संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1471 of 4582

Abhanga 1471

When the cycle of svarga-naraka inspires fear — take me on your hip Hari; Time dances the jīvas; gain runs out into loss

The verse

पापपुण्यसुखदुःखाचीं मंडळें । एक एकाबळें वाव घेती ॥१॥ कवतुक डोळां पाहिलें सकळ । नाचवितो काळ जीवांसी तो ॥ध्रु.॥ स्वर्गाचिया भोगें सरतां नरक । मागें पुढें एक एक दोन्ही ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भय उपजलें मना । घेई नारायणा कडिये मज ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Maṇḍaḷas of pāpa-puṇya-sukha-duḥkha — by each-one's-force, they take their vāva. The kavataka I saw all with eyes — Kāla makes the jīvas dance. When svarga's bhōga runs out, naraka — back and forth, ēka ēka, both. Tuka says: bhaya has arisen in manā — take me, Nārāyaṇa, on your kaḍī.

मराठी: पाप-पुण्य-सुख-दुःखाचीं — मंडळें; — एक — एका-बळें — वाव — घेती. कवतुक — डोळां — पाहिलें — सकळ; — नाचवितो — काळ — जीवांसी — तो. स्वर्गाचिया — भोगें — सरतां — नरक; — मागें — पुढें — एक — एक — दोन्ही. Tukā म्हणे — भय — उपजलें — मना; — घेई — नारायणा — कडिये — मज.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
पापपुण्यसुखदुःखाचीं मंडळें "of pāpa-puṇya-sukha-duḥkhamaṇḍaḷē (circles / domains)"
एक एकाबळें वाव घेती "by ēka-ēkā-baḷē (each-by-its-own-force) — they take vāva (room / their share-of-space)"
कवतुक डोळां पाहिलें सकळ "the kavataka (= spectacle / wonder) — with eyes — saw — all (sakaḷa)"
नाचवितो काळ जीवांसी तो "Kāla — makes (the jīvas) — nācavitō (= dance)"
स्वर्गाचिया भोगें सरतां नरक "by svarga's — bhōga (experience) — running out (saratām) — naraka"
मागें पुढें एक एक दोन्ही "back and forth (māgēm puḍhēm) — ēka ēkadōnnhī (= both)"
तुका म्हणे भय उपजलें मना "Tuka says — bhaya (fear) — has arisen (upajalēm) — in manā"
घेई नारायणा कडिये मज "take (ghē'ī) — Nārāyaṇa — on (your) kaḍī (= hip / waist) — me"

What it means

Time-dances-jīvas-take-me-on-your-hip abhang. The opening cosmic-image: pāpa-puṇya-sukha-duḥkhācīm maṇḍaḷē — ēka ēkā-baḷē vāva ghētīthe maṇḍaḷas (circles / domains) of pāpa-puṇya-sukha-duḥkha — by each-one's-strengthtake their vāva (room / share-of-space). The four circlespāpa, puṇya, sukha, duḥkha — each by its own force claims its space in the jīva's life. (Compare 1419's samcita-vāṭa-phānkatī* — samcita-paths branching; same theme.)

The dance-image: kavataka ḍōḷām pāhilēm sakaḷa — nācavitō kāḷa jīvāñsī tōthe kavataka (= spectacle, wonder) — saw with eyes — all; — Kāla — makes the jīvas — dance. The unforgettable image: Time as puppet-master making jīvas dance. (Compare 1416's Time devours all forms; here Time plays with them like a dance.)

The cycle: svargācīyā bhōgēm saratām naraka — māgēm puḍhēm ēka ēka dōnnhīwhen svarga's bhōga runs out — naraka; — back and forthēka ēka, both. Heaven and hell trade placesas one ends the other begins. (= the Bhāgavata-Purāṇa point: even svarga is just temporary; followed by naraka or punar-janma*.)

The closing-cry: bhaya upajalēm manā — ghē'ī Nārāyaṇā kaḍiyē majafear has arisen in (my) mind; — take, Nārāyaṇa, on (your) kaḍī (hip) — me. Take me on your hip — the child-on-mother's-hip image (Marathi kaḍē/kaḍiyē = the hip-side where children are carried). The fearful jīva asks Hari to carry him on the hip, child-style. (Pairs with 1406's kaḍē-baisōm-tēṇēm-asōm-nirbhara — sit on hip, be supported; here same child-on-hip image.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: the circles of pāpa-puṇya-sukha-duḥkha each take their force; Time makes the jīvas dance like a spectacle; svarga's experience runs out into naraka, back and forth; fear has arisen in my mind — Nārāyaṇa, take me on your hip.

Where this applies

Related verses