Abhanga 2028
Death is already standing beside you unseen, so stay alert now and burn away the habits that keep you from saying the name while you still can.
The verse
काळ जवळि च उभा नेणां । घाली झांपडी खुंटी कानां ॥१॥ कैसा हुशार सावध राहीं । आपुला तूं अपुलेठायीं ॥ध्रु.॥ काळ जवळिच उभा पाहीं । नेदी कोणासि देऊं कांहीं ॥२॥ काळें पुरविली पाठी । वरुषें जालीं तरी साठी ॥३॥ काळ भोंवताला भोंवे । राम येऊं नेदी जिव्हे ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे काळा । कर्म मळितें तें जाळा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Kāḷa stands right next to you — you don't know — puts a hood on your ears, pegs them. How alert, stay watchful — be yours in your own place. Kāḷa stands right next — won't let me give anything to anyone. Kāḷa is on the back — years have become sixty. Kāḷa whirls around — won't let Rāma come to the tongue. Tuka says: kāḷa — the dirt-rubbing karma — burn it.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काळ जवळि च उभा नेणां | "kāḷa stands right next — you don't know" |
| घाली झांपडी खुंटी कानां | "puts a hood on your ears — pegs them" |
| कैसा हुशार सावध राहीं | "how alert, stay watchful" |
| आपुला तूं अपुलेठायीं | "be yours in your own place" |
| काळ जवळिच उभा पाहीं | "kāḷa stands right next — see" |
| नेदी कोणासि देऊं कांहीं | "won't let me give anything to anyone" |
| काळें पुरविली पाठी | "kāḷa is on the back" |
| वरुषें जालीं तरी साठी | "years have become sixty" |
| काळ भोंवताला भोंवे | "kāḷa whirls around" |
| राम येऊं नेदी जिव्हे | "won't let Rāma come to the tongue" |
| तुका म्हणे काळा | "Tuka says — kāḷa" |
| कर्म मळितें तें जाळा | "the dirt-rubbing karma — burn it" |
What it means
Kāḷa-stands-right-next-to-you-wake-up abhang. 1-ABHANG SUB-CLUSTER (confirmed by ॥१॥ at 2029).
The opening — death-already-here: kāḷa javaḷi cha ubhā nēṇām — ghālī jhāmpaḍī khuṇṭī kānām — kāḷa stands right next — you don't know — puts a hood on your ears, pegs them. Jhāmpaḍī = blindfolding-hood. Khuṇṭī = pegs/stakes. Death stands-right-next, but-you-can't-see (the hood is-on-your-eyes), can't-hear (pegs-in-the-ears) — like a bullock-being-led-to-slaughter.
The watchfulness: kaisā huśāra sāvadha rāhīm — āpulā tūm apulēṭhāyīm — how alert, stay watchful — be yours in your own place. Be-alert; be-yours in-your-own-place.
The autobiographical: kāḷē puravilī pāṭhī — varuṣē jālīm tarī sāṭhī — kāḷa is on the back — years have become sixty. Sixty-years-old now; kāḷa already-pursuing. This dates the abhang to-Tukārām's-late-life (Tukārām is traditionally-said-to-have-departed-around-the-age-of-41; "sixty" here is rhetorical / a-typical-householder figure).
The whirling: kāḷa bhōmvatālā bhōmvē — Rāma yēūm nēdī jivhē — kāḷa whirls around — won't let Rāma come to the tongue. Kāḷa surrounds-you, blocking-Rāma from-coming-to-the-tongue.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kāḷā — karma maḷitē tē jāḷā — Tuka says: kāḷa — the dirt-rubbing karma — burn it. Burn the karma-that-rubs-on-dirt (= the soiling-actions).
[T]
For someone today
For today: kāḷa stands right next — you don't know — hood on ears; how alert, stay watchful; kāḷa stands right next — won't let me give anything; kāḷa on the back — years have become sixty; kāḷa whirls around — won't let Rāma come to tongue; Tuka says — kāḷa — the dirt-rubbing karma — burn it.
Where this applies
- When you keep postponing something meaningful because you assume there will always be more time
- When you feel busy and distracted and realize you have not paused to be truly present in months
- When you notice you are getting older and start wondering what you have actually done with your days
- When old habits or guilt keep crowding out the quiet moments you meant to spend in prayer or reflection