What does "to" mean in Marathi, in "I want to go" or "she began to speak"?
English puts the little word "to" in front of a verb: "to go," "to eat," "to read." Marathi has no separate word for this "to." It adds an ending to the verb instead. The everyday ending is -ायला (-āyalā): जा (jā), "go," becomes जायला (jāyalā), "to go"; कर (kar), "do," becomes करायला (karāyalā), "to do." मी खेळायला जातो (mī kheḷāyalā jāto) means "I go to play."
You have met this form already. In Lesson 11, आमच्याकडे जेवायला या (āmacyākaḍe jevāyalā yā) meant "come and eat at our place": जेवायला is "to eat."
Marathi has three common ways to say this "to":
- -ायला (-āyalā): the everyday form, in speech and in most writing. मला पोहायला आवडते (malā pohāyalā āvaḍate), "I like to swim." - -ण्यास (-ṇyās): the formal written form, used in newspapers, notices and official letters. सरकारने शाळा सुरू करण्यास परवानगी दिली, "the government gave permission to open the schools." - -ण्यासाठी (-ṇyāsāṭhī): "in order to," when you want to stress the purpose. मराठी शिकण्यासाठी (marāṭhī śikaṇyāsāṭhī), "in order to learn Marathi."
The form a dictionary gives, ending in -णे (-ṇe), is also called the infinitive: करणे (karaṇe), "to do, doing." It works as a noun, as English "swimming" does in "swimming is good for you": पोहणे चांगले आहे (pohaṇe cāṃgale āhe). It is not used after verbs like "go," "begin" or "like." There Marathi uses -ायला.
How the forms are made. Take the dictionary form and remove -णे. What is left is the stem: करणे → कर-, बोलणे → बोल-, शिकणे → शिक-. Then:
- stem + ायला: कर → करायला, बोल → बोलायला, शिक → शिकायला - stem + ण्यास: कर → करण्यास, बोल → बोलण्यास - stem + ण्यासाठी: कर → करण्यासाठी, शिक → शिकण्यासाठी
A few short verbs change their stem before -ायला. Learn them as words: जाणे → जायला, खाणे → खायला, पिणे → प्यायला, देणे → द्यायला, घेणे → घ्यायला, येणे → यायला, होणे → व्हायला, लिहिणे → लिहायला, धुणे → धुवायला.
On the origin of the ending. -ायला is made of two parts. The first is an old verbal noun in -आव-/-आय-; the second is ला (-lā), the dative ending, "to, for," which you met in मला (malā), "to me." Older and formal Marathi still writes the fuller forms करावयास (karāvayās) and करावयाचे (karāvayāce), and seventeenth-century verse has forms like वर्ताया (vartāyā), "to practise" (see Section F). The ला is the same ला that says where you go: पुण्याला (puṇyālā), "to Pune." So Marathi uses one ending, ला, for both kinds of English "to": "to Pune" and "to see."
A note on the script. The ending begins with the vowel sign ा (ā), which is joined to the last consonant of the stem: र + ा gives रा, so कर + ायला is written करायला. After a stem that ends in a vowel, a य is written instead: खा + यला gives खायला. In -ण्यास, the ण is a half-letter with the virama (्), joined to य: ण्य.
- Marathi has no separate word for "to" before a verb: it adds an ending - Everyday: stem + -ायला: करायला, "to do"; जायला, "to go" - Formal written: stem + -ण्यास: करण्यास; "in order to": stem + -ण्यासाठी: करण्यासाठी - The ending never changes for person, gender or number - Common partners: जाणे/येणे "go/come (in order) to," लागणे "begin to," शिकणे "learn to," विसरणे "forget to," आवडणे "like to," हवे "need to" - Irregular: यायला, प्यायला, द्यायला, घ्यायला, व्हायला, लिहायला - Stress: ka-RAAY-laa, JAAY-laa; the a after y is written but not said
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12.1a मी I खेळायला to-play जातो go
12.1b mī (MEE) I kheḷāyalā (khe-LAAY-laa) play-INF jāto (JAA-to) go-PRES.1SG.M
12.2a चला come-on जेवायला to-eat
12.2b calā (CHA-laa) go-IMP.PL jevāyalā (je-VAAY-laa) eat-INF
12.3a मला to-me पोहायला to-swim आवडते is-liked
12.3b malā (MA-laa) me-DAT pohāyalā (po-HAAY-laa) swim-INF āvaḍate (AA-vad-te) like-PRES.3SG.N
12.4a ती she बोलायला to-speak लागली began
12.4b tī (TEE) she bolāyalā (bo-LAAY-laa) speak-INF lāgalī (LAAG-lee) begin-PAST.F.SG
12.5a मला to-me पाणी water प्यायला to-drink दे give
12.5b malā (MA-laa) me-DAT pāṇī (PAA-nee) water-N.SG pyāyalā (PYAAY-laa) drink-INF de (DE) give-IMP.2SG
12.6a आई mother बाजारात to-market भाजी vegetables आणायला to-bring गेली went
12.6b āī (AA-ee) mother-F.SG bājārāt (baa-JAA-raat) market-LOC bhājī (BHAA-jee) vegetable-F.SG āṇāyalā (aa-NAAY-laa) bring-INF gelī (GE-lee) go-PAST.F.SG
12.7a माझा my धाकटा younger भाऊ brother सायकल bicycle चालवायला to-ride शिकत learning आहे is
12.7b mājhā (MAA-jhaa) my-M.SG dhākaṭā (DHAAK-taa) younger-M.SG bhāū (BHAA-oo) brother-M.SG sāyakal (SAA-ya-kal) bicycle-F.SG cālavāyalā (chaal-VAAY-laa) ride-INF śikat (SHI-kat) learn-PROG āhe (AA-he) is-3SG.AUX
12.8a मी I तुला to-you सांगायला to-tell विसरलो forgot
12.8b mī (MEE) I tulā (TU-laa) you-SG.DAT sāṃgāyalā (saan-GAAY-laa) tell-INF visaralo (VIS-ar-lo) forget-PAST.1SG.M
12.9a हे this पुस्तक book वाचायला to-read सोपे easy आहे is
12.9b he (HE) this-N.SG pustak (PUS-tak) book-N.SG vācāyalā (vaa-CHAAY-laa) read-INF sope (SO-pe) easy-N.SG āhe (AA-he) is-3SG
12.10a आज today माझ्याकडे with-me जेवायला to-eat वेळ time नाही is-not
12.10b āj (AAJ) today mājhyākaḍe (MAA-jhyaa-ka-de) me-OBL-with.POSS jevāyalā (je-VAAY-laa) eat-INF veḷ (VEL) time-SG nāhī (NAA-hee) is-not-3SG.NEG
12.11a शिक्षकांनी teacher मुलांना to-children शांत quiet बसायला to-sit सांगितले told
12.11b śikṣakāṃnī (shik-sha-KAAN-nee) teacher-HON.ERG mulāṃnā (mu-LAAN-naa) child-PL.DAT śānt (SHAANT) quiet basāyalā (ba-SAAY-laa) sit-INF sāṃgitale (SAAN-git-le) tell-PAST.N.SG
12.12a आम्ही we दरवर्षी every-year गणपती Ganpati पाहायला to-see पुण्याला to-Pune जातो go
12.12b āmhī (AAM-hee) we-EXCL daravarṣī (da-ra-VAR-shee) every-year gaṇapatī (GAN-pa-tee) Ganpati-M pāhāyalā (paa-HAAY-laa) see-INF puṇyālā (PUN-yaa-laa) Pune-DAT jāto (JAA-to) go-PRES.1PL
12.13a सरकारने government पुढच्या next आठवड्यात in-week शाळा schools सुरू started करण्यास to-make परवानगी permission दिली gave
12.13b sarakārane (sar-KAAR-ne) government-ERG puḍhacyā (PUDH-chyaa) next-OBL āṭhavaḍyāt (AATH-vad-yaat) week-LOC śāḷā (SHAA-laa) school-F.PL surū (su-ROO) started karaṇyās (KA-ran-yaas) do-INF.OBL-DAT paravānagī (par-VAAN-gee) permission-F.SG dilī (DI-lee) give-PAST.F.SG
12.14a मराठी Marathi नीट properly शिकण्यासाठी in-order-to-learn ती she रोज daily वर्तमानपत्र newspaper वाचते reads
12.14b marāṭhī (ma-RAA-thee) Marathi-F nīṭ (NEET) properly śikaṇyāsāṭhī (SHI-kan-yaa-saa-thee) learn-INF.OBL-for tī (TEE) she roj (ROJ) daily vartamānapatra (var-ta-MAAN-pa-tra) newspaper-N.SG vācate (VAACH-te) read-PRES.3SG.F
12.15a पाऊस rain थांबायला to-stop तयार ready नव्हता was-not म्हणून therefore आम्ही we घरीच at-home-only राहिलो stayed
12.15b pāūs (PAA-oos) rain-M.SG thāṃbāyalā (thaam-BAAY-laa) stop-INF tayār (ta-YAAR) ready navhatā (NAV-ha-taa) was-not-M.SG.PAST.NEG mhaṇūn (MHA-noon) therefore āmhī (AAM-hee) we-EXCL gharīc (GHA-reech) home-LOC-EMPH rāhilo (RAA-hi-lo) stay-PAST.1PL.M
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12.1 मी खेळायला जातो. — mī kheḷāyalā jāto. — "I'm going (out) to play."
12.2 चला, जेवायला! — calā, jevāyalā! — "Come on, let's eat!"
12.3 मला पोहायला आवडते. — malā pohāyalā āvaḍate. — "I like to swim."
12.4 ती बोलायला लागली. — tī bolāyalā lāgalī. — "She began to speak."
12.5 मला पाणी प्यायला दे. — malā pāṇī pyāyalā de. — "Give me some water to drink."
12.6 आई बाजारात भाजी आणायला गेली. — āī bājārāt bhājī āṇāyalā gelī. — "Mother has gone to the market to get vegetables."
12.7 माझा धाकटा भाऊ सायकल चालवायला शिकत आहे. — mājhā dhākaṭā bhāū sāyakal cālavāyalā śikat āhe. — "My younger brother is learning to ride a bicycle."
12.8 मी तुला सांगायला विसरलो. — mī tulā sāṃgāyalā visaralo. — "I forgot to tell you."
12.9 हे पुस्तक वाचायला सोपे आहे. — he pustak vācāyalā sope āhe. — "This book is easy to read."
12.10 आज माझ्याकडे जेवायला वेळ नाही. — āj mājhyākaḍe jevāyalā veḷ nāhī. — "Today I have no time to eat."
12.11 शिक्षकांनी मुलांना शांत बसायला सांगितले. — śikṣakāṃnī mulāṃnā śānt basāyalā sāṃgitale. — "The teacher told the children to sit quietly."
12.12 आम्ही दरवर्षी गणपती पाहायला पुण्याला जातो. — āmhī daravarṣī gaṇapatī pāhāyalā puṇyālā jāto. — "Every year we go to Pune to see the Ganpati festival."
12.13 सरकारने पुढच्या आठवड्यात शाळा सुरू करण्यास परवानगी दिली. — sarakārane puḍhacyā āṭhavaḍyāt śāḷā surū karaṇyās paravānagī dilī. — "The government has given permission to open the schools next week."
12.14 मराठी नीट शिकण्यासाठी ती रोज वर्तमानपत्र वाचते. — marāṭhī nīṭ śikaṇyāsāṭhī tī roj vartamānapatra vācate. — "To learn Marathi properly, she reads the newspaper every day."
12.15 पाऊस थांबायला तयार नव्हता, म्हणून आम्ही घरीच राहिलो. — pāūs thāṃbāyalā tayār navhatā, mhaṇūn āmhī gharīc rāhilo. — "The rain would not stop, so we stayed at home."
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12.1 मी खेळायला जातो.
12.2 चला, जेवायला!
12.3 मला पोहायला आवडते.
12.4 ती बोलायला लागली.
12.5 मला पाणी प्यायला दे.
12.6 आई बाजारात भाजी आणायला गेली.
12.7 माझा धाकटा भाऊ सायकल चालवायला शिकत आहे.
12.8 मी तुला सांगायला विसरलो.
12.9 हे पुस्तक वाचायला सोपे आहे.
12.10 आज माझ्याकडे जेवायला वेळ नाही.
12.11 शिक्षकांनी मुलांना शांत बसायला सांगितले.
12.12 आम्ही दरवर्षी गणपती पाहायला पुण्याला जातो.
12.13 सरकारने पुढच्या आठवड्यात शाळा सुरू करण्यास परवानगी दिली.
12.14 मराठी नीट शिकण्यासाठी ती रोज वर्तमानपत्र वाचते.
12.15 पाऊस थांबायला तयार नव्हता, म्हणून आम्ही घरीच राहिलो.
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Rule 1. The ending. English "to + verb" is an ending on the Marathi verb. The everyday ending is -ायला (-āyalā), added to the stem:
- करणे (karaṇe), "do" → करायला (karāyalā), "to do" - बोलणे (bolaṇe), "speak" → बोलायला (bolāyalā), "to speak" - वाचणे (vācaṇe), "read" → वाचायला (vācāyalā), "to read" - शिकणे (śikaṇe), "learn" → शिकायला (śikāyalā), "to learn" - बसणे (basaṇe), "sit" → बसायला (basāyalā), "to sit" - चालवणे (cālavaṇe), "drive, ride" → चालवायला (cālavāyalā), "to drive, to ride"
Rule 2. The short verbs. Verbs whose stem is a single vowel-final syllable change before -ायला:
- जाणे (jāṇe), "go" → जायला (jāyalā) - खाणे (khāṇe), "eat" → खायला (khāyalā) - पिणे (piṇe), "drink" → प्यायला (pyāyalā) - देणे (deṇe), "give" → द्यायला (dyāyalā) - घेणे (gheṇe), "take" → घ्यायला (ghyāyalā) - येणे (yeṇe), "come" → यायला (yāyalā) - होणे (hoṇe), "become" → व्हायला (vhāyalā)
Two more change in the same way: लिहिणे (lihiṇe), "write" → लिहायला (lihāyalā); धुणे (dhuṇe), "wash" → धुवायला (dhuvāyalā).
Rule 3. The ending does not change. -ायला is the same for every person, gender and number: मी खेळायला जातो, ती खेळायला जाते, ते खेळायला जातात. The main verb does the agreeing.
Rule 4. Which verbs take -ायला.
- Going and coming, for a purpose (12.1, 12.6, 12.12): भाजी आणायला गेली, "went to get vegetables." - Beginning, with लागणे (12.4): ती बोलायला लागली, "she began to speak." The subject is in the ordinary (nominative) form, and लागणे agrees with it: तो बोलायला लागला, ती बोलायला लागली. - Learning and forgetting, with शिकणे and विसरणे (12.7, 12.8). - Liking, with आवडणे (12.3): the person who likes is in the dative: मला पोहायला आवडते, literally "to me, to swim is pleasing." With an infinitive the verb is usually आवडते. - Needing and having to, with हवे (have), "needed": मला जायला हवे (malā jāyalā have), "I need to go, I ought to go." The person is in the dative. - Telling and helping someone to, with सांगणे and मदत करणे (12.11): the person told is in the dative, मुलांना. - Giving something to do, with देणे (12.5): मला पाणी प्यायला दे, "give me water to drink." - After adjectives and nouns: वाचायला सोपे, "easy to read" (12.9); थांबायला तयार, "ready to stop" (12.15); जेवायला वेळ, "time to eat" (12.10).
Rule 5. The formal forms. Written Marathi often uses the oblique infinitive in -ण्या- with a case ending:
- -ण्यास (-ṇyās), "to": करण्यास परवानगी, "permission to do" (12.13) - -ण्यासाठी (-ṇyāsāṭhī), "in order to": शिकण्यासाठी, "in order to learn" (12.14)
The oblique infinitive is regular. Take the dictionary form, change -णे to -ण्या-, and add the ending: करणे → करण्यास, येणे → येण्यास, पिणे → पिण्यासाठी. The short verbs of Rule 2 do not change here.
Rule 6. Word order. The verb in -ायला comes after its own object and just before the verb it depends on: भाजी आणायला गेली, "vegetables to-bring went." English says "went to get vegetables," with the order turned round.
Rule 7. ला in two jobs. The ला of -ायला is the dative ending you know from मला. It also marks the place you are going to: पुण्याला जातो, "goes to Pune" (12.12). In 12.12 both kinds of "to" stand side by side: पाहायला पुण्याला, "to see, to Pune."
- Translating "to" as a separate word. There is no word for it. "I need to go" is not मी जाणे हवे ✗. Say मला जायला हवे ✓. - Using the dictionary form after "go" or "begin." मी खेळणे जातो ✗. Say मी खेळायला जातो ✓. The -णे form is a noun: पोहणे चांगले आहे, "swimming is good." - Regular endings on the short verbs. पीायला ✗, देायला ✗, येायला ✗. Say प्यायला, द्यायला, यायला ✓. - The wrong case with आवडणे and हवे. मी पोहायला आवडते ✗. The person goes in the dative: मला पोहायला आवडते ✓. - Confusing "began" and "had to." With the subject in the nominative, लागणे means "begin": मी जायला लागलो, "I began to go." In everyday speech, with the dative, it means "had to": मला जायला लागले, "I had to go." The written language prefers मला जावे लागले for "I had to go." - Writing the ending apart. कर आयला ✗; करायला ✓.
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-ायला is one of the commonest endings in spoken Marathi. Most invitations and suggestions are made with it. चला, जेवायला! (12.2) is how a family is called to the table. चहा प्यायला या (cahā pyāyalā yā), "come and have tea," is a standard invitation. The -ण्यास forms belong to writing. A news report says सरकारने … परवानगी दिली (12.13); a headline says अर्ज करण्यास मुदतवाढ (arj karaṇyās mudatavāḍh), "more time to apply," literally "extension to apply." Official Marathi also keeps the older, longer forms करावयास (karāvayās) and करावयाचे (karāvayāce), which you will see on forms and in government documents. In conversation you would sound stiff using -ण्यास where -ायला will do.
12.12 mentions the Ganpati festival (गणेशोत्सव, gaṇeśotsav), the great public festival of Maharashtra, held for ten days in August or September. Families install an image of Ganesh at home, and neighbourhoods set up large public pandals. Going from pandal to pandal "to see the Ganpati," गणपती पाहायला, is a regular part of the festival in Pune and Mumbai. The festival ends with the immersion of the images.
- मला जायला हवे (malā jāyalā have), "I must be going" - कधी यायला जमेल? (kadhī yāyalā jamel?), "When will you be able to come?" - बोलायला वेळ आहे का? (bolāyalā veḷ āhe kā?), "Have you got time to talk?" - तुला घ्यायला येतो (tulā ghyāyalā yeto), "I'll come and pick you up" (a man speaking; a woman says येते)
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The citation is again from Sant Tukaram (संत तुकाराम), the seventeenth-century poet-saint of the Varkari tradition. It is the opening of the abhang आम्ही वैकुंठवासी, "We are dwellers in Vaikuntha," one of his best-known songs: the first verse and the refrain (ध्रुवपद). In it the saints say why they have come into the world: "to practise" what the sages taught. The purpose is expressed by the old infinitive वर्ताया (vartāyā), "to practise, to live by." The text follows santsahitya.in (abhang 236 in its arrangement), which the Warkari Rojnishi edition of the Sartha Gatha agrees with in wording (it drops the old anusvara). Marathi Wikisource (abhang 520 in the Tukaram Gatha) prints the same lines with two small differences: या चि for याचि, and वर्ताव्या for वर्ताया. This lesson writes ऋषी with the ordinary letter ऋ, where the online editions print ॠ.
F.1a आम्ही we वैकुंठवासी Vaikuntha-dwellers
F.1b āmhī (AAM-hee) we-EXCL vaikuṃṭhavāsī (VAI-kunth-vaa-see) Vaikuntha-dweller-M.PL
F.2a आलों came याचि for-this-very कारणासी for-reason
F.2b āloṃ (AA-lo) come-PAST.1PL.M yāci (YAA-chi) this-OBL-EMPH kāraṇāsī (KAA-ra-naa-see) reason-DAT
F.3a बोलिले spoke जे what ऋषी sages
F.3b bolile (BO-li-le) speak-PAST.M.PL je (JE) which-REL ṛṣī (RU-shee) sage-M.PL
F.4a साच true भावें with-feeling वर्ताया to-practise
F.4b sāc (SAACH) true bhāveṃ (BHAA-ve) feeling-INST vartāyā (var-TAA-yaa) practise-INF
F.5a झाडूं we-shall-sweep संतांचे of-saints मारग paths
F.5b jhāḍūṃ (JHAA-doo) sweep-1PL.SUBJ saṃtāṃce (SAN-taan-che) saint-PL.GEN.M.PL mārag (MAA-rag) path-M.PL
F.6a आडरानें with-wild-scrub भरलें filled जग world
F.6b āḍarāneṃ (AAD-raa-ne) wilderness-INST bharaleṃ (BHAR-le) fill-PAST.N.SG jag (JAG) world-N.SG
F.7a उच्छिष्टाचा of-leftovers भाग portion
F.7b ucchiṣṭācā (uch-CHHISH-taa-chaa) leftover-GEN.M.SG bhāg (BHAAG) portion-M.SG
F.8a शेष remnant उरलें remained तें that सेवूं we-shall-partake
F.8b śeṣ (SHESH) remnant uraleṃ (UR-le) remain-PAST.N.SG teṃ (TE) that-N.SG sevūṃ (SE-voo) partake-1PL.SUBJ
आम्ही वैकुंठवासी । आलों याचि कारणासी । बोलिले जे ऋषी । साच भावें वर्ताया ॥१॥ झाडूं संतांचे मारग । आडरानें भरलें जग । उच्छिष्टाचा भाग । शेष उरलें तें सेवूं ॥ध्रु.॥
āmhī vaikuṃṭhavāsī, āloṃ yāci kāraṇāsī, bolile je ṛṣī, sāc bhāveṃ vartāyā. jhāḍūṃ saṃtāṃce mārag, āḍarāneṃ bharaleṃ jag, ucchiṣṭācā bhāg, śeṣ uraleṃ teṃ sevūṃ.
"We are dwellers in Vaikuntha. We have come for this very reason: to live out, with a true heart, what the sages spoke. We shall sweep the paths of the saints, for the world is overgrown with wild scrub. The share of the leftovers, the remnant that remains, that we shall take as our food."
— Sant Tukaram, abhang (Tukaram Gatha; santsahitya.in no. 236, Wikisource no. 520), first verse and refrain. Translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Marathi.
आम्ही वैकुंठवासी । आलों याचि कारणासी । बोलिले जे ऋषी । साच भावें वर्ताया ॥१॥ झाडूं संतांचे मारग । आडरानें भरलें जग । उच्छिष्टाचा भाग । शेष उरलें तें सेवूं ॥ध्रु.॥
The first verse is built exactly like 12.6 and 12.12 of this lesson: a verb of coming, and a verb of purpose. आलों … वर्ताया, "we have come … to practise." Modern Marathi would say आम्ही … वागायला आलो (āmhī … vāgāyalā ālo), or, in formal writing, आचरण करण्यासाठी आलो (ācaraṇ karaṇyāsāṭhī ālo), "we have come in order to practise."
Grammar notes:
- वर्ताया (vartāyā). The old infinitive of purpose of वर्तणे, "to behave, to act, to live by." It has the same -आय- as modern -ायला, without the ला. Wikisource's reading वर्ताव्या shows the fuller older stem in -आव-, which also survives in formal करावयास. Either way, the sense is "in order to practise." - कारणासी (kāraṇāsī). "For the reason." -सी is the old dative ending, which modern Marathi writes -स or -ला: कारणास, कारणाला. The same -स is in the formal -ण्यास of 12.13. - याचि (yāci). या, "this" (oblique), with the emphatic चि, "this very." Modern Marathi: याच, "for this very reason." - बोलिले (bolile). The old past tense of बोलणे, "speak." Modern Marathi: बोलले. - झाडूं, सेवूं (jhāḍūṃ, sevūṃ). First person plural, "let us sweep, we shall partake," the form you met in करूं in Lesson 11 and in आपण जाऊ, "let's go." - भावें, आडरानें (bhāveṃ, āḍarāneṃ). Old instrumentals, "with feeling," "with wild scrub." Modern Marathi: भावाने, आडरानाने. - मारग (mārag). A spoken form of मार्ग (mārga), "path," with a vowel put in to ease the cluster, as the verse often does.
Vaikuntha is the heaven of Vishnu, and Vitthal of Pandharpur, Tukaram's god, is a form of Vishnu. The saints speak of themselves as having come down from that heaven with a task: not to teach new doctrine, but to put into practice what the sages already said. The refrain turns this into work. The paths of the saints are overgrown and need sweeping; and the singers will live on उच्छिष्ट, the leftovers of a meal. Ordinarily such leftovers are impure food, but in the devotional tradition the remains of a holy person's meal are received as a blessing. The later verses of the abhang complain that the meaning of the Puranas has been lost through mere book-learning, and end with a call to beat the drum of devotion. The abhang is often quoted as a statement of what the Varkari saints believed their mission to be.
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12.16a रोहन Rohan सीता Sita उद्या tomorrow सिनेमा film पाहायला to-see येतेस you-come का Q
12.16b rohan (RO-han) Rohan sītā (SEE-taa) Sita-VOC udyā (UD-yaa) tomorrow sinemā (SI-ne-maa) film-M.SG pāhāyalā (paa-HAAY-laa) see-INF yetes (YE-tes) come-PRES.2SG.F kā (KAA) Q-PARTICLE
12.17a सीता Sita नाही no रे hey उद्या tomorrow मी I आईला to-mother मदत help करायला to-do घरी at-home असेन will-be
12.17b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita nāhī (NAA-hee) no re (RE) VOC.PARTICLE.M udyā (UD-yaa) tomorrow mī (MEE) I āīlā (AA-ee-laa) mother-DAT madat (MA-dat) help-F.SG karāyalā (ka-RAAY-laa) do-INF gharī (GHA-ree) home-LOC asen (A-sen) be-FUT.1SG
12.18a रोहन Rohan मग then परवा day-after-tomorrow भेटायला to-meet जमेल will-work-out का Q
12.18b rohan (RO-han) Rohan mag (MAG) then paravā (PAR-vaa) day-after-tomorrow bheṭāyalā (bhe-TAAY-laa) meet-INF jamel (JA-mel) suit-FUT.3SG kā (KAA) Q-PARTICLE
12.19a सीता Sita हो yes जमेल will-work-out आपण we पुस्तके books घ्यायला to-buy अप्पा Appa बळवंत Balwant चौकात to-Chowk जाऊ let-us-go
12.19b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita ho (HO) yes jamel (JA-mel) suit-FUT.3SG āpaṇ (AA-pan) we-INCL pustake (PUS-ta-ke) book-N.PL ghyāyalā (GHYAAY-laa) take-INF appā (AP-paa) Appa baḷavaṃt (BAL-vant) Balwant caukāt (CHAU-kaat) chowk-LOC jāū (JAA-oo) go-1PL.HORT
12.20a रोहन Rohan छान great मला to-me मराठी Marathi कवितांचे of-poems पुस्तक book शोधायला to-find तुझी your मदत help लागेल will-be-needed
12.20b rohan (RO-han) Rohan chān (CHHAAN) great malā (MA-laa) me-DAT marāṭhī (ma-RAA-thee) Marathi kavitāṃce (ka-VI-taan-che) poem-PL.GEN.N.SG pustak (PUS-tak) book-N.SG śodhāyalā (sho-DHAAY-laa) find-INF tujhī (TU-jhee) your-F.SG madat (MA-dat) help-F.SG lāgel (LAA-gel) be-needed-FUT.3SG
12.21a सीता Sita तुला to-you कोणत्या which कवीची of-poet कविता poetry वाचायला to-read आवडते is-liked
12.21b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita tulā (TU-laa) you-SG.DAT koṇatyā (KON-tyaa) which-OBL kavīcī (ka-VEE-chee) poet-GEN.F.SG kavitā (ka-VI-taa) poetry-F.SG vācāyalā (vaa-CHAAY-laa) read-INF āvaḍate (AA-vad-te) like-PRES.3SG.F
12.22a रोहन Rohan कुसुमाग्रजांची Kusumagraj's शाळेत at-school आम्हाला to-us त्यांची his एक one कविता poem पाठ by-heart करायला to-do दिली given होती was
12.22b rohan (RO-han) Rohan kusumāgrajāṃcī (ku-su-MAA-gra-jaan-chee) Kusumagraj-HON.GEN.F.SG śāḷet (SHAA-let) school-LOC āmhālā (AAM-haa-laa) us-EXCL.DAT tyāṃcī (TYAAN-chee) his-HON.F.SG ek (EK) one kavitā (ka-VI-taa) poem-F.SG pāṭh (PAATH) by-heart karāyalā (ka-RAAY-laa) do-INF dilī (DI-lee) give-PAST.F.SG hotī (HO-tee) was-F.SG.PAST
12.23a सीता Sita मग then आधी first त्यांचा his विशाखा Vishakha संग्रह collection शोधायला to-look-for सुरुवात start करू let-us-make
12.23b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita mag (MAG) then ādhī (AA-dhee) first tyāṃcā (TYAAN-chaa) his-HON.M.SG viśākhā (vi-SHAA-khaa) Vishakha saṃgrah (SANG-rah) collection-M.SG śodhāyalā (sho-DHAAY-laa) find-INF suruvāt (SU-ru-vaat) beginning-F.SG karū (KA-roo) do-1PL.HORT
12.24a रोहन Rohan आपल्याला to-us किती how-many वाजता o'clock निघायला to-set-out हवे needed
12.24b rohan (RO-han) Rohan āpalyālā (AAP-lyaa-laa) us-INCL.DAT kitī (KI-tee) how-many vājatā (VAAJ-taa) o'clock nighāyalā (ni-GHAAY-laa) set-out-INF have (HA-ve) needed-N.SG
12.25a सीता Sita दुकाने shops दहा ten वाजता o'clock उघडतात open मी I तुला you घ्यायला to-fetch साडेनऊला at-half-past-nine येईन will-come
12.25b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita dukāne (du-KAA-ne) shop-N.PL dahā (DA-haa) ten vājatā (VAAJ-taa) o'clock ughaḍatāt (UGH-ad-taat) open-PRES.3PL mī (MEE) I tulā (TU-laa) you-SG.DAT ghyāyalā (GHYAAY-laa) take-INF sāḍenaūlā (SAA-de-na-oo-laa) half-past-nine-DAT yeīn (YE-een) come-FUT.1SG
12.26a रोहन Rohan छत्री umbrella घ्यायला to-take विसरू forget नकोस don't पाऊस rain पडत falling आहे is
12.26b rohan (RO-han) Rohan chatrī (CHHAT-ree) umbrella-F.SG ghyāyalā (GHYAAY-laa) take-INF visarū (VIS-roo) forget-STEM nakos (NA-kos) don't-PROH.2SG pāūs (PAA-oos) rain-M.SG paḍat (PA-dat) fall-PROG āhe (AA-he) is-3SG.AUX
12.27a सीता Sita परत back येताना while-coming आपण we चहा tea प्यायला to-drink थांबू let-us-stop
12.27b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita parat (PA-rat) back yetānā (YE-taa-naa) come-while āpaṇ (AA-pan) we-INCL cahā (CHA-haa) tea-M.SG pyāyalā (PYAAY-laa) drink-INF thāṃbū (THAAM-boo) stop-1PL.HORT
12.28a रोहन Rohan ठीक fine आहे is पैसे money वाचवण्यासाठी in-order-to-save आपण we बसने by-bus जाऊ let-us-go
12.28b rohan (RO-han) Rohan ṭhīk (THEEK) fine āhe (AA-he) is-3SG paise (PAI-se) money-M.PL vācavaṇyāsāṭhī (vaach-VAN-yaa-saa-thee) save-INF.OBL-for āpaṇ (AA-pan) we-INCL basane (BAS-ne) bus-INST jāū (JAA-oo) go-1PL.HORT
12.29a सीता Sita चालेल that-will-do आता now मला to-me आईला to-mother मदत help करायला to-do जायला to-go हवे needed
12.29b sītā (SEE-taa) Sita cālel (CHAA-lel) be-acceptable-FUT.3SG ātā (AA-taa) now malā (MA-laa) me-DAT āīlā (AA-ee-laa) mother-DAT madat (MA-dat) help-F.SG karāyalā (ka-RAAY-laa) do-INF jāyalā (JAAY-laa) go-INF have (HA-ve) needed-N.SG
12.30a रोहन Rohan बरं all-right परवा day-after-tomorrow भेटायला to-meet मी I उत्सुक eager आहे am
12.30b rohan (RO-han) Rohan baraṃ (BA-ra) all-right paravā (PAR-vaa) day-after-tomorrow bheṭāyalā (bhe-TAAY-laa) meet-INF mī (MEE) I utsuk (UT-suk) eager āhe (AA-he) am-1SG
12.16 रोहन: सीता, उद्या सिनेमा पाहायला येतेस का? — rohan: sītā, udyā sinemā pāhāyalā yetes kā? — "Rohan: Sita, are you coming to see a film tomorrow?"
12.17 सीता: नाही रे, उद्या मी आईला मदत करायला घरी असेन. — sītā: nāhī re, udyā mī āīlā madat karāyalā gharī asen. — "Sita: No, tomorrow I'll be at home to help Mum."
12.18 रोहन: मग परवा भेटायला जमेल का? — rohan: mag paravā bheṭāyalā jamel kā? — "Rohan: Then can we meet the day after tomorrow?"
12.19 सीता: हो, जमेल. आपण पुस्तके घ्यायला अप्पा बळवंत चौकात जाऊ. — sītā: ho, jamel. āpaṇ pustake ghyāyalā appā baḷavaṃt caukāt jāū. — "Sita: Yes, that works. Let's go to Appa Balwant Chowk to buy books."
12.20 रोहन: छान! मला मराठी कवितांचे पुस्तक शोधायला तुझी मदत लागेल. — rohan: chān! malā marāṭhī kavitāṃce pustak śodhāyalā tujhī madat lāgel. — "Rohan: Great! I'll need your help to find a book of Marathi poems."
12.21 सीता: तुला कोणत्या कवीची कविता वाचायला आवडते? — sītā: tulā koṇatyā kavīcī kavitā vācāyalā āvaḍate? — "Sita: Which poet do you like to read?"
12.22 रोहन: कुसुमाग्रजांची. शाळेत आम्हाला त्यांची एक कविता पाठ करायला दिली होती. — rohan: kusumāgrajāṃcī. śāḷet āmhālā tyāṃcī ek kavitā pāṭh karāyalā dilī hotī. — "Rohan: Kusumagraj. At school we were given one of his poems to learn by heart."
12.23 सीता: मग आधी त्यांचा "विशाखा" संग्रह शोधायला सुरुवात करू. — sītā: mag ādhī tyāṃcā "viśākhā" saṃgrah śodhāyalā suruvāt karū. — "Sita: Then let's start by looking for his collection Vishakha."
12.24 रोहन: आपल्याला किती वाजता निघायला हवे? — rohan: āpalyālā kitī vājatā nighāyalā have? — "Rohan: What time do we need to set off?"
12.25 सीता: दुकाने दहा वाजता उघडतात. मी तुला घ्यायला साडेनऊला येईन. — sītā: dukāne dahā vājatā ughaḍatāt. mī tulā ghyāyalā sāḍenaūlā yeīn. — "Sita: The shops open at ten. I'll come and pick you up at half past nine."
12.26 रोहन: छत्री घ्यायला विसरू नकोस, पाऊस पडत आहे. — rohan: chatrī ghyāyalā visarū nakos, pāūs paḍat āhe. — "Rohan: Don't forget to bring an umbrella; it's raining."
12.27 सीता: परत येताना आपण चहा प्यायला थांबू. — sītā: parat yetānā āpaṇ cahā pyāyalā thāṃbū. — "Sita: On the way back, let's stop for a cup of tea."
12.28 रोहन: ठीक आहे. पैसे वाचवण्यासाठी आपण बसने जाऊ. — rohan: ṭhīk āhe. paise vācavaṇyāsāṭhī āpaṇ basane jāū. — "Rohan: All right. Let's take the bus, to save money."
12.29 सीता: चालेल. आता मला आईला मदत करायला जायला हवे. — sītā: cālel. ātā malā āīlā madat karāyalā jāyalā have. — "Sita: Fine. Now I must go and help Mum."
12.30 रोहन: बरं. परवा भेटायला मी उत्सुक आहे. — rohan: baraṃ. paravā bheṭāyalā mī utsuk āhe. — "Rohan: OK. I'm looking forward to seeing you the day after tomorrow."
12.16 रोहन: सीता, उद्या सिनेमा पाहायला येतेस का?
12.17 सीता: नाही रे, उद्या मी आईला मदत करायला घरी असेन.
12.18 रोहन: मग परवा भेटायला जमेल का?
12.19 सीता: हो, जमेल. आपण पुस्तके घ्यायला अप्पा बळवंत चौकात जाऊ.
12.20 रोहन: छान! मला मराठी कवितांचे पुस्तक शोधायला तुझी मदत लागेल.
12.21 सीता: तुला कोणत्या कवीची कविता वाचायला आवडते?
12.22 रोहन: कुसुमाग्रजांची. शाळेत आम्हाला त्यांची एक कविता पाठ करायला दिली होती.
12.23 सीता: मग आधी त्यांचा "विशाखा" संग्रह शोधायला सुरुवात करू.
12.24 रोहन: आपल्याला किती वाजता निघायला हवे?
12.25 सीता: दुकाने दहा वाजता उघडतात. मी तुला घ्यायला साडेनऊला येईन.
12.26 रोहन: छत्री घ्यायला विसरू नकोस, पाऊस पडत आहे.
12.27 सीता: परत येताना आपण चहा प्यायला थांबू.
12.28 रोहन: ठीक आहे. पैसे वाचवण्यासाठी आपण बसने जाऊ.
12.29 सीता: चालेल. आता मला आईला मदत करायला जायला हवे.
12.30 रोहन: बरं. परवा भेटायला मी उत्सुक आहे.
- One verb, three meanings. घ्यायला, from घेणे "take," means "to buy" in 12.19 (पुस्तके घ्यायला, "to get books"), "to fetch, to pick up" in 12.25 (तुला घ्यायला येईन, "I'll come to pick you up") and "to take with you" in 12.26 (छत्री घ्यायला विसरू नकोस). To say "buy" without doubt, Marathi says विकत घ्यायला, literally "to take at a price." - Two infinitives in a row (12.29). मदत करायला जायला हवे: "to-do help to-go needed." Each -ायला depends on the verb after it: "help" depends on "go," and "go" depends on हवे. - The person in the dative. With हवे and आवडणे the person is in the dative: आपल्याला … हवे (12.24), मला … हवे (12.29), तुला … आवडते (12.21). With जाणे, येणे and थांबणे the person is the ordinary subject: मी … येईन (12.25), आपण … थांबू (12.27). - The formal ending in conversation (12.28). वाचवण्यासाठी, "in order to save," is the -ण्यासाठी form of वाचवणे. It is quite natural in speech when the purpose is stressed. Note that वाचवणे, "save," is a different verb from वाचणे, "read" (12.9, 12.21). - Adjective + -ायला (12.30). भेटायला उत्सुक, "eager to meet," is built like वाचायला सोपे, "easy to read" (12.9). - जमणे (12.18, 12.19). "To work out, to be possible": भेटायला जमेल का?, "will it work out to meet?" This is the polite, normal way to ask whether someone can do something. - Feminine forms. येतेस (12.16) is "you (a woman) come"; Rohan, a man, would be asked येतोस. - The places. Appa Balwant Chowk in Pune is known for its many bookshops. Kusumagraj (कुसुमाग्रज, 1912–1999) is one of the most widely read Marathi poets, and Vishakha (विशाखा) is his best-known collection.
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- करायला [kəɾaːjlaː]: ka-RAAY-laa. The romanization writes an a between y and l, as Devanagari does, but it is not pronounced. Say "kar-AAY-laa" in three beats, not four. - जायला [d͡zaːjlaː]: JAAY-laa. ज before ā in this native verb is usually [d͡z], "dz." - प्यायला [pjaːjlaː], PYAAY-laa; द्यायला [d̪jaːjlaː], DYAAY-laa; घ्यायला [ɡʱjaːjlaː], GHYAAY-laa. The half-letter with the virama is said together with the य: py, dy, ghy, never pi-ya. - व्हायला [ʋʱaːjlaː]: VHAAY-laa. The व and ह are said together, as a breathy v, as in नव्हता (Lesson 11).
- करण्यास [kəɾəɳjaːs]: KA-ran-yaas. ण is retroflex: curl the tongue back and say "n." - शिकण्यासाठी [ʃikəɳjaːsaːʈʰi]: SHI-kan-yaa-saa-thee. ठ is a retroflex t with a puff of breath.
- च and ज again. चला [t͡səlaː] and चहा [t͡səɦaː] begin with "ts." Before i and y the sound is "ch": -च्या, -ची. - ऋ (ṛ). In ऋषी [ɾuʂiː], RU-shee, the letter ऋ is said "ru" in Marathi. ष is [ʂ], a retroflex "sh." - ळ (ḷ). खेळायला [kʰeɭaːjlaː], शाळेत, बळवंत: the retroflex l, with the tongue curled back. - ऊ in पाऊस and भाऊ. Two vowels side by side, each said in full: PAA-oos, BHAA-oo. - Anusvara in old verse. In आलों, भावें, झाडूं and सेवूं, the final ं of the old spelling is not pronounced today, or only as a light nasal: AA-lo, BHAA-ve. - Stress and intonation. -ायला draws a little stress onto its long ā: ka-RAAY-laa, bo-LAAY-laa. Invitations with चला fall at the end: चला, जेवायला! ↘
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)