Sohirobanath Ambiye or Sohiroba (1714–1792) was a saint-poet of the Nath Sampradaya (Nath
tradition). He was born in the village of Bande, in the former Sawantwadi Princely State in the
Konkan region of Maharashtra.
While he served for a few years as a Kulkarni (village accountant/administrator) in the
Sawantwadi kingdom, in line with his spiritual inclination he left the job to spend the
remainder of his life in devotion to God. While Sohiroba himself has not directly mentioned
lineage of his gurus, based on certain references found in his devotional songs, it is believed
that his guru was Gaibinath of Nath Sampyadaya.
In his key work, Siddhanta Samhita, Sohiroba adopted a method where he presented the core
thought through his own original Sanskrit verses (shlokas) – 729 verses mostly in Anushtubh
meter and a few in IndraVajra meter – and provided his own commentary (tika) on them in
Marathi (4,917 verses). Such a technique is rare in Marathi literature.
His other works —Akshayabodha, Advayananda, Purnakshari and Mahadanubhaveshwari —
are centered around Vedanta philosophy.
The abhang “हरिभजनावीण काळ घालवूं नको रे” is a gentle yet profound reminder not to waste the precious human life without remembering and seeking the Divine. Through simple metaphors and practical spiritual counsel, Sohiroba urges the seeker to preserve the inner lamp of knowledge, rise above worldly illusion, speak with wisdom and empathy, learn through the company of saints, and avoid merely accepting spiritual truths without personal experience.
Verse 1
हरिभजनावीण काळ घालवूं नको रे ! ॥१॥
Haribhajanāvīṇa kāḷa ghālavūṃ nako re! ॥1॥
Meaning: Do not waste your precious time/life without engaging in the remembrance and devotional singing of Lord Hari, O dear one!
Word to Word Meaning
- हरिभजनावीण (haribhajanāvīṇa): Without the worship/chanting the name of Lord
Hari (God Vishnu) - काळ (kāḷa): Time / life
- घालवूं (ghālavū): Waste / pass
- नको (nakō): Do not
- रे (rē): O friend! / O dear one! (an affectionate form of address)
Verse 2
दोरिच्या सापा भिऊनि भवा । भेटि नाहीं जिवा शिवा ।
अंतरिंचा ज्ञानदिवा मालवूं नको रे ! ॥२॥
Dorichya saapa bhiuni bhavaa |
Bheti naahin jivaa Shivaa |
Antarincha jnyaanadivaa maalavoon nako re! ॥2॥
Meaning: Just as a rope is mistakenly perceived as a snake and causes fear, ignorance creates illusion or delusion about the worldly life. As a result, the individual soul (Jiva) cannot realize or unite with the Supreme (Shiva). Therefore, do not let the
inner lamp of spiritual knowledge be extinguished (so as to distinguish between the real and unreal or mithya), O dear one!
Word to Word Meaning
- दोरिच्या (dōricyā): Of a rope
- सापा (sāpā): a snake
- भिऊनि (bhiūni): Being afraid of / fearing
- भवा (bhavā): To the worldly illusion / ‘samsara’
- भेटि (bhēṭi): Union / meeting
- नाहीं (nāhī): Is not / does not happen
- जिवा (jivā): Individual soul (Jiva)
- शिवा (śivā): The Supreme Being (Shiva / God)
- अंतरिंचा (aṃtaricā): The inner / inside
- ज्ञानदिवा (jñānadivā): Lamp of wisdom/knowledge
- मालवूं (mālavū): Extinguish / put out
- नको (nakō): Do not
- रे (rē): O friend / O dear
Verse 3
विवेकाची ठरेल ओल । ऐसे बोलावे कीं बोल ।
आपुल्या मतें उगीच चिखल कालवूं नको रे ! ॥३॥
Vivekaachi tharel ol | Aise bolaave kin bol |
Aapulyaa mate ugich chikhal kaalavoon nako re! ॥३॥
Meaning: Speak only such words of wisdom that preserve the depth of discrimination along with wetness of emotion or empathy. Do not unnecessarily stir up the mud of arguments merely to promote your own (egoistic) opinions, O dear one!
Word to Word Meaning
- विवेकाची (vivēkācī): Of discernment / wisdom / discrimination
- ठरेल (ṭharēla): Will remain / preserve / be established
- ओल (ōla): Wetness/ moisture in the depth
- ऐसे (aisē): Such
- बोलावे (bōlāvē): Should speak
- कीं (kī): Indeed / that
- बोल (bōla): Words
- आपुल्या (āpulyā): Your own
- मतें (matē): Opinions / egoistic beliefs
- उगीच (ugīca): Needlessly / unnecessarily
- चिखल (cikhala): Mud / muck
- कालवूं (kālavū): Stir up / mess up
- नको (nakō): Do not
- रे (rē): O friend / O dear
Verse 4
संत संगतीने उमज । आणुनि मनिं पुरतें समज ।
अनुभवावीण मान हालवूं नको रे ! ॥४॥
Sant sangatine umaj | Aanuni mani purte samaj |
Anubhavaavin maan haalavoon nako re! ॥४॥
Meaning: Gain true spiritual insight through the company of saints and absorb it thoroughly in your mind. Do not just nod your head in agreement without having realized the truth through direct personal spiritual experience, O dear one!
Word to Word Meaning
- संत (saṃta): Saints / holy people
- संगतीने (saṃgatīnē): In the company / association
- उमज (umaja): Understanding / realization
- आणुनि (āṇuni): Bringing / taking
- मनिं (mani): In the mind
- पुरतें (puratē): Completely / fully
- समज (samaja): Understanding / comprehension
- अनुभवावीण (anubhavāvīṇa): Without direct experience
- मान (māna): Head (nodding in agreement)
- हालवूं (hālavū): Shake / nod
- नको (nakō): Do not
- रे (rē): Oh friend / O dear
Verse 5
सोहिरा म्हणे ज्ञानज्योति । तेथें कैंचि दिवसराति ।
तयाविण नेत्रपातिं हालवूं नको रे ! ॥५॥
Sohira mhane gnyaan-jyoti | Tethe kaainchi divas-raati |
Tayaavin netra-paati haalavoon nako re! ॥५॥
Meaning: Sant Sohira says: Where the light of supreme knowledge/wisdom shines, concepts of day and night (duality) cease to exist. (So) do not waste time even of a single blink of your eyelid without focusing on attaining that divine light, O dear one!
Word to Word Meaning
- सोहिरा (sōhirā): Sant Sohiroba (the poet)
- म्हणे (mhaṇē): Says
- ज्ञानज्योति (jñānajyōti): The flame/ light of supreme knowledge
- तेथें (tēthē): There (in that divine realization)
- कैंचि (kaici): Where is / how can there be
- दिवसराति (divasarāti): Day and night (duality/time)
- तयाविण (tayāvīṇa): Without that (light of supreme knowledge or realization)
- नेत्रपातिं (nētrapāti): Eyelid
- हालवूं (hālavū): Move / flutter / blink
- नको (nakō): Do not
- रे (rē): Oh friend / O dear
At its heart, the abhang points toward inner awakening: when the light of supreme knowledge shines within, the distinctions of time, duality, and worldly confusion fall away. Sohiroba’s message is therefore both devotional and Vedantic—remember the Divine, cultivate discrimination, seek true understanding, and realize the light within before life passes away.
– Translation by Vaishali Koparkar and Prasad Koparkar.
