Abhanga 1835
For today: don't all sleep at all places — at-least, watch time and untime, somewhat; guard, oh guard — the thief looks to lay-attack on the house; many were caught — circles eating around them — what's gone doesn't return — only restlessness remains in the end; Tuka says — we will guard our own — no need to give to anyone — open your ears, oh.
The verse
अवघे चि निजों नका अवघिये ठायीं । वेळ अवेळ तरी सांभाळावी कांहीं ॥१॥ जतन करा रे जतन करा । घालूं पाहे घरावरी घाला चोरटें ॥ध्रु.॥ सीतरिलीं फार खाती भोंवताले फेरे । गेलें नये हातां सेकीं तळमळ उरे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही करूं आपलें जतन । न लगे कांहीं कोणां द्यावें उघडा रे कान ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Don't all sleep at all places — at-least, time and untime, should be watched somewhat. Guard, oh guard — guard, oh guard — the thief looks to lay-attack on the house. Many were caught — eating circles around them — what's gone doesn't return to hand — only restlessness remains in the end. Tuka says: we will guard our own — no need to give to anyone — open your ears, oh.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अवघे चि निजों नका अवघिये ठायीं | "don't all sleep — at all places" |
| वेळ अवेळ तरी सांभाळावी कांहीं | "time and untime — should be watched — somewhat" |
| जतन करा रे जतन करा | "guard, oh guard — guard, oh guard" |
| घालूं पाहे घरावरी घाला चोरटें | "the thief — looks to lay-attack — on the house" |
| सीतरिलीं फार खाती भोंवताले फेरे | "many were caught (sītarilīm) — eating circles around them" |
| गेलें नये हातां सेकीं तळमळ उरे | "what's gone doesn't return to hand — only restlessness remains in the end" |
| तुका म्हणे आम्ही करूं आपलें जतन | "Tuka says — we will guard our own" |
| न लगे कांहीं कोणां द्यावें उघडा रे कान | "no need to give to anyone — open your ears, oh" |
What it means
Vigilance-against-thieves-of-bhakti abhang.
The opening: avaghē chi nijōm nakā avaghiyē ṭhāyī — vēḷa avēḷa tarī sāmbhāḷāvī kāhīm — don't all sleep at all places — at-least time and untime should be watched somewhat. Don't-let-everyone-sleep-everywhere; at-least-keep-some-vigilance about timing.
The guard-cry: jatana karā rē jatana karā — ghālūm pāhē gharāvarī ghālā cōraṭē — guard, oh guard — the thief looks to lay-attack on the house. Cōraṭē = thief, robber; ghālā = attack, raid. The thief is looking to attack the house — guard yourselves.
The caught-line: sītarilīm phāra khātī bhōmvatālē phēra — gēlē nayē hātām sēkīm taḷamaḷa urē — many were caught — eating circles around them — what's gone doesn't return — only restlessness remains. Sītarilīm = those caught; phēra = circles; taḷamaḷa = restlessness, anguish. Many-have-been-caught with circles-of-deception eating-around-them; once-the-thing-is-gone, only-anguish-remains.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē āmhī karūm āpalē jatana — na lagē kāhīm kōṇām dyāvē ughaḍā rē kāna — Tuka says: we will guard our own — no need to give to anyone — open your ears, oh. We-will-guard-our-own (= our own bhakti-treasure); we won't-give-it-away to-anyone; open-your-ears (= heed-this-warning).
The implicit-message: the thieves-of-bhakti (= viṣayas, false-gurus, distractions) attack-when-the-bhakta-sleeps; vigilance-is-required at-time-and-untime; many-have-already-been-deceived; guard-your-own-treasure.
This is one of Tuka's vigilance abhangs — pairs with 1818, 1822, 1831 (mind-control / delusion / restlessness registers).
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't all sleep at all places — at-least, watch time and untime, somewhat; guard, oh guard — the thief looks to lay-attack on the house; many were caught — circles eating around them — what's gone doesn't return — only restlessness remains in the end; Tuka says — we will guard our own — no need to give to anyone — open your ears, oh.
Where this applies
- Don't-all-sleep-everywhere-watch-some-times.* Avaghē-nijōm-nakā-vēḷa-avēḷa.
- Guard-the-thief-attacks-the-house.* Jatana-karā-cōraṭē-ghālā.
- Many-caught-circles-around-only-anguish-remains.* Sītarilīm-phēra-taḷamaḷa.
- We-guard-our-own-open-your-ears.* Āpalē-jatana-ughaḍā-kāna.