संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1915 of 4582

Abhanga 1915

English: Measured and measured — don't know how many heaps fell.

When you'd describe Lord-never-sated-and-no-leisure — mavilē-rāsi-paḍilyā; dhālā-na-dhāsī-ubhā-ubhī; avaghā-kāḷa-vāṭā-pāhātī; arāṇūka-na

The verse

मविलें मविती । नेणों रासी पडिल्या किती ॥१॥ परि तूं धाला चि न धासी । आलें उभाउभीं घेसी ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघ्यां अवघा काळ । वाटा पाहाती सकळ ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाहीं । अराणूक तुज कांहीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Measured and measured — don't know how many heaps fell. But you, sated, are not sated — taking even what comes standing. All-at-all-time — all watch the path. Tuka says: no leisure for you, anything.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
मविलें मविती "measured and measured"
नेणों रासी पडिल्या किती "don't know how many heaps fell"
परि तूं धाला चि न धासी "but you, sated, are-not-sated"
आलें उभाउभीं घेसी "taking even what comes-standing"
अवघ्यां अवघा काळ "all-at-all-time"
वाटा पाहाती सकळ "all watch the path"
तुका म्हणे नाहीं "Tuka says — no"
अराणूक तुज कांहीं "leisure for you, anything"

What it means

Lord-never-sated-no-leisure abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.

The opening-image: mavilē mavitī — nēṇōm rāsi paḍilyā kitīmeasured and measured — don't know how many heaps fell. Endless-bhakti-offerings have-been-measured-out, heap-after-heap.

The not-sated line: parī tūm dhālā chi na dhāsī — ālē ubhā-ubhī ghēsībut you, sated, are not sated — taking even what comes standing. Dhālā = sated; ubhā-ubhī = standing-up, on-the-spot. The Lord-takes-even-the-on-the-spot-offerings, never-saying-enough.

The all-watching: avaghyām avaghā kāḷa — vāṭā pāhātī sakaḷaall-at-all-time — all watch the path. All-bhaktas-at-all-times watch-the-path-(for-the-Lord).

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē nāhīm — arāṇūka tuja kāhīmTuka says: no leisure for you, anything. Arāṇūka = leisure, ease. The Lord-has-no-leisure (= too-busy-receiving-offerings).

This abhang gently teases the Lord for being-overworked-with-receiving-bhakti — the Lord can't-find-leisure even-to-respond-to-Tuka's-letter.

[T]

For someone today

For today: measured and measured — don't know how many heaps fell; but you, sated, are not sated — taking even what comes standing; all-at-all-time — all watch the path; Tuka says — no leisure for you, anything.

Where this applies

Related verses