संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1150 of 4582

Abhanga 1150

In the voice of a yearning lover, this Hindi verse pleads: let me meet Hari just once, and I promise I'll never go back to my old home again. The devotee begs whoever will listen, even a go-between, to help arrange this meeting, aware that youth doesn't wait forever and time keeps slipping. The joy of that meeting with Hari can't even be put into words, Tuka says, but you'll understand it once you've had it. Take hold of it with sincere faith, and the Lord himself will be right there in your hand.

When meet Hari once; don't return home — and you have to recognize this register
When messenger comes; youth wasting — and you accept this image
When Hari-sukha can't be told; understand āgō-pāyē — and you allow this image

The verse

हरिसुं मिल दे एक हि बेर । पाछे तूं फिर नावे घर ॥१॥ मात सुनो दुति आवे मनावन । जाया करति भर जोबन ॥ध्रु.॥ हरिसुख मोहि कहिया न जाये । तव तूं बुझे आगोपाये ॥२॥ देखहि भाव कछु पकरि हात । मिलाइ तुका प्रभुसात ॥३॥

Literal translation

Hari-sum mila ēka bērapāchē phira nāvē ghara. Duti manāvanabhara jōbana. Hari-sukha kahiyā naāgō-pāyē. Tuka says: bhāva pakaḍa hātaprabhu-sāta.

मराठी: Hari-शीं भेट दे एक-च वेळ — पाछें तूं घरीं फिरून न-येसी. माते, ऐक — दूती मनावना-स आवे — भरा-जोबना (तरुण-वय) जायी करितें. Hari-सुख मला कहिता न-जाये — तव तूं समजशील, आगो-पायें. भाव-नें पकडि हात — Tuka प्रभु-सात मिळवे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi/Hindi Meaning
हरिसुं मिल दे एक हि बेर "Hari-sum mila ēka bēra"
पाछे तूं फिर नावे घर "pāchē phira nāvē ghara"
मात सुनो दुति आवे मनावन "duti manāvana"
जाया करति भर जोबन "bhara jōbana"
हरिसुख मोहि कहिया न जाये "Hari-sukha kahiyā na"
तव तूं बुझे आगोपाये "āgō-pāyē"
देखहि भाव कछु पकरि हात "bhāva pakaḍa hāta"
मिलाइ तुका प्रभुसात "prabhu-sāta"

What it means

Hindi abhang in lover's-quest register. The lover's claim: let me meet Hari just once — and afterwards I won't return home (a beloved-elopement image, used by Mira and others).

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For someone today

In the voice of a yearning lover, this Hindi verse pleads: let me meet Hari just once, and I promise I'll never go back to my old home again. The devotee begs whoever will listen, even a go-between, to help arrange this meeting, aware that youth doesn't wait forever and time keeps slipping. The joy of that meeting with Hari can't even be put into words, Tuka says, but you'll understand it once you've had it. Take hold of it with sincere faith, and the Lord himself will be right there in your hand.

मराठी: या हिंदी अभंगात प्रेमिकेच्या ओढीच्या स्वरात विनवणी आहे - एकदाच Hari ला भेटू दे, मग मी परत माझ्या जुन्या घरी येणारच नाही. भक्त कुणाकडेही, अगदी मध्यस्थाकडेही याचना करते की ही भेट घडवून द्या, कारण तारुण्य कायम थांबत नाही आणि वेळ सरत चालली आहे. Hari-भेटीचा आनंद शब्दांत सांगताच येत नाही, तुका म्हणतात, पण तो अनुभवला की आपोआप कळतो. खऱ्या श्रद्धेने त्याला धरून ठेवा, म्हणजे प्रभु स्वतः तुमच्या हातात येईल.

Where this applies

Related verses