संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1835 of 4582

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.

When you feel too confident to bother staying watchful over your own habits and commitments.

When you notice people around you losing what matters most to small, repeated distractions.

When you realize, too late, that something valuable slipped away because you weren't paying attention.

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

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

Where this applies

When you feel so secure in your progress that you stop paying attention to what's pulling you off course
When distractions or temptations seem harmless in small doses
When you've let something precious to you slip away through carelessness and now feel only regret
When people around you are being drawn away one by one and you assume it won't happen to you

Bhakti