Abhanga 1970
For today: considering — whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me?; by what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind?; how long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us?; we became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva; Tuka says — becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here — eat what he gives.
The verse
करितां विचार अवघें एक राज्य । दुजा कोण मज पाठी घाली ॥१॥ कोण्या रीती जावें आम्ही वो पळोनि । मोकळ अंगणीं मागें पुढें ॥ध्रु.॥ काय तें गव्हाणें हिंडावीं वो किती । दूत ते लागती याच पाठी ॥२॥ कोठें याची करूं केलों कुळवाडी । आतां हा न सोडी जीवें आम्हां ॥३॥ होऊनि बेबाख येथें चि राहावें । देईंल तें खावें तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Considering — the whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me? By what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind? How long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us? We became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva. Tuka says: becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here — eat what he gives.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| करितां विचार अवघें एक राज्य | "considering — whole is one kingdom" |
| दुजा कोण मज पाठी घाली | "who else will shelter me" |
| कोण्या रीती जावें आम्ही वो पळोनि | "by what way should we flee" |
| मोकळ अंगणीं मागें पुढें | "open courtyard before-and-behind" |
| काय तें गव्हाणें हिंडावीं वो किती | "how long wander empty rice-fields" |
| दूत ते लागती याच पाठी | "his messengers chase us" |
| कोठें याची करूं केलों कुळवाडी | "we became his kuḷavāḍī (cultivator)" |
| आतां हा न सोडी जीवें आम्हां | "now he won't release my jīva" |
| होऊनि बेबाख येथें चि राहावें | "becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here" |
| देईंल तें खावें तुका म्हणे | "eat what he gives — Tuka says" |
What it means
Can't-flee-Lord's-kingdom + accept-what-he-gives abhang.
The opening reasoning: karitām vichāra avaghē ēka rājya — dujā kōṇa maja pāṭhī ghālī — considering — the whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me?. The whole-cosmos is-one-kingdom (the Lord's); no-other-shelter exists.
The flight-attempt: kōṇyā rītī jāvē āmhī vō paḷōni — mōkaḷa angaṇī māgē puḍhē — by what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind?. No-cover anywhere.
The chase: kāya tē gavhāṇē hiṇḍāvīm vō kitī — dūta tē lāgatī yācha pāṭhī — how long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us. Gavhāṇē = empty rice-/wheat-fields. The Lord's-messengers (= karma-yamadūta?) follow-us anywhere.
The kuḷavāḍī-bondage: kōṭhē yāchī karūm kēlōm kuḷavāḍī — ātām hā na sōḍī jīvē āmhām — we became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva. Kuḷavāḍī = tenant-cultivator (bound to the landlord). We bound-ourselves as-cultivator to-this-Lord; now he-won't-release-our-jīva.
The closing-resignation: hō'ūni bēbākha yēthē chi rāhāvē — dē'īla tē khāvē Tukā mhaṇē — Tuka says: becoming free-of-charge (bēbākha = free, without burden) let's stay right here — eat what he gives. Just-stay; eat-what-he-gives.
Tukārām's instruction-to-wife: no-escape-from-the-Lord's-kingdom; accept-what-he-gives — that's-the-only-way.
[T]
For someone today
For today: considering — whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me?; by what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind?; how long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us?; we became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva; Tuka says — becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here — eat what he gives.
Where this applies
- Whole-is-one-kingdom-no-other-shelter.* Vichāra-avaghē-ēka-rājya-dujā-kōṇa.
- By-what-way-should-we-flee.* Rītī-jāvē-paḷōni-angaṇī.
- Wander-empty-fields-messengers-chase.* Gavhāṇē-hiṇḍāvīm-dūta.
- Became-his-cultivator-no-release.* Kuḷavāḍī-na-sōḍī-jīvē.
- Stay-here-eat-what-he-gives.* Bēbākha-rāhāvē-dē'īla-khāvē.