Love poems from God. Tukaram Gatha Abhanga 48 - Smashaan te bhoomee pretaroop jana - स्मशान ते भूमी प्रेतरूप जन

Tukaram Gatha Abhanga 48

स्मशान ते भूमी प्रेतरूप जन । सेवाभक्तिहीन ग्रामवासी ।।१।।
भरतील पोटें श्वानाचिया परी । वस्ती दिली घरीं यमदूतां ।।२।।
अपूज्य लिंग तेथें अतित ने घे थारा । ऐसी वस्ती चोरा कंटकांची ।।३।।
तुका म्हणे नाहीं ठावी स्थिती मती । यमाची निश्चिंती कुळवाडी ।।४।।

English

1. Smashaan te bhoomee pretaroop jan, sevabhaktiheen gramvasee
2. Bharteel pote shwanachiyaa paree, vastee dilee gharee Yamadoota
3. Apujya linga tethe atit ne ghe tharaa, aisee vastee choraa kantakanchee
4. Tuka mhane nahee thavee sthitee matee, Yamachee nischintee kulvadee

Translation

It is generally true that those who love God, worship God, also love people and serve people. In this abhanga, saint Tukaram is praising and encouraging the people who love and serve God. He is doing this by painting a negative picture those who don't.

1. A village in which people don't love and serve God; consider that village and the neighboring land as a crematorium and consider such people add corpses.
2. They will fill their stomachs by doing something, some business and live a dog's hard life. They have virtually given shelter to the agents of death, in their own houses.
3. A place where God is not worshipped; even guests don't come to visit stay in such places. Such places are inhabited only by thieves and antisocial elements.
4. Tuka says, these people have lost the knowledge of who they are and what is their condition; the deity of death (Yama) has taken possession of such people, like a vatandar.

(Vatandar is an Indian term meaning ‘landholder’. The title was given to landowners, particularly with the Maratha community in Maharashtra, who were a ruling caste in Ancient India. The ‘vatandar’ generally owned a plot of land or vatan/watan worked by the local people, who were dependent on the vatandar for their subsistence. In some cases, vatanland and the title vatandar were awarded to an individual by a higher ruler as a reward for meritorious service).

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With this I take your leave. Hope you liked it!!

Thanks!

Deepak Phadnis.

1. If you want to know 'Saint Tukaram' as a great lover of God, you may like go to the first abhanga posted on this face book page on 18th July and start studying the Tukaram Gatha from the beginning!

2. You may like to subscribe to the YouTube channel ‘Deepak Phadnis’, if you wish to study the Gatha at a comfortable pace. We are planning to upload more videos after overcoming certain constraints in production of videos.