Abhanga 3274
Prepare for death now, while alert, by keeping your mind fixed on the Divine and detached from wealth, status, and people's approval.
The verse
आतां केशीराजा हे चि विनवणी । मस्तक चरणीं ठेवीतसें ॥१॥
देह असो माझा भलतिये ठायीं । चत्ति तुझ्या पायीं असों द्यावें ॥ध्रु.॥
काळाचें खंडण घडावें चिंतन । धनमानजनविन्मुख तो ॥२॥
कफवातपत्ति देहअवसानीं । ठेवावीं वारूनि दुरितें हीं ॥३॥
सावध तों माझीं इंद्रियें सकळें । दिलीं एका वेळे हाक आधीं ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे तूं या सकळांचा जनिता । येथें ऐकता सकळांसी ॥५॥
Literal translation
Now-Keśīrāja-vinavaṇī; māthā-on-charaṇa-placed. Deha-anywhere; chitta-at-feet stays. Kāḷa-khaṇḍana by-chintana; vimukha-from-dhana-māna-jana. Kapha-vāta-pitti at-deha-avasāna keep-away; cast-aside-duritas. My-indriyas-savadhāna; one-time-cry ahead. Tukā: you-janitā-of-all; hear-all-here.
What it means
A canonical 5-verse death-time-petition. Body-anywhere-but-chitta-at-feet; cut-off-the-time-of-death-by-chintana; turn-away-from-dhana-māna-jana; keep-the-3-doṣas-at-bay-at-deha-end; the-indriyas-cry-out-ahead-of-time.
For someone today
This is Tukaram's prayer for how he wants to meet death. He asks Keshiraja to let his body be wherever it happens to be when the end comes, as long as his mind and awareness stay fixed on the Divine's feet. He prays that constant remembrance of God will overpower the disorientation of the dying moment, and that he will be free from craving wealth, status, or the approval of people. He asks for protection from bodily suffering and wrongdoing at the very end of life, and admits that, while still alert and clear-headed, he is crying out for this now, ahead of time, rather than waiting until death is upon him. He closes by affirming that God, the source of everyone, is listening.
मराठी: हे तुकारामांचे मृत्यूला कसे सामोरे जावे याविषयीचे प्रार्थनागीत आहे. ते केशीराजाला विनंती करतात की मृत्यूच्या क्षणी माझा देह कुठेही असो, पण माझे मन आणि जाणीव तुझ्या पायाशीच स्थिर राहू दे. सतत नामस्मरण मरणाच्या क्षणीच्या गोंधळावर मात करो आणि धन, मान आणि लोकांच्या मान्यतेची ओढ माझ्यात राहू नये, अशी ते प्रार्थना करतात. आयुष्याच्या शेवटी शारीरिक त्रास आणि पापांपासून रक्षण मागतात, आणि कबूल करतात की अजून सावध व शुद्ध बुद्धी असतानाच, मृत्यू येण्याआधीच, ते ही हाक आत्ताच देत आहेत. शेवटी ते सांगतात की सर्वांचा जनक असलेला देव इथे सर्वांचे ऐकत आहे.
Where this applies
- Canonical death-time-petition
- Companion to 2884 (māpārī mortality-warning)