संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1485 of 4582

Abhanga 1485

When you'd refuse to interrupt a kīrtana — don't break the Hari-guṇa-singer with tapa-tīrtha-dāna-vrata; that's brahma-hatyā; his lineage watches; help, don't fear

The verse

तप तीर्थ दान व्रत आचरण । गातां हरिगुण वारूं नये ॥१॥ कोटि कुळें त्याचीं वाटुली पाहाती । त्या तया घडती ब्रम्हहत्या ॥ध्रु.॥ आपुलिया पापें न सुटे सायासें । कोणा काळें ऐसें निस्तरेल ॥२॥ व्हावें साह्य तया न घलावें भय । फुकासाटीं पाहे लाभ घात ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे हित माना या वचना । सुख दुःख जाणा साधे फुका ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: Tapa-tīrtha-dāna-vrata-ācaraṇa — when Hari-guṇa is being sung, should not interrupt. Crores of his lineages watch the vāṭulī — to him (who interrupts), Brahma-hatyā occurs. His own pāpas don't get free by sāyāsa — at what time would such nistarēla? One should help — should not put bhaya — for phukā, see lābha-ghāta. Tuka says: count these vacana as hita — sukha-duḥkha are gained phukā.

मराठी: तप — तीर्थ — दान — व्रत — आचरण; — गातां — हरि-गुण — वारूं — नये. कोटि — कुळें — त्याचीं — वाटुली — पाहाती; — त्या — तया — घडती — ब्रम्ह-हत्या. आपुलिया — पापें — न — सुटे — सायासें; — कोणा — काळें — ऐसें — निस्तरेल. व्हावें — साह्य — तया — न — घलावें — भय; — फुकासाटीं — पाहे — लाभ — घात. Tukā म्हणे — हित — माना — या — वचना; — सुख — दुःख — जाणा — साधे — फुका.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
तप तीर्थ दान व्रत आचरण "tapa, tīrtha, dāna, vrata, ācaraṇa"
गातां हरिगुण वारूं नये "(when one is) singing — Hari-guṇa — should not be interrupted (vārūm nayē)"
कोटि कुळें त्याचीं वाटुली पाहाती "koṭi (= crore) — kuḷas (lineages) — his — vāṭulī (= path / hope) — watch (pāhātī)"
त्या तया घडती ब्रम्हहत्या "to that — to them — occurs (ghaḍatī) — Brahma-hatyā (= the highest-rank sin)"
आपुलिया पापें न सुटे सायासें "by his own — pāpas — does not get free (na suṭē) — by sāyāsa (toil)"
कोणा काळें ऐसें निस्तरेल "at what time — such — would nistarēla (= clear / cross over)?"
व्हावें साह्य तया न घलावें भय "one should help (sāhya) — that one — should not put — bhaya (fear)"
फुकासाटीं पाहे लाभ घात "for phukā — see — lābha (gain) — ghāta (loss)"
तुका म्हणे हित माना या वचना "Tuka says — count (mānā) — these vacana — as hita (welfare)"
सुख दुःख जाणा साधे फुका "sukha-duḥkha — know — sādhē (achieved) — phukā (free)"

What it means

Don't-interrupt-Hari-guṇa-singing abhang. Continuation of don't-interrupt register from 1486 (next adjacent abhang). The opening: tapa tīrtha dāna vrata ācaraṇa — gātām Hari-guṇa vārūm nayētapa, tīrtha, dāna, vrata, ācaraṇa — when (one is) singing Hari-guṇa — should not be interrupted. Even the most prized religious-acts (tapa, pilgrimage, charity, vow, conduct) — if performed by interrupting a Hari-singer, they are spoiled.

The ancestral-watching-and-brahma-hatyā: kōṭi kuḷē tyācīm vāṭulī pāhātī — tyā tayā ghaḍatī Brahma-hatyācrores of his (the singer's) lineages — watch the vāṭulī (= path / hope); — to him (the interrupter) — Brahma-hatyāoccurs. The Hari-singer's lineages-deceased are waiting on his kīrtana to liberate them; — interrupting his kīrtana causes the Brahma-hatyā (= the worst-classical-sin, killing-of-a-Brahmin/Brahman) to fall on the interrupter. (= the kīrtana is redemptive for the singer's ancestors; interrupting it is on a par with killing a Brahmin*.)

The own-pāpa-warning: āpuliyā pāpēm na suṭē sāyāsēm — kōṇā kāḷēm aisēm nistarēlaby his own pāpas — doesn't get free by sāyāsa (toil); — at what time — would such (a one) — clear / cross over? He couldn't even clear his own pāpas by his own toil; — adding brahma-hatyā on top — no time-of-clearing*.

The positive-counsel: vhāvēm sāhya tayā na ghalāvē bhaya — phukāsāṭīm pāhē lābha-ghātaone should help (sāhya); — should not put — bhaya (fear); — for phukā (free) — see — lābha-ghāta (gain-and-loss). Help the singer; don't make him fearful (= don't disturb); the gain-and-loss is calculated for free (= the merit/demerit-economy is automatic).

The closing: hita mānā yā vacanā — sukha duḥkha jāṇā sādhē phukācount these vacanas as hita; — sukha-duḥkha are gained free. Take these words as your welfare-counsel; — sukha-duḥkha-fates are gained free* (= determined by your behavior toward the kīrtana, no money-or-sacrifice needed).

[T]

For someone today

For today: don't interrupt one who is singing Hari-guṇa, even with tapa-tīrtha-dāna-vrata; crores of his lineages await; brahma-hatyā falls on the interrupter; his own pāpas don't clear easily — when would such cross over?; help without putting fear; sukha-duḥkha are gained free.

Where this applies

Related verses