Abhanga 2373
The verse
येऊनि नरदेहा झांकितील डोळे । बळें चि अंधळे होती लोक ॥१॥ उजडासरसी न चलती वाट । पुढील बोभाट जाणोनियां ॥ध्रु.॥ बहु फेरे आले सोसोनि वोळसा । पुढें नाहीं ऐसा लाभ मग ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जाऊं सादावीत वाट । भेटे तरी भेटो कोणी तरी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: ★ Having come to human-body, they close their eyes — by force, people become blind ★. With daylight, they don't walk the path — knowing future uproar. Many rounds came, sufferings borne — afterward not-such-gain. Tuka says: let's go calling-out the path — if anyone meets, let them meet.
What it means
★ HUMAN-BIRTH-OPPORTUNITY-MISSED ABHANG ★.
★ THE OPENING ★: yē'ūni nara-dēhā jhānkitīla ḍōḷē — baḷē chi andhaḷē hōtī lōka — ★ having come to human-body, they close their eyes — by force, people become blind ★. ★ Having-come to-human-body, [people] close-their-eyes; by-force, become-blind. ★ Human-birth is-the-rare-opportunity but-people willfully-blind-themselves.
The daylight-walked: ujaḍāsarasī na chalatī vāṭa — puḍhīla bōbhāṭa jāṇōniyām — with daylight, they don't walk the path — knowing future uproar. With-daylight-(the-rare-human-birth's-clarity), they-don't-walk-the-path; knowing-the-future-uproar (= consequences-to-come).
The many-rounds: bahu phērē ālē sōsōni vōḷasā — puḍhē nāhīm aiśā lābha maga — many rounds came, sufferings borne — afterward not-such-gain. Many-rounds came, sufferings-borne; afterward (= after-this-human-birth) no-such-gain-again.
The closing — call-out-the-path: Tukā mhaṇē jāūm sādāvīta vāṭa — bhēṭē tarī bhēṭō kōṇī tarī — Tuka says: let's go calling-out the path — if anyone meets, let them meet. Let's-go calling-out-the-path; if-anyone-meets, let-them-meet. The bhakta's-public-call — Tukārām commits to-shouting-the-bhakti-path in-public, hoping-at-least-someone-will-meet.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ★ human-body received, eyes closed by force ★; daylight unwalked; many rounds before, no such gain after; let's call out the path — let someone meet.
Where this applies
- People-make-themselves-blind-in-human-birth. Nara-dēhā-jhānkitīla-ḍōḷē-baḷē-andhaḷē.
- Daylight-unwalked.* Ujaḍāsarasī-na-chalatī-vāṭa.
- Many-rounds-no-such-gain-after.* Bahu-phērē-puḍhē-nāhīm-lābha.
- Call-out-the-path.* Jāūm-sādāvīta-vāṭa-bhēṭē-tarī-bhēṭō.