संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4187 of 4582

Abhanga 4187

The verse

दिवसा व्यापारचावटी । रात्री कुटुंबचिंता मोटी ॥१॥ काय करूं या मनासी । नाठवे हृषीकेशी ॥ध्रु.॥ वेश्येपाशीं रात्रीं जागे । हरिकीर्त्तनीं निद्रा लागे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे काय जालासी । वृथा संसारा आलासी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Day-vyāpāra-chāvaṭī — night-kuṭumba-chintā-big. What-with-this-mana — Hrṣīkēśī-not-recalled. At-vēśyā-night-jāga — at-harikīrtana-nidrā-comes. Tukā: what-have-you-become — samsāra-came-in-vain.

What it means

★ A 3-verse mis-prioritization critique. Day: the gossip-shop of business. Night: a big family-worry. What can I do with this mind — it doesn't remember Hrṣīkēśī. At the courtesan's, at night, (you) stay awake; at the Harikīrtana, sleep comes. Tukā says: what have you become? — you have come into samsāra in vain. The diagnostic pair: vēśyā-stays-awake vs harikīrtana-nidrā-comes — sharp-edge of mis-allocated wakefulness. Pair with 4135 (anti-empty-kīrtana), 4087 (wasted-life family).

For someone today

Tukārām: if-you-stay-awake-for-the-courtesan-but-fall-asleep-in-kīrtana you-have-come-into-this-life-in-vain.

Where this applies

Related verses