — ṭēnka — cōrī — āpalē — pārakhē — gharī.

When thieves left corner — own became alien at home — and you have to recognize this register
When no profit, got stripped — lost ears-hands-feet — and you accept this image
When mindless doesn't accomplish — with him only sukha is that — and you allow this image

The verse

चोर टेंकाचे निघाले चोरी । आपलें तैसें पारखे घरीं ॥१॥ नाहीं नफा नागवे आपण । गमाविले कान हात पाय ॥ध्रु.॥ बुद्धिहीन नये कांहीं चि कारणा । तयासवें जाणा तें चि सुख ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाहीं ठाउकें वर्म । तयासी कर्म वोडवलें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Cōra — ṭēnka — cōrī — āpalē — pārakhē — gharī. Naphā — nāgavē — kāna-hāta-pāya. Buddhi-hīna — with-him — sukha. Tuka says: varma — karma — vōḍavalē.

मराठी: चोर टेंकाचे चोरीस निघाले — आपलें तैसें घरीं पारखें. नाहीं नफा — आपण नागवे — कान-हात-पाय गमाविले. बुद्धि-हीन कांहीं-च कारणा न ये — त्या-सवें जाणा तें-च सुख. Tuka म्हणे: वर्म ठाउकें नाहीं — त्यासि कर्म वोडवलें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
चोर टेंकाचे निघाले चोरी "cōra — ṭēnka — cōrī"
आपलें तैसें पारखे घरीं "āpalē — pārakhē — gharī"
नाहीं नफा नागवे आपण "naphā — nāgavē"
गमाविले कान हात पाय "kāna-hāta-pāya"
बुद्धिहीन नये कांहीं चि कारणा "buddhi-hīna"
तयासवें जाणा तें चि सुख "with-him — sukha"
नाहीं ठाउकें वर्म "varma"
तयासी कर्म वोडवलें "karma — vōḍavalē"

What it means

A the-thieves-left-their-corner-for-theft-what-was-their-own-became-alien-at-home-no-profit-got-stripped-themselves-lost-ears-hands-feet-the-mindless-doesn't-accomplish-anything-with-him-know-that-is-the-only-pleasure-doesn't-know-the-secret-karma-has-come-upon-him abhang. Karma-came-upon-doesn't-know-varma register. Four claims (parable of self-defeating-thieves):

  1. चोर-टेंक-निघाले-चोरी — आपलें-पारखें-घरीं. Thieves-self-defeating-claim. The cōras left the ṭēnka (corner / lair) for cōrī (theft); (their) āpalē (own things) became pārakhē (alien) at gharī**. (Going out to steal from others, they lost their own.)

  2. नफा-नाहीं — कान-हात-पाय-गमाविले. No-profit-stripped-claim. No naphā (profit) — got *nāgavē (stripped naked) themselves; lost kāna, hāta, pāya* (ears, hands, feet — the punishments for thieves).

  3. बुद्धि-हीन-न-कारण — सुख-तेंच. Mindless-doesn't-accomplish-claim. The buddhi-hīna doesn't accomplish anything; with him, know that's the (only) sukha (i.e. the only satisfaction with him is this — that he doesn't accomplish)*.

  4. Tuka: वर्म-न-ठाव — कर्म-वोडवलें. Karma-came-upon-claim. Tuka says: doesn't know the varma (secret-key); karma has *vōḍavalē (come-upon, fallen-on) him*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the karma-came-upon-doesn't-know-varma register:

  1. Thieves left corner for theft; own became alien at home. Self-defeating.

  2. No profit; stripped; lost ears-hands-feet. Punished.

  3. Mindless doesn't accomplish; with him only sukha is that. Mindless.

  4. Doesn't know varma; karma came upon. Karma-came.

For today: cōra — ṭēnka-cōrī, āpalē pārakhē gharī; nāhīm naphā, nāgavē, kāna-hāta-pāya gamāvilē; buddhi-hīna, with-him *sukha-tēci; varma unknown, karma vōḍavalē.

This abhang is Tukaram's karma-came-upon-doesn't-know-varma register — one of the most-precise self-defeating-thieves-parable statements. The karma vōḍavalē (karma came-upon) is the precise karma-came claim.

मराठी: ही ओवी karma-came-upon-doesn't-know-varma register नाव सांगते:

  1. चोर-घर-पारखें. Self-defeating.

  2. नागवे-कान-हात-पाय. Punished.

  3. बुद्धि-हीन. Mindless.

  4. कर्म-वोडवलें. Karma-came.

आज: Cōra ṭēnkācē cōrī, āpalē pārakhē gharī; Naphā नाहीं, nāgavē, kāna-hāta-pāya gamāvilē; Buddhi-hīna, *tayā-savē sukha tēci; Varma नाहीं, karma vōḍavalē.

Tukaram च-karma-came-upon-doesn't-know-varma-register — Most-precise self-defeating-thieves-parable statements पैकी एक. Karma vōḍavalē precise karma-came claim.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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