संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1449 of 4582

Abhanga 1449

For today: Hari is with karma-doers in their karma-dharma regularly; plays with the cowherds, bears their pranks; eats a bite at the yajña-mouth, but indifferent to bhāva-less mantra-pūjā; even steals along with the yogis.

When you'd see Hari's playful presence with each kind of devotee — with karma-doers in karma; with cowherds at play; eats a bite at yajñas; indifferent to mantra-pūjā; steals with yogis

The verse

आचरती कर्में । तेथें काळें कर्मधर्में ॥१॥ खेळे गोविळयांसवें । करिती तें त्यांचें साहावें ॥ध्रु.॥ यज्ञामुखें घांस । मंत्रपूजेसी उदास ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे चोरी । योगियां ही सवें करी ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: They practice karmas — there, with kāḷa, in karma-dharma. Plays with the Gōviḷās — what they do, theirs, he must bear. At yajña's mouth, a ghāmsa — to mantra-pūjā, udāsa. Tuka says: cōrī — even with yogis, savēm, he does.

मराठी: आचरती — कर्में; — तेथें — काळें — कर्म-धर्में. खेळे — गोविळयांसवें; — करिती — तें — त्यांचें — साहावें. यज्ञा-मुखें — घांस; — मंत्र-पूजेसी — उदास. Tukā म्हणे — चोरी; — योगियां — ही — सवें — करी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
आचरती कर्में "they practice (ācaratī) — karmas"
तेथें काळें कर्मधर्में "there (with them, tēthēm) — by kāḷa (= time / consistently) — (in) karma-dharma"
खेळे गोविळयांसवें "he plays (khēḷē) — with the Gōviḷās (cowherds)"
करिती तें त्यांचें साहावें "what they do (karitī) — that — theirs (tyāñcēm) — must be borne-with (sāhāvēm)"
यज्ञामुखें घांस "at yajña's mouth — ghāmsa (mouthful / bite)"
मंत्रपूजेसी उदास "to mantra-pūjāudāsa (= indifferent / disengaged)"
तुका म्हणे चोरी "Tuka says — cōrī (theft)"
योगियां ही सवें करी "even with the yogis — savēm (along with them) — (he) does (karī)"

What it means

Hari-with-each-kind-of-devotee abhang. A playful enumeration of Hari's adaptive-presence. Each verse pairs what kind of devotee with how Hari accompanies them:

(1) ācaratī karmēm — tēthēm kāḷē karma-dharmēmthose who practice karmas — there (Hari is) — by kāḷa (= time / regularly) — in karma-dharma. The karma-yogi — Hari accompanies in karma-and-dharma, regularly.

(2) khēḷē Gōviḷyāmsavēm — karitī tēm tyāñcēm sāhāvēmhe plays — with the Gōviḷās (cowherds); — what they do — that — theirs — must be borne-with (sāhāvēm). The cowherds — Hari plays with them (= the Vraja-līlā mode); — whatever they do, he goes along. Sāhāvēmbear with — even their pranks. (Compare 1446's Gōviḷyā-savē-bhāva-paḍhiyantā — adjacent abhang on cowherd-Hari's bhāva-loving habit.)

(3) yajñā-mukhēm ghāmsa — mantra-pūjēsī udāsaat yajña's mouth — a ghāmsa (mouthful); — to mantra-pūjāudāsa (indifferent). Striking contrast: yajña-pūjā with bhāva — Hari eats a mouthful; — mantra-pūjā without bhāva — Hari is indifferent (= he doesn't even taste it). (Pairs with 1446's contrast between ghāṭyā-ṭōkē and upacāra-phikē — same point about bhāva over formality.)

(4) cōrī — yōgiyām hī savēm karīeven cōrī (theft) — with the yogis — savēm (along with them) — (he) does. Striking and humorous: Hari steals along with the yogis — i.e., participates even in their secret-yogic-attempts to seize the mokṣa. (Or: Hari is the cor-of-the-yogi's-citta — he steals their hearts. Either reading is playful.) The whole abhang puts karma-yogis, vraja-cowherds, yajña-doers, and yogis on the same plane: Hari accompanies each in their characteristic way.

[T]

For someone today

For today: Hari is with karma-doers in their karma-dharma regularly; plays with the cowherds, bears their pranks; eats a bite at the yajña-mouth, but indifferent to bhāva-less mantra-pūjā; even steals along with the yogis.

Where this applies

Related verses