Abhanga 115
This abhang corrects an instinct to imagine the divine as passive-cosmic. The deity is armed — discus and mace — and active. Two operations: protection of bhaktas, destruction of the depraved. The closing instruction — जया तैसा — as for each one, so for that one — is permission to bring your specific need to the deity. You don't need to convert your need into a generic spiritual-petition. The form the deity takes is the form you require. This is the bhakti claim of a responsive deity, not a deity-as-symbol.
The verse
घेऊनियां चक्र गदा । हा चि धंदा करी तो ॥१॥ भक्ता राखे पायापासीं । दुर्जनासी संहारी ॥ध्रु.॥ अव्यक्त तें आकारलें । रूपा आलें गुणवंत ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे पुरवी इच्छा । जया तैसा विठ्ठल ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Discus and mace in hand — this is the (only) business he does: keeps the bhaktas at his feet and destroys the depraved. The unmanifest has taken form — form has come, endowed with qualities. Tuka says: he fulfills the desire — Vitthal becomes whatever each one (needs).
मराठी: चक्र-गदा घेऊन — हाच धंदा करतो: भक्तांना पायापाशी राखतो, दुर्जनांना संहारतो. अव्यक्त आकाराला आलं — गुणवंत रूप झालं. तुकाराम म्हणतात — इच्छा पुरवतो — ज्याला तसा विठ्ठल.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| घेऊनियां चक्र गदा | "(having) taken up the discus and mace" |
| हा चि धंदा करी तो | "this is the (only) business he does" |
| भक्ता राखे पायापासीं | "keeps the bhakta at (his) feet" |
| दुर्जनासी संहारी | "destroys the depraved" |
| अव्यक्त तें आकारलें | "the unmanifest has been given form" |
| रूपा आलें गुणवंत | "form has come — guṇavanta (endowed-with-qualities)" |
| पुरवी इच्छा | "fulfills the desire / wish" |
| जया तैसा विठ्ठल | "Vitthal becomes whatever each one (needs)" (जया तैसा = "as for whomever — so for him") |
What it means
A deity-as-active-protector-and-destroyer abhang. The चक्र गदा (discus-mace) image is Vishnu's classical iconography; Tukaram is reading these weapons functionally — they are not decorative; the deity uses them. The whole business of the deity is two-fold: (1) keep bhaktas at the feet; (2) destroy the depraved. Both are active operations, not passive cosmic conditions. The closing — जया तैसा विठ्ठल — Vitthal becomes whatever each one needs — is bhakti's classical iṣṭa-devatā (chosen-deity) claim: the deity assumes whatever form the bhakta needs. [T] [Tradition]
For someone today
This abhang corrects an instinct to imagine the divine as passive-cosmic. The deity is armed — discus and mace — and active. Two operations: protection of bhaktas, destruction of the depraved. The closing instruction — जया तैसा — as for each one, so for that one — is permission to bring your specific need to the deity. You don't need to convert your need into a generic spiritual-petition. The form the deity takes is the form you require. This is the bhakti claim of a responsive deity, not a deity-as-symbol.
मराठी: ही ओवी एका instinct ला सुधारते — देव passive-cosmic असेल अशी कल्पना. देव सशस्त्र — चक्र-गदा — आणि सक्रिय. दोन ऑपरेशन्स: भक्तांचं रक्षण, दुर्जनांचा संहार. शेवटची सूचना — जया तैसा — परवानगी आहे तुमची specific गरज देवाकडे आणायची. गरज generic आध्यात्मिक-petition मध्ये convert करायला नको. देव जे रूप घेतो ते रूप तुम्हाला हवं असतं. हा responsive देव — symbol-as-deity नाही.
Where this applies
- Imagining deity as neutral. Armed and active.
- Wondering what form to ask for. जया तैसा.
- Depraved flourishing. Discus is in motion regardless of timing.