Abhanga 2315
For today: don't fall into book-burdens — do this one quick vow; invoke Dēva by Dēva's fondness — make deha-bhāva desolate; sādhanas place one in Kāla's-mouth — garbha-vāsa not avoided; credit-mokṣa may or may not — wish for fall necessary; old-age has come, body-bound — awakening till when; Tuka says — jump for the Name's sake — Pāṇḍuranga takes to the bank.
The verse
नको कांहीं पडों ग्रंथाचे भरीं । शीघ व्रत करीं हें चि एक ॥१॥ देवाचिये चाडे आळवावें देवा । ओस देहभावा पाडोनियां ॥ध्रु.॥ साधनें घालिती काळाचिये मुखी । गर्भवास सेकीं न चुकती ॥२॥ उधाराचा मोक्ष होय नव्हे ऐसा । पतनासी इच्छा आवश्यक ॥३॥ रोकडी पातली अंगसंगें जरा । आतां उजगरा कोठवरि ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे घालीं नामासाठी उडी । पांडुरंग थडी पाववील ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Don't fall into the burden of books — do this one quick vow. Invoke Dēva by Dēva's fondness — make deha-bhāva desolate. Sādhanas place [one] in Kāla's-mouth — garbha-vāsa finally doesn't avoid. Credit-mokṣa may-or-may-not happen — the wish for fall is necessary. Old-age has come ready, body-bound — the awakening, till when? Tuka says: jump in for the Name's sake — Pāṇḍuranga will bring you to the bank.
What it means
Anti-bookish + jump-for-the-Name + Pāṇḍuranga-takes-to-the-bank abhang.
The anti-bookish opening: nakō kāmhīm paḍōm granthāñchē bharīm — śīghra vrata karīm hē chi ēka — don't fall into the burden of books — do this one quick vow. Granthāñchē bharīm = into-the-burden-of-books. Śīghra vrata = quick vow. Don't-fall-into-book-burdens; do-this-one-quick-vow. Tukārām anti-bookish-bhakti position — the Name is-faster-than-all-grantha-study.
The Dēva-by-Dēva's-fondness: Dēvāchiyē chāḍē āḷavāvē Dēvā — ōsa dēha-bhāvā pāḍōniyām — invoke Dēva by Dēva's fondness — make deha-bhāva desolate. Invoke-Dēva-by-(your)-Dēva-fondness; make-deha-bhāva-desolate.
The sādhanas-fail critique: sādhanē ghālitī kāḷāchiyē mukhī — garbha-vāsa sēkīm na chukatī — sādhanas place [one] in Kāla's-mouth — garbha-vāsa finally doesn't avoid. Sādhanas place-one-in Kāla's-mouth (= they-don't-save-from-death); garbha-vāsa is-finally-not-avoided (= rebirth still-comes). Anti-formal-sādhana position.
The credit-mokṣa: udhārāchā mōkṣa hōya navhē aisā — patanāsī icchā āvaśyaka — credit-mokṣa may-or-may-not happen — the wish for fall is necessary. Udhāra = credit, on-loan. Credit-mokṣa (mokṣa-on-credit) may-or-may-not-happen; the wish-for-fall is-necessary (= one-must-actively-want-to-fall-from-the-Lord, i.e., move-away-from-samsāra).
The old-age: rōkaḍī pātalī anga-sangē jarā — ātām ujagarā kōṭhavari — old-age has come ready, body-bound — the awakening, till when. Old-age has-come-ready, body-bound; how-much-longer-the-awakening (delay)?
The closing — jump for the Name: Tukā mhaṇē ghālīm nāmā-sāṭhī uḍī — Pāṇḍuranga thaḍī pāvavīla — Tuka says: jump in for the Name's sake — Pāṇḍuranga will bring you to the bank. Jump-in for-the-sake-of-the-Name; Pāṇḍuranga will-bring-you to-the-(further)-bank.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't fall into book-burdens — do this one quick vow; invoke Dēva by Dēva's fondness — make deha-bhāva desolate; sādhanas place one in Kāla's-mouth — garbha-vāsa not avoided; credit-mokṣa may or may not — wish for fall necessary; old-age has come, body-bound — awakening till when; Tuka says — jump for the Name's sake — Pāṇḍuranga takes to the bank.
Where this applies
- Don't-be-bookish-do-the-quick-vow.* Nakō-granthāñchē-bharīm-śīghra-vrata.
- Invoke-Dēva-by-fondness-deha-bhāva-desolate.* Dēvāchiyē-chāḍē-āḷavāvē-ōsa-dēha-bhāvā.
- Sādhanas-place-in-Kāla's-mouth-garbha-vāsa-doesn't-avoid.* Sādhanē-ghālitī-kāḷāchiyē-mukhī-garbha-vāsa.
- Credit-mokṣa-uncertain-wish-for-fall-necessary.* Udhārāchā-mōkṣa-patanāsī-icchā.
- Old-age-here-awakening-when.* Rōkaḍī-pātalī-jarā-ujagarā-kōṭhavari.
- Jump-for-the-Name-Pāṇḍuranga-to-the-bank.* Ghālīm-nāmā-sāṭhī-uḍī-Pāṇḍuranga-thaḍī.