Abhanga 4125
Stay alert like a watchman guarding against thieves, because only those who remain watchful, especially through constant remembrance of God, keep what truly matters.
The verse
जागा घरटी फिरे तस्कराची दिवसाराती । नीदसुरें नाडिलीं असो मागों किती ॥१॥
हाट करी सकळ जन । वस्तु करा रे जतन ॥ध्रु.॥
हुशार ठायीं । निजनिजेलिया पाहीं ॥२॥
सावचित्त असे खरा । लाभ घेउन जाये घरा ॥३॥
तराळ राळ बोंबें उतराई । राखा आपुलिया भाई ॥४॥
हरिच्या नामीं घालूं जागा । तुका म्हणे हुशार गा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Jāgā — taskara-gharaṭi-day-night — sleepers-cheated. Hāṭa-on-all — protect-vastu. Hushār-at-ṭhāya — see-sleepers. Sāva-chitta-truly — takes-lābha-home. Tarāḷa-bōmba-utarāī — protect-yourselves-brothers. Tukā: Hari-Nāma-jāgā — huśāra-gā.
What it means
THE canonical 5-verse bhakta-vigilance text — Tukārām as the night-watchman of bhakti. Watchful-state! the thieves' round goes day and night; the sleepers have been cheated much. The market is on for all people — protect your goods. Be alert in place; see what happens to the sleepers. The truly alert-minded one takes the gain home. The watchman calls his alarm for descending — protect yourselves, brothers! In Hari's Name, let us establish the watchful-state — be alert!. The image of the bhakti-village as a market with active-thieves and a watchman (tarāḷa) ringing alarms — Tukārām casts himself as the watchman, calling huśāra-gā (alert!) to fellow-bhaktas. Pair with 2864 (clap-hands kīrtana), 4032 (Tukā-vāṇī honest-merchant), 4080 (bhakta-fearlessness).
For someone today
Tukaram casts himself as a night watchman calling out a warning: thieves make their rounds day and night, and anyone who falls asleep gets robbed. He tells everyone in the marketplace of life to guard their goods and stay alert, because only the truly watchful person carries any real gain home safely. The watchman sounds the alarm and calls on his fellow villagers to protect themselves, and Tukaram turns this into a call to stay awake through devotion, keeping constant watch through Hari's name rather than drifting into carelessness.
मराठी: तुकाराम स्वतःला रात्रीच्या पहारेकऱ्याच्या रूपात मांडतात आणि इशारा देतात, चोर दिवसरात्र फेऱ्या मारत असतात आणि जो झोपतो त्याला लुटले जाते. ते सगळ्यांना सांगतात, या जगरूपी बाजारात आपले सामान सांभाळा आणि सावध राहा, कारण खरोखर जागृत असणाराच खरा लाभ घरी घेऊन जातो. पहारेकरी आरोळी देऊन गावकऱ्यांना स्वतःचे रक्षण करण्यास सांगतो, आणि तुकाराम याला हरिनामाच्या साह्याने सतत जागृत राहण्याचे आवाहन बनवतात, बेसावध राहू नका असे ते बजावतात.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's THE canonical bhakta-vigilance / tarāḷa-watchman / huśāra-gā text
- Pair with 4032 (Tukā-vāṇī honest-merchant), 2864 (clap-hands kīrtana)