संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2332 of 4582

Abhanga 2332

For today: people of many fads — don't share mind with them; preserve faith — rasa of fondness has come; Hari-kathā is the samādhi of sukha, the māulī — rest-shade of the wearied; Tuka says — drowns tying a stone — no eagerness to run there.

When you're tempted to chase whatever crowd or trend seems exciting at the moment.

When you feel the sweetness of devotion beginning to grow in you and want to protect it.

When you're worn out by life and need real rest instead of more distraction.

The verse

बहुतां छंदाचें बहु वसे जन । नये वांटूं मन त्यांच्या संगें ॥१॥ करावा जतन आपुला विश्वास । अंगा आला रस आवडीचा ॥ध्रु.॥ सुखाची समाधी हरिकथा माउली । विश्रांति साउली सिणलियांची ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बुडे बांधोनि दगड । तेथें काय कोड धांवायाचें ॥३॥

Literal translation

People of many fads — many places to dwell — don't share the mind in their company. Preserve your faith — the rasa of fondness has come to the body. The samādhi of sukha is Hari-kathā, the māulī — the rest-shade of the wearied. Tuka says: one drowns tying a stone — what eagerness to run there.

What it means

HARI-KATHĀ-AS-MĀULĪ-AND-REST-SHADE-OF-THE-WEARIED ABHANG.

THE CELEBRATED LINE: sukhāchī samādhī Hari-kathā mā'ulī — viśrānti sāulī sinaḷiyāñchī — the samādhi of sukha is Hari-kathā, the māulī — the rest-shade of the wearied. Mā'ulī = mother. Viśrānti sāulī = rest-shade. Sinaḷē = wearied, exhausted. The samādhi-of-sukha is Hari-kathā, the māulī (mother); the rest-shade of-the-wearied. One of the most-cited Tukārām-lines on the function-of-Hari-kathā — it is mother-like, providing the shade-of-rest to-the-tired-pilgrim of-samsāra.

The closing — stone-tied-drowning: Tukā mhaṇē buḍē bāndhōni dagaḍa — tēthē kāya kōḍa dhāmvāyāchē — Tuka says: one drowns tying a stone — what eagerness to run there. One-who-ties-a-stone-on-himself drowns; what-eagerness to-run-there? (= the company-of-many-fads-people is-stone-tied-drowning; don't-run-there.)

[T]

For someone today

Where this applies

When you're drawn toward trendy pursuits or crowds chasing the latest obsession and feel your focus slipping.
When you've begun to feel real sweetness in devotion and worry about losing it to distraction.
When you're exhausted by life and need a place of genuine rest rather than more noise.
When you're tempted to follow whatever crowd seems exciting without asking whether it will actually help you.

Bhakti Mother / Family bond