संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3722 of 4582

Abhanga 3722

Give your undivided attention to what truly matters, clear away noise and distraction to find real solitude and joy, and push through laziness with patient effort until you are fully awake.

When you notice your focus is scattered across too many half-hearted efforts.

When you retreat from noise and clutter to find a quiet place where you can actually think or feel at peace.

When you catch yourself giving in to laziness instead of doing the steady work that would wake you up to what matters.

The verse

एकविध नारायण । तेथें विषमाचा सीण । पालटों चि भिन्न । नये अणुप्रमाण ॥१॥ अवघें सारावें गाबाळ । चुकवूनियां कोल्हाळ । आनंदाचें स्थळ । एकाएकीं एकांत ॥ध्रु.॥ कायावाचामन । स्वरूपीं च अनुसंधान । लक्ष भेदी बाण । येणे पाडें लवलाहो ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आळस निद्रा । येथें देउनियां चिरा । देउनियां धीरा । मिठी जाणा जागृतीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

One-fold-Nārāyaṇa — viṣama-fatigue — no-change-to-bhinna-by-aṇu. Sweep-rubbish-avoid-clamor — ānanda-sthaḷa-in-ēkānta. Kāyā-vāchā-mana — anu-sandhāna-at-svarūpa — arrow-piercing-target. Tukā: āḷasa-nidrā — strike-with-chirā — by-dhīra-embrace-jāgrti.

What it means

A 4-verse meditation-discipline text. One-fold Nārāyaṇa is there; partial-change doesn't come even by an atom; sweep aside all rubbish, avoid the clamor; the place of ānanda is in solitary one-on-one ēkānta; body-speech-mind in continuous-link at the svarūpa, like an arrow piercing the target; strike laziness and sleep with a wedge; by patience, take the embrace of jāgrti.

For someone today

Tukaram describes God as undivided and whole, not something that changes or splits even by a hair's breadth, so real focus on God cannot be halfhearted or scattered. He tells us to sweep away the clutter and noise of ordinary distraction and seek out a quiet, solitary place, because that is where real joy is found. Body, speech, and mind should line up together on that one goal the way an arrow flies straight and fast into its target. He adds that laziness and spiritual sleepiness need to be split open and pushed through with patient, steady effort until you arrive at real wakefulness.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की देव अखंड आणि एकसंध आहे, तो अणुमात्रही बदलत नाही, त्यामुळे त्याच्यावर खरे लक्ष केंद्रित करणे अर्धवट किंवा विखुरलेले असू शकत नाही. ते सांगतात की रोजच्या गोंधळाचा आणि गडबडीचा कचरा झाडून टाकावा आणि शांत, एकांताची जागा शोधावी, कारण खरा आनंद तिथेच सापडतो. शरीर, वाणी आणि मन या एका ध्येयावर तिरासारखे सरळ आणि वेगाने रोखलेले असावेत. आळस आणि आध्यात्मिक झोप ही चिऱ्याने फोडावी लागते आणि धीराने, सतत प्रयत्नाने खऱ्या जागृतीपर्यंत पोहोचावे लागते, असेही ते सांगतात.

Where this applies

When your attention keeps splitting between too many things and you can't settle into anything fully
When noise and clutter around you are keeping you from feeling any real peace or joy
When you want your actions, words, and thoughts to actually line up instead of pulling in different directions
When you keep putting off your own growth out of laziness or a kind of spiritual drowsiness

Autobiographical