Abhanga 3505
The verse
पाठीलागा काळ येतसे या लागें । मी माझें वाउगें मेंढीऐसें ॥१॥
आतां अगी लागो ऐसिया वेव्हारा । तूं माझा सोइरा पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥
वागविला माथां नसतां चि भार । नव्हे तें साचार जाणील तों ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे केलें जवळील दुरी । मृगजळ वरी आड आलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kāḷa-chases-me — I-and-mine-wandering-like-mēṇḍhī. Let-fire-burn-vyavahāra — you-my-sōyarā-Pāṇḍurangā. Bore-bhāra-when-none-real — who-knows-sāchāra-sees. Tukā: near-made-far — mrgajaḷa-came-in-the-way.
What it means
★ A striking 3-verse text. Death chases me, my wandering-self is like a sheep; let the worldly-business burn — you are my kinsman; I carried a load that didn't exist; he made the near far by the mirage-water. The mēṇḍhī-aisē (sheep-like) is unusually self-deprecating; javaḷī-durī by mrgajaḷa is a striking image.
For someone today
Tukārām: I-wandered-like-a-sheep — the-near-was-made-far-by-mirage-water.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's Kāḷa-chases-me; wandering-like-mēṇḍhī; you-my-sōyarā canonical
- near-made-far-by-mrgajaḷa image