Abhanga 4011
Ōlē-mātī-don't-trust.
The verse
ओले मातीचा भरवसा । कां रे धरिशी मानसा ॥१॥
डोळे चिरीव चांगले । वृद्धपणीं सरवया जाले ॥ध्रु.॥
नाक सरळ चांगलें । येउन हनवटी लागलें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आलें नाहीं । तंव हरिला भज रे कांहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ōlē-mātī-don't-trust. Carved-eyes-misaligned-in-old-age. Straight-nose-bent-to-chin. Tukā: while-end-hasn't-come — worship-Hari-a-bit.
What it means
★ A 3-verse old-age decay-of-features text. Why trust this wet-clay (body)? The finely-carved eyes have slipped down in old-age. The straight handsome nose has bent down to the chin. While the end has not come, worship Hari a little. Two specific face-features: (1) ḍōḷē-chirīva (the well-carved eyes, like sculptures), now slipping-out-of-position; (2) nāka-saraḷa (the straight nose), now drooping to the chin. The face once-beautiful, now collapsed.
For someone today
Tukārām: body-is-wet-clay-once-beautiful-features-collapse-in-old-age; worship-Hari-now.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's wet-clay-body-features-collapse-in-old-age canonical decay-image
- Pair with 4004 (canonical old-age), 3823 (mortality)