Abhanga 40
Even Brahma wants this prasad. The plate is overflowing for everyone — there is no eligibility test, only a willingness to eat.
The verse
देवाच्या प्रसादें करा रे भोजन । व्हाल कोण कोण अधिकारी ते ॥१॥ ब्रम्हादिकांसि हें दुर्लभ उच्छिष्ट । नका मानूं वीट ब्रम्हरसीं ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघियां पुरतें वोसंडलें पात्र । अधिकार सर्वत्र आहे येथें ॥२॥ इच्छादानी येथें वळला समर्थ । अवघें चि आर्त पुरवितो ॥३॥ सरे येथें ऐसें नाहीं कदाकाळीं । पुढती वाटे कवळीं घ्यावें ऐसें ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे पाक लक्षुमीच्या हातें । कामारीसांगातें निरुपम ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Make a meal of the deity's prasad — every one of you will be entitled. Even Brahma and the gods cannot easily get this leftover; do not feel disgust toward the brahma-rasa. The plate is overflowing — enough for everyone; access here is for all. The Capable One has bent here toward the desire-giver; He fulfills every yearning. There is no end here, ever — one wishes to take more handfuls again and again. Tuka says: the cooking is by Lakshmi's own hand, with the maid-servant — incomparable.
मराठी: देवाच्या प्रसादाचं भोजन करा — तुम्ही सगळेच अधिकारी व्हाल. ब्रह्मादिकांनासुद्धा हा उच्छिष्ट दुर्लभ; ब्रह्मरसाला वीट मानू नका. सर्वांसाठी पुरतं पात्र वोसंडलंय; इथे सर्वांचाच अधिकार आहे. इच्छादानी समर्थ इथे झुकला आहे; तो प्रत्येक आर्त पुरवतो. इथे कधी संपणार नाही; पुन्हा-पुन्हा कवळ घेऊ वाटतं. तुकाराम म्हणतात — स्वयंपाक लक्ष्मीच्या हातचा; कामारीसांगाताने अतुलनीय.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| देवाच्या प्रसादें करा रे भोजन | "make a meal of the deity's prasad" |
| व्हाल कोण कोण अधिकारी ते | "you all will become entitled — every one" |
| ब्रम्हादिकांसि हें दुर्लभ उच्छिष्ट | "even Brahma and the gods (find) this leftover hard to attain" |
| नका मानूं वीट ब्रम्हरसीं | "do not feel disgust toward the brahma-rasa" |
| अवघियां पुरतें वोसंडलें पात्र | "the plate is overflowing — enough for all" |
| अधिकार सर्वत्र आहे येथें | "there is access here for all" |
| इच्छादानी येथें वळला समर्थ | "the Capable One is here, bent toward the desire-giver" |
| अवघें चि आर्त पुरवितो | "(He) fulfills every yearning" |
| सरे येथें ऐसें नाहीं कदाकाळीं | "there is no end here, ever" |
| पुढती वाटे कवळीं घ्यावें | "and one wishes to take more handfuls" |
| पाक लक्षुमीच्या हातें | "the cooking is by Lakshmi's hand" |
| कामारीसांगातें निरुपम | "with the maid-servant — incomparable" |
What it means
This abhang completes the prasad-cluster's claim of universal access. The shocking opening — even Brahma cannot easily get this उच्छिष्ट — flips the usual hierarchy. The leftovers of the bhakti-saints are more valuable than what the highest cosmic gods receive. The reason follows in verse 2: अधिकार सर्वत्र आहे — access here is for all. There is no eligibility test in bhakti's economy. [T] [Tradition]
The kitchen image — पाक लक्षुमीच्या हातें — cooking by Lakshmi's hand — is precise. Lakshmi (goddess of abundance) cooks; the deity's wife herself prepares the prasad. The food is therefore infinite by source — Lakshmi cannot run out, the goddess of abundance does not have a budget. Hence verse 4: सरे येथें ऐसें नाहीं कदाकाळीं — there is no end here, ever. [T]
For someone today
English: This abhang is for the moment when you have been told (by tradition, by gatekeepers, by your own internalized gatekeepers) that you are not the right kind of person for some spiritual access. The brahma-rasa is for brahmins; the deep practice is for the initiated; this teaching is reserved for the qualified. Tukaram's whole abhang is the demolition of these claims. Even Brahma the cosmic god cannot easily get this prasad — and yet here the plate is overflowing for everyone. There is no eligibility test in this kitchen; the cooking is by the goddess of abundance and there is enough.
The deeper teaching is in पुढती वाटे कवळीं घ्यावें — one wishes to take more handfuls. The mark of the right relationship to prasad is wanting more, repeatedly. Tukaram is not advocating restraint or polite-portion-control; he is naming the bhakta's natural greed for what feeds them, and saying the deity meets it. If you have been polite about your spiritual hunger — one is enough, I shouldn't take so much, others need it too — Tukaram is correcting you. Take handfuls. Take again. Lakshmi cooked. There is no end.
मराठी: ही ओवी अशा क्षणासाठी जेव्हा तुम्हाला सांगितलंय (परंपरेने, gatekeepers ने, स्वतःच्या आतल्या gatekeepers ने) की तुम्ही योग्य प्रकारचे नाही — एखाद्या आध्यात्मिक access साठी. ब्रह्मरस ब्राह्मणांसाठी; गहन साधना दीक्षितांसाठी; ही शिकवण पात्रांसाठी राखीव. तुकारामांची संपूर्ण ओवी हे demolish करते. ब्रह्मादिकांनासुद्धा हा प्रसाद दुर्लभ — आणि तरीही इथे पात्र सर्वांसाठी वोसंडलंय. या स्वयंपाकघरात पात्रता-परीक्षा नाही; स्वयंपाक अभंग-समृद्धीच्या देवीचा आहे आणि पुरेसं आहे.
खोल शिकवण पुढती वाटे कवळीं घ्यावें मध्ये — पुन्हा-पुन्हा कवळ घ्यावी वाटतं. प्रसादाशी योग्य नात्याचं चिन्ह आहे पुन्हा-पुन्हा हवं वाटणं. तुकाराम संयम किंवा सभ्य-भागशिस्त सांगत नाहीयेत; ते भक्ताच्या नैसर्गिक भुकेचं नाव सांगतायत आणि म्हणतायत — देव त्याला भेटतो. तुम्ही तुमच्या आध्यात्मिक भुकेबद्दल सभ्य राहिला असाल — एक पुरे, मी जास्त घेऊ नये, इतरांना हवं असेल — तुकाराम तुम्हाला सुधारत आहेत. कवळ घ्या. पुन्हा घ्या. लक्ष्मीने स्वयंपाक केलाय. अंत नाही.
Where this applies
- When you've been told you're not the right kind of person. The plate is overflowing. अधिकार सर्वत्र आहे.
- When you hesitate to take what is offered. Your wanting is the eligibility.
- When the table looks reserved for someone else. Lakshmi cooked. The cooking is for everyone.