Abhanga 1135
A cow gives milk, curd, and buttermilk, but the real point of keeping a cow is the ghee hidden inside all of that. Tukaram says the devoted heart works the same way: out of everything life hands you, you learn to spot the one thing that actually matters and hold onto it, which is why he keeps Rama fixed in his mind. Iron ore and flux and coke are only worth carrying because of the fire that turns them into something valuable; carried for no reason, they are just dead weight. So keep watch at the mine, he says, patient and steady, until the real wealth finally comes into your hands.
The verse
दुद दहीं ताक पशूचें पाळण । त्यांमध्यें कारण घृतसार ॥१॥ हें चि वर्म आम्हां भाविकांचे हातीं । म्हणऊनि चित्तीं धरिला राम ॥ध्रु.॥ लोहो कफ गारा अग्नीचिया काजें । येर्हवी तें ओझें कोण वाहे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे खोरीं पाहारा जतन । जोंवरि हें धन हातीं लागे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Duda-dahī-tāka paśu-pāḷaṇa — ghrta-sāra. Varma bhāvika hātī — Rāma chittī. Lōha-kapha-gārā agni — ōjhē. Tuka says: khōrī pahārā jatana — dhana hātī.
मराठी: दूध-दही-ताक — पशूचें पाळण — त्यांमध्यें कारण घृत-सार. हें-च वर्म आम्हां भाविकांच्या हातीं — म्हणऊनि Rāma चित्तीं धरिला. लोहो-कफ-गारा अग्नीचिया काजें — येर्हवी तें ओझें कोण वाहे? Tuka म्हणे: खोरीं पाहारा-जतन — जों-वरि हें धन हातीं लागे.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दुद दहीं ताक पशूचें पाळण | "duda-dahī-tāka paśu-pāḷaṇa" |
| त्यांमध्यें कारण घृतसार | "ghrta-sāra" |
| हें चि वर्म आम्हां भाविकांचे हातीं | "varma bhāvika hātī" |
| म्हणऊनि चित्तीं धरिला राम | "Rāma chittī" |
| लोहो कफ गारा अग्नीचिया काजें | "lōha-kapha-gārā agni" |
| येर्हवी तें ओझें कोण वाहे | "ōjhē" |
| खोरीं पाहारा जतन | "khōrī pahārā jatana" |
| जोंवरि हें धन हातीं लागे | "dhana hātī" |
What it means
Four claims:
-
दूध-दही-ताक — घृत-सार. Ghee-is-essence-claim. (Cattle-keeping yields milk, curd, buttermilk — but the kāraṇa (purpose / essence) is ghee.)
-
वर्म-भाविक-हात — Rāma-चित्त. Varma-Rāma-claim. (The varma is in the bhāvika's hand — they alone know what's worth keeping; therefore Rāma in chitta.)
-
लोह-कफ-गारा-अग्नि — ओझें-कोण. Iron-only-for-agni-claim. (Iron, flux, coke are only useful for the fire's work; otherwise their weight is unbearable.)
-
Tuka: खोरी-पहारा — धन-हातीं. Mine-vigil-claim. (Stand vigil at the mine until the dhana comes to hand.)
[T]
For someone today
A cow gives milk, curd, and buttermilk, but the real point of keeping a cow is the ghee hidden inside all of that. Tukaram says the devoted heart works the same way: out of everything life hands you, you learn to spot the one thing that actually matters and hold onto it, which is why he keeps Rama fixed in his mind. Iron ore and flux and coke are only worth carrying because of the fire that turns them into something valuable; carried for no reason, they are just dead weight. So keep watch at the mine, he says, patient and steady, until the real wealth finally comes into your hands.
मराठी: गाय दूध, दही, ताक देते, पण गाय पाळण्याचा खरा उद्देश त्या सगळ्यांमध्ये लपलेलं तूप हाच असतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात की भक्ताचं मनही असंच काम करतं: आयुष्य जे जे हातात देतं त्यातून खरोखर महत्त्वाचं काय आहे हे ओळखायला शिकायचं आणि तेच धरून ठेवायचं, म्हणूनच ते रामाला चित्तात ठाम धरून ठेवतात. लोखंड, कफ आणि गारगोटी अग्नीच्या कामासाठीच वाहण्यायोग्य असतात; उगीच वाहिलं तर ते फक्त ओझं ठरतं. म्हणून खाणीवर संयमाने, स्थिरपणे पहारा द्या, जोवर खरं धन हाती लागत नाही तोवर.
Where this applies
- Ghee-essence. Ghrta-sāra.
- Varma-bhāvika. Hātī.
- Iron-fire. Agni.
- Mine-vigil. Khōrī.