Abhanga 53
English: This abhang offers two things. First — the diagnostic for genuine awake-ness: absence of slander, violence, deceit, body-mindedness. Note that all four are negative criteria, not positive ones. The person who is genuinely transparent does not announce themselves with virtues; they simply do not have the four. Many performers of spiritual life have positive virtues and the four below the surface. The transparent crystal does not.
The verse
निंदा हिंसा नाहीं कपट देहबुद्धि । निर्मळ स्फटिक जैसा ॥१॥ मोक्षाचें तीर्थ न लगे वाराणसी । येती तयापासीं अवघीं जनें॥ तीर्थांसी तीर्थ जाला तो चि एक । मोक्ष तेणें दर्शनें ॥ध्रु.॥ मन शुद्ध तया काय करिसी माळा । मंडित सकळा भूषणांसी ॥ हरिच्या गुणें गर्जताती सदा । आनंद तया मानसीं ॥२॥ तन मन धन दिलें पुरुषोत्तमा । आशा नाहीं कवणाची ॥ तुका म्हणे तो परिसाहूनि आगळा । काय महिमा वर्णूं त्याची ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: No slander, no violence, no deceit, no body-mindedness — pure as crystal. For moksha-pilgrimage Varanasi is not needed; all people come to him. He alone has become tirth even to the tirths; moksha (comes) by his very darshan. For one whose mind is pure — what need of garlands? He is adorned with all ornaments. They roar always with Hari's qualities; joy is in their hearts. Body, mind, wealth — given to the Supreme Person; he has no hope toward anyone. Tuka says: he is greater than the paris (philosopher's-stone) — what greatness can I describe?
मराठी: निंदा नाही, हिंसा नाही, कपट नाही, देहबुद्धी नाही — निर्मळ स्फटिकासारखा. मोक्षाच्या तीर्थासाठी वाराणसी जायला नको; सगळे लोक त्याच्याकडेच येतात. तो एकच तीर्थांनाही तीर्थ झाला; त्याच्या दर्शनानेच मोक्ष. ज्याचं मन शुद्ध त्याला माळा कशाला? तो सर्व भूषणांनी मंडित. हरीच्या गुणांनी सदा गर्जतात; मनात आनंद. तन-मन-धन पुरुषोत्तमाला दिलं; कुणाची आशा नाही. तुकाराम म्हणतात — परिसाहूनही आगळा — काय महिमा वर्णावा?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| निंदा हिंसा नाहीं कपट देहबुद्धि | "no slander, no violence, no deceit, no body-mindedness" |
| निर्मळ स्फटिक जैसा | "as pure as crystal" |
| मोक्षाचें तीर्थ न लगे वाराणसी | "for moksha-pilgrimage, Varanasi is not needed" |
| येती तयापासीं अवघीं जनें | "all people come to him" |
| तीर्थांसी तीर्थ जाला तो चि एक | "he alone has become a tirth-to-tirths" (a pilgrimage-place even for pilgrimage-places) |
| मोक्ष तेणें दर्शनें | "moksha by his darshan" |
| मन शुद्ध तया काय करिसी माळा | "for one whose mind is pure, what need has he of garlands?" |
| आशा नाहीं कवणाची | "(he) has no hope toward anyone" |
| परिसाहूनि आगळा | "greater than the paris (philosopher's-stone)" (परिस = the legendary touchstone that turns iron to gold) |
What it means
This is one of Tukaram's most-cited sant-mahima (saint-praise) abhangas. The opening crystal-image निर्मळ स्फटिक जैसा — pure as crystal — sets the criterion: the saint is recognized by the absence of four things (slander, violence, deceit, body-mindedness), not by positive virtues alone. The criterion is structural: a clear pane of glass shows what is on the other side; an impure person reflects only themselves.
The pilgrimage-relocation continues from 0051. Here it is sharper: तीर्थांसी तीर्थ — tirth even to the tirths — the saint is a pilgrimage-place that the conventional pilgrimage-places themselves resort to. The implication: the holiness of Varanasi flows from the saints there; without the saints, the place is just a city. With a saint, the place is wherever the saint is. [Tradition]
For someone today
English: This abhang offers two things. First — the diagnostic for genuine awake-ness: absence of slander, violence, deceit, body-mindedness. Note that all four are negative criteria, not positive ones. The person who is genuinely transparent does not announce themselves with virtues; they simply do not have the four. Many performers of spiritual life have positive virtues and the four below the surface. The transparent crystal does not.
Second — the relocation of pilgrimage. If you find someone निर्मळ स्फटिक जैसा — pure as crystal — you do not need to travel for the spiritual experience. Their presence is the destination. The local-saint claim is uncomfortable for modern romanticism (which prefers the far place) but it is Tukaram's plain claim.
मराठी: ही ओवी दोन गोष्टी देते. पहिली — खऱ्या जागृत-पणाचं निदान: निंदा, हिंसा, कपट, देहबुद्धी यांची अनुपस्थिती. लक्षात घ्या — चारही नकारात्मक निकष आहेत, सकारात्मक नाही. खरं transparent व्यक्ती सद्गुणांनी स्वतःची घोषणा करत नाही; तिच्याकडे चार नसतात. आध्यात्मिक जीवनाचे अनेक performers कडे सद्गुण असतात आणि चार पृष्ठभागाखाली असतात. transparent स्फटिक तसा नाही.
दुसरी — तीर्थयात्रेची relocate. निर्मळ स्फटिक जैसा व्यक्ती सापडली, तर आध्यात्मिक अनुभवासाठी प्रवास करायची गरज नाही. त्यांची उपस्थिती हीच मंजील. स्थानिक-संत हा दावा आधुनिक रोमँटिकवादासाठी (ज्याला लांबचं आवडतं) अस्वस्थ आहे — पण तुकारामांचा सरळ दावा आहे.
Where this applies
- When you encounter someone transparent like crystal. Recognize. Their darshan is what you would have traveled for.
- When meditation feels stuck. Apply the negative diagnostic to yourself. Are slander, violence, deceit, body-mindedness still in you?
- When you're planning expensive pilgrimage. Check the local pure-hearted person first.