Abhanga 3897
Even a dying fish that remembers God in its final agony shows that calling on the divine Name at the last moment brings a joy without limit.
The verse
आविसाचे आसे गळ गिळी मासा । फुटोनियां घसा मरण पावे ॥१॥
मरणाचे वेळे करी तळमळ । आठवी कृपाळ तये वेळीं ॥२॥
अंतकाळीं ज्याच्या नाम आलें मुखा । तुका म्हणे सुखा पार नाहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Fish-swallows-hook-out-of-bait-desire — throat-bursts — death. At-death-taḷamaḷa — remembers-krpāḷa. Tukā: Name-at-anta-kāḷa — no-pār-to-sukha.
What it means
A 3-verse anta-kāḷa-Name text. Out of desire for the bait, the fish swallows the hook — its throat bursts — death comes. At the moment of death, in its anxious-thrashing, it remembers the compassionate-one at that very moment. He in whose mouth the Name has come at the final-time — to his joy there is no far-shore (no limit). The fish-and-hook image — desire-for-bait leads to the hook — is the same image as 3836 vara-āhāra gaḷī lāvī. Here the bhakti-twist: even the fish in its dying-distress can call the Lord and be saved. Pair with 3879 (Ajāmīḷa-said-Nārāyaṇa-at-prāṇa-leaving — same anta-kāḷa-Name doctrine).
For someone today
A fish, chasing the bait it wants, swallows the hook and its throat tears open, and death follows. In that final thrashing pain, even the fish turns and remembers the compassionate one. Tukaram says that whoever has the divine Name on their lips at the very last moment finds a joy that has no limit and no far shore. The lesson is that it is never too late to turn toward God, even in your worst and most desperate moment.
मराठी: एक मासा आपल्याला हवे असलेले आमिष खाण्याच्या नादात गळ गिळतो आणि त्याचा घसा फाटून त्याचा मृत्यू होतो. त्या शेवटच्या तडफडीतही तो मासा त्या कृपाळू परमेश्वराची आठवण करतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात, ज्याच्या मुखी शेवटच्या क्षणी नाम येते त्याच्या सुखाला काही सीमा उरत नाही. याचा अर्थ असा की देवाकडे वळायला कधीच उशीर झालेला नसतो, अगदी सगळ्यात वाईट आणि हतबल क्षणीही नाही.
Where this applies
- When you feel you have made a fatal mistake by chasing something you desired too much
- When you are in physical pain or crisis and wonder if it's too late to turn to prayer
- When you doubt whether a last-minute change of heart could really matter
- When you want reassurance that God's mercy reaches even the most desperate, dying moment