65B English  post आयुष्य मोजावया बैसला मापारी।

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आयुष्य मोजावया बैसला मापारी। तूं कां रे वेव्हारी संसाराच्या ॥ १॥

नेईल ऒढॊनी ठाऊकें नसतां । न राहे दुश्चित्ता हरिविण ॥ २ ॥

कठीण हें दु:ख यम जाचतील । कॊण सोडविल तये ठायीं ॥ ३॥

राहतील दुरी सज्जन सोयरिं । आठवीं श्रीहरी लवलाही ॥ ४॥

तुका म्हणें किती करशील लंडाई । होईल भंडाई पुढें थोर ॥

Verbatim Meaning:-

Death is counting your time, so that it can strike you when your time comes, then why are wasting time in worldly affairs? || 1||

He ( Death) will take you away anytime , hence be alert|| 2||

After death too will you suffer and at that time nobody will come to rescue you || 3||

All the friend, relatives, wellwishers in fact everybody will be helpless ( to save you) , then who will come to save you? || 4||

Tuka says how long will you live doing misconduct, it will cause miseries only || 5||

Background Information for the Abhanga:-

In the 8^th chapter of Shrimad Bhagavadgeeta , Bhagavaana ShriKrisha has done a detailed discussion about Death. In Chaandogya Upanishad, Nachiketa has asked Questions to Lord of Death .

All the saints and Seers are also telling us the point that When the Soul assumes the form, it is called birth and going to the formless state of Existence is called Death.

This transition of the Soul from one state ( Birth) to the other( Death) continues till Liberation.

It is our common experience that we face miseries for more amount of time than pleasures. The moments of Experience of Pleasure are very short-lived.

Only the Humans are gifted by the God Almighty the power of thinking and reasoning. Using these powers one is expected to put all the efforts to achieve the state of Liberation( freedom from the entanglement in the cycle of Birth-Death). However because of the ignorance ( non-knowledge, anti-knowledge) the man forgets this eternal truth, during the daily activities.

It is therefore Important that one should put all the necessary efforts to reach the state of liberation without any further delay ; since one does not know when the time of death will arrive..

This Abhanga of Tukaram Maharaj is to drive the above point into our thinking so that we will act wisely and achieve the purpose of taking this birth as a Human being.

Meaning of the Abhanga:-

In the first and second stanza of the Abhanga ; Tukaram Maharaj has asked us a question in order to awaken us. He says O'Man ! Don't you know very well that the Lord of Death is counting the time in order to strike you? Then why are you spending time in attending the worldly affairs ? Lord of Death will take you away at any moment, therefore do not commit the mistake of forgetting the Lord Almighty.

Here one may say that if we do not pay attention for our worldly duties and works, then we will be facing a number of miseries. Actually we are finding the time is insufficient and works to be done are many. Frankly speaking” Where is the time for remembering the Lord?”. Many will raise these kind of questions and one may feel a doubt about correctness and usefulness of the preachings of the saints and seers. Thus many a persons feel that it is very difficult to follow the preachings of the saints like

Tukaram Maharaj or other saints.

The solution for this problem has been given by Saint Tukarama Maharaj in the first stanza itself. The answer or solution is “ Do not commit the misconduct of forgetting the God”.

Simple Easy to follow Guidance for preventing this misconduct is available in another book by name “ Dasabodha” written by Swami Samarth Ramadasa .There some abhangas by Saint Tukaram Maharaj also in this aspect. It will be interesting to see what the other saints say . A few examples are given below.

1)Adi Shankarachaarya :- He has written a well known stotram by name “Bhajgovindam “. There is a separate commentary from Chinmaya Mission which is available in the book form. I am giving below only one stanza for the purpose of illustration.

.बालस्थावत्‌ क्रीडसक्त: तरूणस्थावत्‌ तरूणी रक्त: वृद्धस्थावत्‌ चिंतामग्न: परे ब्रह्मणी कोपि न लग्न:|

The meaning is :- The childhood time was lost in carefree playing, Youth time was lost in his sweetheart's charm ; now the old man is spending the time in brooding upon his sorrows . Alas none is there ; whose spirit Yearns to be lost in the Parabrahman.

2) Saint Kabir says:-

बचपन बीता खेलखेलमें भरि जवानी सोया ! । देख बुढापा सोचे अब तू क्या पाया क्या खोया?||
देर नही है अब भी बंदे ; ले ले उसका नाम रे । बोलो राम बोलो राम बोलो राम राम राम ॥

The meaning is :- Childhood is spent in playing, Youth in chasing the charming maidens , and now when the old age is arrived ; the old man is trying to find out what has he achieved and what has not been achieved. O'Man, it still not late. Recite the holy name of lord Rama as “Rama, Rama.

3) Samarth Ramadasa :-In the Dasabodha , there are four chapters by name “ Swaguna parikshaaNirupaNa” meaning " Examining the qualities of ourselves". These describe the life of an ignorant person.In his another short poetry by Name “ Manache Slok or Advise to the Mind”

मना पाहतां सत्य हे मृत्यूभूमी । जितां बोलती सर्वही जीव मी मी ॥चिरंजीव हे सर्वही मानिताती। अकस्मात सांडूनिया सर्व जाती ॥ श्लोक १५ वा॥

मना सांग पां रावणा काय जालें । अकस्मात तें राज्य सर्वे बुडालें॥म्हणोनी कुडी वासना सांडि वेगी । बळें लागला काळ हा पाठिलागी ॥ श्लोक १४ वा॥ 

The meaning is :- Even though this world is the one where Death is certain., everybody thinks that he is immortal and spends the time in attending the needs of enjoyment of worldly pleasure for for oneself. Then death strikes suddenly and one has to leave everything here only. || 15 ||

3. O'Mind think about Ravana. He lost everything very suddenly.There give-up all the desires, the Lord of Death is pursuing you everywhere.

In fact all the Saints are telling the same advise that do not waste this unique opportunity of Human life.

In the Dasabodha Shri.Ramadasa swamy says

“कांहीच न करूनि प्राणी । रामनाम जपे वाणी । तेणें संतुष्ट चक्रपाणी । भक्तांलागी सांभाळी ॥"

If a man spends his time doing nothing except reciting the Holy name of the Lord Rama; then He is very much pleased and takes care of His disciple.

Doing Nothing means doming every thing with an attitude of non-attachment for the results. Doing every action with the understanding the “ I am not the Doer or Enjoy-er. He ( Lord ) is the real doer and enjoy-er. Srimad Bhagavad Geeta calls this the path of Karmayoga. If we carefully observe various critical events in our own life then it is very easily seen that He is the doer and Not us. and it was He Who gave us suitable inspiration in every case. Easier method is to remember Him always. For this purpose the recitation of His name is one simple method. This is called Namasmaran.

In the third stanza , Tukaram Maharaj says further that if you do not live like this then it is the greatest Sin you are committing. For this you will be severely punished. We know the nature of this punishment. It is nothing other that our getting entangled in the cycle of Birth-Death for infinite-time .

Since this punishment is running for such a long time it indeed is the worst kind of punishment.

The fourth stanza again describes the old truth that Nobody can save us when the Death strikes. However our scriptures say that the next birth will be as per the the desire in the previous birth at the time of Death. Therefore if one develops the habit of Remembering Him(God) always then obviously there will be no further birth for him ;since he would be remembering Him (God)only at the time of Death.

The last fifth stanza advises us to live life carefully and not waste it in pursuing worldly pleasures ( it is tantamount to Mis-conduct)

Teaching of the Abhanga :-

 Our birth here is to achieve the goal of Liberation in this very life. Everyone should examine one's lifestyle and take necessary corrective measures so that this purpose is achieved.

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