Abhanga 3815
A life, a pair of eyes, or a mouth without real connection to God is wasted, so use every part of yourself for genuine devotion.
The verse
काय वांचोनियां जालों भूमिभार । तुझ्या पायीं थार नाहीं तरि ॥१॥
जातां भलें काय डोळियांचें काम । जरि पुरुषोत्तम न देखती ॥ध्रु.॥
काय मुख बळि श्वापदाचे धांव । नित्य तुझें नांव नुच्चारितां ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे पैं या पांडुरंगाविण । न वचे चि क्षण जीव भला ॥३॥
Literal translation
What-life — bhūmi-bhāra — if-no-thāra-at-feet. What-eyes — if-Puruṣōttama-not-seen. What-mouth — like-jackal — if-Name-not-uttered-nityā. Tukā: without-Pāṇḍuranga — not-even-kṣaṇa-good-for-jīva.
What it means
A 3-verse organ-by-organ exclusive-bhakti text. What is the use of being alive — a burden on the earth — if I have no refuge at your feet? When (the end) comes, what work is there for the eyes — if they do not see Puruṣōttama? What good is this mouth — running like a jackal — if it does not utter your name daily? Without Pāṇḍuranga, not even a moment is good for the soul. Each organ — life, eyes, mouth — is evaluated by its bhakti-use.
For someone today
Tukaram questions the point of life itself if it has no real connection to God, calling such a life merely a burden the earth has to carry. He asks pointedly what good his own eyes are if they never truly see the divine, and what good his mouth is if it runs about restlessly like a jackal instead of speaking God's name every day. His conclusion is stark: without that connection, not even a single moment feels worthwhile to the soul. It's a call to use every part of yourself, your sight, your speech, your very existence, for something that actually matters.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे विचारतात की देवाशी खरा संबंध नसेल तर जगण्याचा तरी काय उपयोग, अशा जगण्याला ते फक्त पृथ्वीवरचे ओझे म्हणतात. आपले डोळे जर खरोखर परमात्म्याला पाहत नसतील तर त्यांचा काय उपयोग, आणि आपले तोंड जर रोज देवाचे नाव घेण्याऐवजी कोल्ह्यासारखे नुसते इकडेतिकडे धावत असेल तर त्याचा काय उपयोग, असे ते स्पष्टपणे विचारतात. त्यांचा निष्कर्ष कठोर आहे: तो संबंध नसेल तर आत्म्याला एक क्षणही सार्थ वाटत नाही. आपली दृष्टी, आपले बोलणे, आपले संपूर्ण अस्तित्व खरोखर महत्त्वाच्या गोष्टीसाठी वापरण्याचे हे आवाहन आहे.
Where this applies
- When your days feel busy but empty of any real spiritual purpose
- When you catch yourself using your time, speech, or attention on things that don't truly matter
- When you wonder whether your daily life is actually connected to something meaningful
- When restless talk or distraction has replaced quiet, sincere devotion in your day