Abhanga 1076

Tukaram paints a scene from the child Krishna's play in Gokul, where the village boys swap rough blankets so no one can tell whose is whose. Then he makes an astonishing claim: that playful Krishna, Kānhōbā, is really him appearing, and this discovery has infected his companions with a joyful madness for the divine. He insists that no matter what role he plays or how ordinary he seems sitting quietly, nothing different ever shows through, it is always the same one underneath. Once you have tasted that oneness, Tukaram says, it will not let you slip back into feeling separate again.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A the-rough-blanket-was-swapped-among-our-boys-and-boys-Kānhōbā-that's-me-itself-appearing-placed-the-madness-on-the-companions-he-says-I-just-sit-silently-nothing-different-appears-Tuka-says-the-role-was-given-doesn't-let-the-separation-go abhang. Kānhōbā-that's-me-blanket-swap register. The Ghōngaḍyācē abhanga 2 — Tuka takes the voice of child-Krishna in the famous Gokul-blanket-swap play. Four claims:

1. घोंगड-पालट — मुल-आपुल्यांत. Blanket-swap-claim. Theghōngaḍa-pālaṭa (blanket-swap) was done;among mulām-mulām (boy-and-boy) in āpulyāmta (among our own). (The childish blanket-exchange — the boys-of-Gokul swap their rough-blankets, can't tell whose is whose anymore.)

2. Kānhōbā-तो-मी-दिसे — पिसें-संवगडी. Kānhōbā-that's-me-itself-claim. Kānhōbā — tō mī-ci disē (he-himself appears as me); lāvilēpisē (madness, infatuation) on the samvagaḍiyā (companions). (The astonishing self-identification:Kānhōbā(= Krishna) andmearethe same one appearing; he has placedthe bhakti-madness on his playmates.)

3. तो-बोले — उगा-बैसे — आना-अरिसें-न. He-says-I-just-sit-claim. Tō bōlē — mī ugā-ca baisē (he says, 'I just sit silently'); āna-arīsē(anything-else, anything-different) na disē (doesn't appear). (No matter what he says, nootherform appears — theone-and-the-same keeps showing up.)

4. Tuka: सोंग-दिलें — वेंग-न. Doesn't-let-vēnga-go-claim. Tuka says: dilēsōnga (gave (a) form, role); nēdī vēnga (separation, division) jāūm dē'ūm (let-go). (The play given — thesōnga— doesn't let anyseparation go through. Once you've been swapped-into-Krishna's-blanket, you can't separate again.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram paints a scene from the child Krishna's play in Gokul, where the village boys swap rough blankets so no one can tell whose is whose. Then he makes an astonishing claim: that playful Krishna, Kānhōbā, is really him appearing, and this discovery has infected his companions with a joyful madness for the divine. He insists that no matter what role he plays or how ordinary he seems sitting quietly, nothing different ever shows through, it is always the same one underneath. Once you have tasted that oneness, Tukaram says, it will not let you slip back into feeling separate again.

मराठी: तुकाराम गोकुळातील बाल कृष्णाच्या खेळाचे चित्र रंगवतात, जिथे गावातील मुलं आपापल्या घोंगड्या एकमेकांत बदलतात, कोणाची कोणती हे ओळखू येऊ नये इतक्या. मग ते एक विलक्षण दावा करतात, तो खेळकर कान्होबा म्हणजे प्रत्यक्षात मीच आहे, आणि हा शोध आपल्या सवंगड्यांना दिव्याच्या आनंदी वेडाने झपाटून टाकतो. ते ठामपणे सांगतात, मी कुठलीही भूमिका घेतली किंवा शांत बसून कितीही साधा दिसलो, तरी वेगळे काही दिसतच नाही, आतून तेच एकच नेहमी असते. एकदा ती एकात्मता चाखली की ती पुन्हा वेगळेपणाच्या भावनेत घसरू देत नाही, असे तुकाराम सांगतात.

Where this applies

• Blanket-swap. Pālaṭa.
• That's-me-itself. Mī-ci.
• Same-appears. Āna-arīsē.
• No-separation. Vēnga.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is