Abhanga 1485

The verse

Literal translation

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 nayē — tapa, 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-hatyā — crores of his (the singer's) lineages —watchthevāṭulī(= path / hope); — to him (the interrupter) —Brahma-hatyā—occurs. 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 nistarēla — by his ownpāpas —doesn't get freebysāyāsa(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-ghāta — one shouldhelp(sāhya); — should not put —bhaya(fear); — forphukā(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 phukā — count thesevacanas ashita; —sukha-duḥkhaaregained 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

• When you're tempted to interrupt someone's prayer, meditation, or quiet devotional moment for something you consider more urgent
• When you think your own good deed gives you the right to disrupt someone else's spiritual practice
• When you're deciding whether to support someone's faith quietly instead of pressuring or frightening them into doing things your way
• When you feel guilty for a mistake and wonder whether hard effort alone can undo it

Related verses

• Abhanga 2459 — Liberation does not have to be earned through grueling effort or endless searching; it is
• Abhanga 2471 — Treating trees, animals, and birds as kin turns solitude into good company, and a simple l
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 2469 — Closeness to God is naturally available; the whole of devoted practice comes down to stead