Abhanga 1165
Milk, rice, ghee, and sweets can satisfy your hunger, Tukaram says, but they never actually carry you across to lasting freedom. Whole ages pass by in this eating and enjoying, and every mixture of sour and sweet pleasure ends in regret later on. But whoever tastes the true flavor of Rama, he says, never has to go through that same cycle again. So why keep dying over and over, unlucky soul? Break this endless count of repeated deaths.
The verse
दुधभात घृत सकरपारे । हरते भुक नहि अंततारे ॥१॥ खावते जुग सब चलिजावे । खटमिठा फिर पचतावे ॥२॥ कहे तुका रामरस जो पावे । बहुरि फेरा वो कबहु न खावे ॥३॥ बारंबार काहे मरत अभागी । बहुरि मरन संक्या तोरेभागी ॥ध्रु.॥
Literal translation
Dūdha-bhāta ghrta — anta-tāra. Juga cali-jāvē — khaṭa-mīṭhā. Rāma-rasa — bahuri phēra. Bāra-bāra abhāgī — samkyā tōrē.
मराठी: दूध-भात-घृत-सकर-पारे — भूक हरते — पण अंत-तारे (शेवटी पार-होणें) नाहीं. खावता-युग सब चलि-जावे — खट-मीठा फिर पच्छतावे. Tuka म्हणे: Rāma-रस जो पावे — बहुरि फेरा वो कबहू न खावे. बारंबार काहे मरत, अभागी? — बहुरि-मरण-संख्या तोडी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi/Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दुधभात घृत सकरपारे | "dūdha-bhāta ghrta" |
| हरते भुक नहि अंततारे | "anta-tāra" |
| खावते जुग सब चलिजावे | "juga cali-jāvē" |
| खटमिठा फिर पचतावे | "khaṭa-mīṭhā pacatāvē" |
| रामरस जो पावे | "Rāma-rasa pāvē" |
| बहुरि फेरा वो कबहु न खावे | "bahuri phēra" |
| बारंबार काहे मरत अभागी | "bāra-bāra abhāgī" |
| बहुरि मरन संक्या तोरेभागी | "samkyā tōrē-bhāgī" |
What it means
Hindi abhang. Four claims, with the striking Rāma-rasa never-eats-the-cycle-again.
[T]
For someone today
Milk, rice, ghee, and sweets can satisfy your hunger, Tukaram says, but they never actually carry you across to lasting freedom. Whole ages pass by in this eating and enjoying, and every mixture of sour and sweet pleasure ends in regret later on. But whoever tastes the true flavor of Rama, he says, never has to go through that same cycle again. So why keep dying over and over, unlucky soul? Break this endless count of repeated deaths.
मराठी: दूध-भात-तूप-साखर भूक भागवतात, तुकाराम सांगतात, पण ते कधीच खऱ्या पैलतीरावर नेत नाहीत. अशा खाण्या-पिण्यात अनेक युगं निघून जातात, आणि आंबट-गोड सुखाचा प्रत्येक मिलाफ शेवटी पश्चातापातच संपतो. पण ज्याला Rāma-रसाची खरी चव लागते, ते म्हणतात, त्याला पुन्हा त्याच फेऱ्यातून जावं लागत नाही. मग वारंवार का मरतोस, अभागी जीवा? पुनःपुन्हा मरण्याची ही मोजदाद आता तोड.
Where this applies
- When comfort food, entertainment, or pleasure satisfies you only briefly and leaves you empty again.
- When you notice a pattern of chasing pleasure that always ends in some regret.
- When you're stuck repeating the same cycle of habits or choices without ever truly moving forward.
- When you want something that offers lasting satisfaction rather than a temporary fix.