Abhanga 1162
Countless people have slipped away unnoticed, Tukaram says, both the humble and the great alike, none of them remembered. Your father, your brother, no one keeps count of them anymore, and you too will follow after them one day. When black hair turns white with the passing of time, take that as a warning and pay attention. So Tukaram, as a servant, asks directly: my Rama, what is the one thing that is truly, lastingly good? Tell me.
The verse
केते मालुम नहिं पडे । नन्हे बडे गये सो ॥१॥ बाप भाईं लेखा नहिं । पाछें तूं हि चलनार ॥२॥ काले बाल सिपत भये । खबर पकडो तुका कहे ॥३॥ क्या मेरे राम कवन सुख सारा । कहकर दे पुछूं दास तुम्हारा ॥ध्रु.॥
Literal translation
Mālūma nahīm paḍē — nan-hē baḍē. Lēkhā nahīm — calanāra. Kāḷē bāḷa sipata — khabara. Sukha sārā — pūchūm dāsa.
मराठी: कितें — मालूम-पात नाहीं — नन्हे-बडे गेले सो. बाप-भाई — लेखा नाहीं — पाछें तूं ही चलनार. काळे बाळ सिपत भयें — खबर पकडो, Tuka कहे. क्या मेरे Rāma — कोण सुख-सार? — कहकर दे, पुछूं दास तुम्हारा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi/Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| केते मालुम नहिं पडे | "mālūma nahīm paḍē" |
| नन्हे बडे गये सो | "nan-hē baḍē" |
| बाप भाईं लेखा नहिं | "lēkhā nahīm" |
| पाछें तूं हि चलनार | "pāchēm calanāra" |
| काले बाल सिपत भये | "kāḷē bāḷa sipata" |
| खबर पकडो तुका कहे | "khabara" |
| क्या मेरे राम कवन सुख सारा | "sukha sārā" |
| कहकर दे पुछूं दास तुम्हारा | "pūchūm dāsa" |
What it means
Hindi abhang. Four claims of mortality-reminder.
[T]
For someone today
Countless people have slipped away unnoticed, Tukaram says, both the humble and the great alike, none of them remembered. Your father, your brother, no one keeps count of them anymore, and you too will follow after them one day. When black hair turns white with the passing of time, take that as a warning and pay attention. So Tukaram, as a servant, asks directly: my Rama, what is the one thing that is truly, lastingly good? Tell me.
मराठी: असंख्य माणसं न कळत निघून गेली, तुकाराम सांगतात - लहान-मोठे सगळेच, कुणाच्याही स्मरणात न राहता. तुझा बाप, तुझा भाऊ - त्यांची गणतीही कुणी ठेवत नाही, आणि तूही त्यांच्यामागोमाग जाणारच आहेस. काळे केस पांढरे होत जाणं हाच काळाचा इशारा आहे, त्याकडे लक्ष दे. म्हणून तुकाराम, एक सेवक म्हणून, थेट विचारतात - माझ्या Rāma, खरं, टिकणारं सुख कशात आहे? मला सांग.
Where this applies
- Many-went. Mālūma.
- Father-brother. Lēkhā.
- Black-white. Kāḷē-bāḷa.
- Tell-dāsa. Sukha-sārā.