संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1462 of 4582

Abhanga 1462

For today: Time has no ghaṭikā-foothold when Hari is remembered; Kāla counts lifespan always but has no permission during kathā-time; this makes Viṭhoba's fame the great way across three worlds; the fruit of birth is to remember Gōpāḷa — that alone is true.

When Time's pressure threatens — no ghaṭikā falls under Kāla when Hari is remembered; Kāla has no permission at kathā-time; the fruit of birth is smarāvā Gōpāḷa

The verse

काळाचिया सत्ता ते नाहीं घटिका । पंढरीनायका आठवितां ॥१॥ सदाकाळ गणना करी आयुष्याची । कथेचे वेळेची आज्ञा नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥ याकारणें माझ्या विठोबाची कीर्ति । आहे हे त्रिजगतीं थोर वाट ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जन्मा आलियाचें फळ । स्मरावा गोपाळ तें चि खरें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Kāḷa's sattā — there is no ghaṭikā — when remembering Paṇḍharī-nāyaka. (Kāla) does the gaṇanā of āyuṣya sadā-kāḷa — but at kathā's time, there is no ājñā. For this reason, my Viṭhoba's kīrti — is, in three worlds, a thōra vāṭa. Tuka says: the fruit of having come to janma — smarāvā Gōpāḷa — that alone is kharēm.

मराठी: काळाचिया — सत्ता — ते — नाहीं — घटिका; — पंढरी-नायका — आठवितां. सदा-काळ — गणना — करी — आयुष्याची; — कथेचे — वेळेची — आज्ञा — नाहीं. याकारणें — माझ्या — विठोबाची — कीर्ति; — आहे — हे — त्रिजगतीं — थोर — वाट. Tukā म्हणे — जन्मा — आलियाचें — फळ; — स्मरावा — गोपाळ — तें — चि — खरें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
काळाचिया सत्ता ते नाहीं घटिका "kāḷa's — sattā (dominion) — that — is not — ghaṭikā (a 24-minute unit)"
पंढरीनायका आठवितां "when one remembers (āṭhavitām) — Paṇḍharī-nāyaka"
सदाकाळ गणना करी आयुष्याची "always (sadā-kāḷa) — gaṇanā (counting) — does — of āyuṣya (lifespan)"
कथेचे वेळेची आज्ञा नाहीं "of kathā's — time — there's no — ājñā (= permission / authority)"
याकारणें माझ्या विठोबाची कीर्ति "for this reason — my Viṭhobā's — kīrti"
आहे हे त्रिजगतीं थोर वाट "is — this — in tri-jagat (three worlds) — thōra vāṭa (great way)"
तुका म्हणे जन्मा आलियाचें फळ "Tuka says — the fruit (phaḷa) — of having come to janma"
स्मरावा गोपाळ तें चि खरें "should be smarāvā (= remembered) — Gōpāḷa — that very — is kharēm (true)"

What it means

Time-has-no-authority-at-kathā-time abhang. The opening cosmic-claim: kāḷācīyā sattā tē nāhīm ghaṭikā — Paṇḍharī-nāyakā āṭhavitāmin kāḷa's sattā — there's not even a ghaṭikā (= 24-minute time-unit); — when (one) remembersPaṇḍharī-nāyaka. Time's-dominion has no foothold (= even one ghaṭikā) when Hari is remembered. (Cf. 1416's avaghā-ākāra-grāsiyēlā-kāḷē-ēka-chi-nirāḷē-Haricē-nāma — Hari-nāma alone escapes Time's devouring; here the same theme stated as Time-has-no-permission-during-Hari-remembrance.)

The legal-technicality: sadā-kāḷa gaṇanā karī āyuṣyācī — kathēcē vēḷēcī ājñā nāhīm(Kāla) does the gaṇanā of āyuṣya — always; — at kathā's time — there is no ājñā (permission). The metaphor: Kāla has the standing-order to count lifespan; — but no specific-permission to operate during kathā-time. (= striking legal-formalismkathā-time is exempt from Kāla's jurisdiction.)

The cosmic-fame: yā-kāraṇē mājhyā Viṭhōbācī kīrti — āhē hē tri-jagatīm thōra vāṭafor this reason — my Viṭhobā's kīrti — is — in the tri-jagat — a thōra vāṭa (= great way / path). Viṭhobā's fame as the Time-exempting refuge is the great-path across three worlds.

The closing-purpose-of-life: janmā āliyācēm phaḷa — smarāvā Gōpāḷa tē chi kharēmthe fruit of having come to janmashould be: remember Gōpāḷa — that alone is kharēm (true). Why-were-you-born?to remember Gōpāḷa. (Compare 1457's janma-gōḍa-yā-sāṭīm — birth is sweet for this; here the purpose* is named explicitly.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: Time has no ghaṭikā-foothold when Hari is remembered; Kāla counts lifespan always but has no permission during kathā-time; this makes Viṭhoba's fame the great way across three worlds; the fruit of birth is to remember Gōpāḷa — that alone is true.

Where this applies

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