संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1055 of 4582

Abhanga 1055

Tukaram describes carrying a heavy load, like forced labor, for a very long road, then suddenly feeling it lifted because God has taken him in. He had pleaded and followed for so long, and now, finally, that patient devotion has paid off. This verse is for the moment when a long struggle finally eases: you do not have to carry everything alone forever, and persistence in devotion does bear fruit. When relief comes after a long strain, Tukaram says simply, today my service has become fruitful.

When load of forced corvée was on my head — far and wide — and you have to recognize this register
When now burden has come down — you have done the acceptance — and you accept this image
When much supplication — I came behind so much — and you allow this image

The verse

बहु दूरवरी । वेठी ओझें होतें शिरीं ॥१॥ आतां उतरला भार । तुम्हीं केला अंगीकार ॥ध्रु.॥ बहु काकुलती । आलों मागें किती ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देवा । आजि सफळ जाली सेवा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Bahu dūra-varī — vēṭhī ōjhē — śira. Bhāra — down — angīkāra. Kākulatī — māgē. Tuka says: Dēvā — saphala — sēvā.

मराठी: बहु दूर-वरी — वेठीचें ओझें शिरीं होतें. आतां भार उतरला — तुम्हीं अंगीकार केला. बहु काकुलती — मागें किती आलों. Tuka म्हणे: Dēvā — आजि सेवा सफळ जाली.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
बहु दूरवरी "bahu dūra-varī"
वेठी ओझें होतें शिरीं "vēṭhī ōjhē — śira"
आतां उतरला भार "bhāra — down"
तुम्हीं केला अंगीकार "angīkāra"
बहु काकुलती "kākulatī"
आलों मागें किती "māgē — behind"
तुका म्हणे देवा आजि सफळ जाली सेवा "saphala — sēvā"

What it means

A far-and-wide-the-load-of-forced-corvée-was-on-my-head-now-the-burden-has-come-down-you-have-done-the-acceptance-much-supplication-I-came-behind-you-so-much-Dēva-today-my-service-has-become-fruitful abhang. Today-the-sēvā-has-become-fruitful register. Four claims (a relief abhang):

  1. दूर-वरी — वेठ-ओझें-शिर. Load-of-corvée-on-head-claim. Far-and-wide; thevēṭhī (forced-corvée labor) ōjhē (load) was on (my) śira (head). (For so long, on long roads.)

  2. भार-उतरला — अंगीकार. Burden-down-angīkāra-claim. Now thebhārahas come down; you have doneangīkāra (acceptance). (Now you've taken me as yours — and the load is off.)

  3. काकुलती — मागें-आलों. Much-supplication-claim. Muchkākulatī (in-supplication, in-pleading);I came (after you) māgē so much. (I followed you, supplicating-much.)

  4. Tuka: सेवा-सफळ. Today-sēvā-fruitful-claim. Tuka says: Dēvā; today thesēvāhas becomesaphala (fruitful). (Today the labor of all those years has finally borne fruit.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram describes carrying a heavy load, like forced labor, for a very long road, then suddenly feeling it lifted because God has taken him in. He had pleaded and followed for so long, and now, finally, that patient devotion has paid off. This verse is for the moment when a long struggle finally eases: you do not have to carry everything alone forever, and persistence in devotion does bear fruit. When relief comes after a long strain, Tukaram says simply, today my service has become fruitful.

मराठी: तुकाराम सांगतात की वेठीसारखे जड ओझे खूप लांबच्या वाटेवर डोक्यावर होते, आणि अचानक ते उतरल्यासारखे वाटते कारण देवाने त्यांना आपलेसे केले. ते खूप काकुळतीने, खूप काळ मागे मागे चालत आले होते, आणि आता शेवटी ती चिकाटीची भक्ती फळाला आली आहे. ही ओवी अशा क्षणासाठी आहे जेव्हा दीर्घकाळचा संघर्ष अखेर सुसह्य होतो: सगळे ओझे कायम एकट्याने वाहावे लागत नाही, आणि भक्तीतील चिकाटी फळ देतेच. आराम मिळाल्यावर तुकाराम सहज म्हणतात, आज माझी सेवा सफळ झाली.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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