संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1724 of 4582

Abhanga 1724

For today: the one who feels weariness in singing or listening (to bhakti) — dwells in the aghora kumbhi-pāka hell; Yama-dharma tortures him with wrath — for what did he give you mouth and ears?; you remain unbroken in viṣaya-pleasures with the world — don't go even to ekādaśī jāgaraṇa; you spend wealth drinking alcohol — but haven't given food to a guest; no pilgrimage, no help-to-others — only preserved the body, fattened by greed; Tuka says — then he bears the daṇḍa — the shameless don't listen when told.

When you'd condemn the irreligious-life as Yama-bound — bored-in-singing-aghora; viṣaya-no-ekādaśī; alcohol-no-anna-to-atithi; no-tīrtha-no-upakāra; bears-daṇḍa

The verse

गातां आइकतां कांटाळा जो करी । वास त्या अघोरीं कुंभपाकीं ॥१॥ रागें यमधर्म जाचविती तया । तु दिलें कासया मुख कान ॥ध्रु.॥ विषयांच्या सुखें अखंड जगासी । न वजे एकादशी जागरणा ॥२॥ वेचूनियां द्रव्य सेवी मद्यपान । नाहीं दिलें अन्न अतीतासी ॥३॥ तीर्थाटण नाहीं केले उपकार । पाळिलें शरीर पुष्ट लोभें ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे मग केला साहे दंड । नाइकती लंड सांगितलें ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Singing-listening, the one who feels weariness — dwells in aghora kumbhi-pāka. With wrath, Yama-dharma tortures him — for what did you give him mouth, ears? With viṣaya-sukhas, unbroken to the world — doesn't go to ekādaśī jāgaraṇa. Spending wealth, drinks alcohol — not given anna to atithi. No tīrtha-yātrā, no upakāra done — preserved the body fattened by lobha. Tuka says: then bears the daṇḍa — the laṇḍa don't listen when told.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
गातां आइकतां कांटाळा जो करी "singing, listeningone who feels weariness"
वास त्या अघोरीं कुंभपाकीं "dwellingin aghora-kumbhi-pāka"
रागें यमधर्म जाचविती तया "with wrathYama-dharma tortures him"
तु दिलें कासया मुख कान "for whatdid you givemouth, ears"
विषयांच्या सुखें अखंड जगासी "by viṣaya-sukhasunbroken to-world"
न वजे एकादशी जागरणा "doesn't goto ekādaśī jāgaraṇa"
वेचूनियां द्रव्य सेवी मद्यपान "spending wealthdrinks alcohol"
नाहीं दिलें अन्न अतीतासी "not given annato atithi"
तीर्थाटण नाहीं केले उपकार "no tīrtha-yātrāno upakāra-done"
पाळिलें शरीर पुष्ट लोभें "preserved the bodyfattened by lobha"
तुका म्हणे मग केला साहे दंड "Tuka says — then bears the daṇḍa"
नाइकती लंड सांगितलें "the laṇḍadon't listen when told"

What it means

Anti-irreligious-life-leads-to-Yama-daṇḍa abhang. A catalogue of the irreligious-householder's failings.

The opening: gātām ā'ikatām kāṇṭāḷā jō karī — vāsa tyā aghōrīm kumbhi-pākīone who feels weariness in singing/listening (kīrtana / kathā) — dwells in aghora kumbhi-pāka. Bored-with-bhakti = aghora-hell-bound.

The mouth-ears-question: rāgē Yama-dharma jācavitī tayā — tu dilēm kāsayā mukha kānaYama-dharma tortures with wrath — for what did you give mouth, ears? (= the mouth-and-ears were given for kīrtana-and-śravaṇa; if abused, Yama tortures.)

The catalogue of failings:

  1. viṣayāñcyā sukhē akhaṇḍa jagāsī — na vajē ēkādaśī jāgaraṇāengaged with viṣayas unbroken; doesn't go to ekādaśī jāgaraṇa.
  2. vēcūniyām dravya sēvī madya-pāna — nāhīm dilēm anna atītāsīspends wealth on alcohol; doesn't give anna to atithi.
  3. tīrthāṭaṇa nāhīm kēlē upakāra — pāḷilēm śarīra puṣṭa lōbhēno tīrtha-yātrā, no upakāra; just preserved-the-body fattened-by-greed.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē maga kēlā sāhē daṇḍa — nā'ikatī laṇḍa sāngitalēmTuka says: then bears the daṇḍa — the laṇḍa don't listen when told. Daṇḍa = Yama's-stick of punishment; laṇḍa = the shameless / without-restraint.

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For someone today

For today: the one who feels weariness in singing or listening (to bhakti) — dwells in the aghora kumbhi-pāka hell; Yama-dharma tortures him with wrath — for what did he give you mouth and ears?; you remain unbroken in viṣaya-pleasures with the world — don't go even to ekādaśī jāgaraṇa; you spend wealth drinking alcohol — but haven't given food to a guest; no pilgrimage, no help-to-others — only preserved the body, fattened by greed; Tuka says — then he bears the daṇḍa — the shameless don't listen when told.

Where this applies

Related verses