Abhanga 3668
Stay ready with skill for the right moment, think clearly when sudden gain or loss comes, and keep your tools and affairs tidy and gathered.
The verse
उचिताचा काळ । साधावया युक्तिबळ । आपलें सकळ । ते प्रसंगीं पाहिजे ॥१॥
नेम नाहीं लाभ हानि । अवचित घडती दोनी । विचारूनि मनीं । पाहिजे तें प्रयोजावें ॥ध्रु.॥
जाळ जाळा काळें । करपों नेदावें आगळें । जेवितां वेगळें । ज्याचें त्याचें तेथें तें शोभे ॥२॥
पाळी नांगर पाभारीं । तन निवडूनि सोंकरी । तुका म्हणे धरी । सेज जमा सेवटीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Right-time, yukti-baḷa, all-one's-own — at-prasanga. No-rule-for-lābha-hāni — both-avachita — consider-and-prayōja. Burn-jāḷa-at-right-time — don't-let-singe-too-much; eating-what's-separate-each-shines. Care-for-plough-pābhārī, choose-tana-clear-out. Tukā: gather-sēja-jamā-at-end.
What it means
A rare 4-verse practical-farming-wisdom text. Be ready at the right time with skill-and-strength; lābha-and-hāni come suddenly — consider and use what's-needed; burn the net at the right time, don't over-singe; care for plough and sowing-implement, weed and clear; at the end, gather the bedroll into one. Tukārām rarely speaks in pure-practical-wisdom register — this is one of his most-grounded farming-village texts.
For someone today
In one of his rare pieces of down-to-earth practical advice, Tukaram sounds almost like a farmer teaching a younger worker. Be ready with skill and readiness at the right moment, he says, because gain and loss both arrive suddenly and without warning, so think it through and respond wisely rather than react blindly. Timing matters even in small things, do not let something burn or sit too long past its moment. Take care of your tools, clear out the weeds, and at the end of the day, gather everything neatly back into one place.
मराठी: आपल्या क्वचित आढळणाऱ्या व्यवहारी सल्ल्यांपैकी एका ठिकाणी तुकाराम जणू शेतकऱ्यासारखे तरुण कामकऱ्याला शिकवतात. योग्य वेळी कौशल्य आणि तयारी असावी, कारण फायदा आणि तोटा दोन्ही अचानक येतात, त्यामुळे विचार करून शहाणपणाने प्रतिसाद द्यावा, आंधळेपणाने प्रतिक्रिया देऊ नये असे ते सांगतात. लहानशा गोष्टींतही वेळेचे महत्त्व असते, काही गोष्ट योग्य क्षणापेक्षा जास्त वेळ जळू किंवा तशीच राहू देऊ नये. आपल्या हत्यारांची काळजी घ्यावी, तण काढून टाकावे, आणि दिवसाच्या शेवटी सगळे नीट एकत्र गुंडाळून ठेवावे.
Where this applies
- When an opportunity appears suddenly and you need to be ready with skill rather than caught off guard
- When unexpected gains or losses arrive and you need to think clearly instead of panicking
- When routine maintenance of your tools or habits keeps everything running smoothly
- When you need to clear away distractions and tidy things up at the end of a task or day