77th post  on "Being Vigilant"स्मरणाचे वेळें ।व्हावें सावधान कळें।
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स्मरणाचे वेळें ।व्हावें सावधान कळें।| 1 || पडिलो विषयांचे ओढी । कोणी न दिसेसे काढी ॥ 2॥

भांडवल माझें । वेच झालेंभूमी ओझे || 3 || तुका म्हणें कळें। तू चि धावे ऐसें कळें ॥4 ॥

Verbatim Meaning :-

I do not understand that I have to be vigilant to remember Hari all the time || 1||

I have been caught in the grip of worldly objects and thoughts about the same .

I am not seeing anybody who will save me from this situation || 2 ||

Whatever capitol I had has been all spent. This body has thus become Heavyweight for the Earth || 3 ||

Therefore O'God please come running and you can save me || 4 ||

Back ground information to understanding the meaning of the Hymn. :-

This Hymn ( abhanga ) very preciously describes the state of mind of a Disciple of God, who has understood that he must put all efforts for God realization; and who is feeling that he is helpless. Such person knows that his willpower is very weak and because of this reason he is getting entangled in the worldly affairs continuously.

Most of us are presently experiencing this situation in our life.

Meaning of the Hymn(Abhanga) :

The first line advises us to be vigilant in our efforts for God realization. .

However our experience is  " we do not remain vigilant towards our goal of God realization."

It is important and necessary, to find the root cause of this inability of our mind to remain always vigilant. Once we know the root cause;  then it will be easy to find a cure.

Luckily another Hymn ( Abhanga ) of Tukarama Maharaja describes this root cause for us. It is as given below.

पडिली हें रूढी जगा परिचार । चालविती वेव्हार सत्य म्हणुनि ॥ १॥

मरणाची कां रे नाही आठवण । संचिताचें धन लाभ ठेवा ॥ २॥

देहाचें भय तें काळांचे भातुकें । ग्रासुनी तें एकें ठेविलेसें ॥ ३ ॥

तुका म्हणें कांही उघडां रें डोळें । जागोनिं अंधळे होऊं नका ॥ ४ ॥

Most of the people live in this world, believing that this world is only real. Everybody forgets that Death can strike anyone without any warning . O'Man why are you forgetting this truth?!

Whatever you store , will have to be enjoyed. You are afraid of the Death but understand that Every Body is the food for the Death. Tukaa says at least now, open your eyes. Do not pretend to be blind .

This point has been told to us by many a saints and Seers. For example in His spiritual guidebook of Sri.Dasabodhs, Samartha Ramadas has written a full chapter on Death he says

संसार म्हणजे सवेचि स्वार । नाही मरणास उधार। मापी लागले शरीर । घडिने घडी ॥

सरता संचिताचे शेष । नाही क्षणाचा अवकाश । भरता न भरता निमेष । जाणे लागे ॥

देह परमार्थी लावले। तरीच याचें सार्थक जाले।नाही तरी तें वेर्थची गेले।नाना आघाते म्रूत्यपंथे ॥

The meaning of this (above ) hymns :- As soon as one takes birth he is moving towards death at every moment. As soon as the fruits of past actions is enjoyed, then one has to go without waiting for next moment. The purpose of birth as a Human is served only if the body is used for God realization efforts . Otherwise all the opportunity is full wasted and one dies due to some reason or cause.

Another meaning of being Vigilant is also to be taken into considerations. Most of us are slaves of the habits we develop by doing an action repetitively. Thus if from our younger days if we have developed a habit of remembering God while doing every action then naturally it will help.

However most of the people have not developed this habit. As said in the Hymn by Sant Tukarama the people spend the whole lifetime in pursuing  the disillusion ( world and things therein ) .In fact the health is also spoiled. And When realization downs, at that time the body has become frail and unable to develop any new habit. All the attention then is towards some pain that is being experienced. or some mundane pleasures only. God is totally forgotten.

The second line of the Hymn ( Abhanga) preciously says that “When one is thus absorbed in the worldly pleasures, the obviously nobody comes to save such a person.”'

In the third line we get a glimpse of the soft heart of the saints. Tukarama maharaj has said the line for himself instead of saying the same for the persons absorbed

in worldly affairs. He says that by running behind the worldly objects and pleasure , I have lost all my wealth. ( Meaning wasted all my life and the unique Human birth ) and I am now like heavy stone for the earth.

In the fourth line further he say that now my eyes are opened and I have understood the O'God only you can save me.

Here the Hymn ( Abhanga ) ends.

Teaching of this Hymn ( Abhanga ) :-

The abhanga clearly brings out a point that one who is wanting God realization should be always vigilant about how the time is spent. When possible one should remember God. Some times we are so much absorbed in the work that we forget God. In such situation one can at least offer the fruits and the action itself to God as soon as possible. A review of how we spent the day at the time of sleeping in the night is also useful( as advised by the Mother of Pondicherry)

Incidentally Sri.Samarth Ramadas calls”Being Vigilant “ by name “सदेवपण"”. He says

ऐक सदेवपणाचे लक्षण । रिकामा जाऊ नेदी एक क्षण । प्रपंच वेवसायाचे ज्ञान। बरें पाहें॥.

meaning Understand the Indication /sign of being Vigilant. Such person does not waste a single moment; and gives proper attention to both in performing worldly duties as well as doing work for attaining the spiritual Goal.

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