संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 145 of 4582

Abhanga 145

This abhang names a precise quality of how the deity (or a true master) handles a group. Each person feels uniquely seen; visham (the felt-unevenness of being-favored-over or being-favored-against) does not arise in any heart. This is structural: each person sees Hari in front of them; the others are invisible to that one's experience. Modern application: a host, a teacher, a leader who can produce this in a group — no one is jealous of anyone else; each is wholly attended — is operating at the deity-frame. The cure for visham in groups you host: be in the middle; attend each one fully; let the others be invisible to that-one's-experience.

When you've been in a circle and noticed how the deity / a real master makes each person feel uniquely-attended — and you have to learn the principle

When you yourself are tempted to play favorites in a group — and you have to remember the विषम-not-allowed claim

When you wonder am I uniquely seen? — Tukaram's claim is that this is structurally how the deity functions

The verse

बैसवुनि फेरी । गडियां मध्यभागीं हरी । अवघियांचें करी । समाधान सारिखें ॥१॥ पाहे तो देखे समोर । भोगी अवघे प्रकार । हरुषें झेली कर । कवळ मुखीं देती ते ॥ध्रु.॥ बोले बोलतिया सवें । देतील तें त्यांचें घ्यावें । एक एका ठावें । येर येरा अदृश्य ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देवा । बहु आवडीचा हेवा । कोणाचिया जीवा । वाटों नेदी विषम ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Having seated the friends in a circle, Hari (sits) in the middle — gives equal samādhāna to all. Each one looks and sees him in front; experiences all kinds of joys; with rapture he catches by hand the kavalā they put to his mouth. He speaks with whoever speaks; takes whatever they give. Each is known to himself; the others are invisible (to him). Tuka says: deity — much love-attachment — does not let visham come to anyone's heart.

मराठी: गडियांना (मित्रांना) फेरीत बसवून — हरी मध्यभागी; सर्वांना सारखं समाधान देतो. प्रत्येक पाहतो — समोर त्याला दिसतो; सर्व प्रकार भोगतो; हरुषाने हाताने झेलतो — त्यांचा कवळ मुखी देतो. बोलणाऱ्याबरोबर बोलतो; ते देतील ते घेतो. एक एकाला माहीत; दुसरे अदृश्य. तुकाराम म्हणतात — देवाला बहु आवडीचा हेवा — कुणाच्याही जिवात विषम येऊ देत नाही.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
बैसवुनि फेरी गडियां मध्यभागीं हरी	"having seated the friends in a circle, Hari is in the middle"
अवघियांचें करी समाधान सारिखें	"(he) gives equal samādhāna (settled-satisfaction) to all"
पाहे तो देखे समोर	"(each) one looks — sees (Hari) in front (of him)"
भोगी अवघे प्रकार	"experiences all kinds (of joys)"
हरुषें झेली कर कवळ मुखीं देती ते	"with rapture, he catches with the hand the kavalā (morsel) they put to his mouth"
बोले बोलतिया सवें	"speaks with the speaking one"
देतील तें त्यांचें घ्यावें	"(he) takes whatever they give"
एक एका ठावें येर येरा अदृश्य	"each is known to himself; (the others) are invisible to him"
बहु आवडीचा हेवा	"much love-attachment"
कोणाचिया जीवा वाटों नेदी विषम	"does not let visham (unevenness / inequity) come to anyone's heart"

What it means

A Krishna-in-the-friends'-circle abhang. The image: Krishna sits in the middle of his cowherd-friends' circle (the kālā meal); each friend sees Krishna in front of him; each gives a kavalā (morsel) and receives one; each speaks and is spoken-to. Each is unaware that Hari is doing the same with all the others. The structural claim: कोणाचिया जीवा वाटों नेदी विषम — does not let visham (inequity / unevenness) come to anyone's heart. The deity is omni-attentive in a way that produces unique-attention in each receiver. [T] [Tradition]

For someone today

This abhang names a precise quality of how the deity (or a true master) handles a group. Each person feels uniquely seen; visham (the felt-unevenness of being-favored-over or being-favored-against) does not arise in any heart. This is structural: each person sees Hari in front of them; the others are invisible to that one's experience. Modern application: a host, a teacher, a leader who can produce this in a group — no one is jealous of anyone else; each is wholly attended — is operating at the deity-frame. The cure for visham in groups you host: be in the middle; attend each one fully; let the others be invisible to that-one's-experience.

The corollary diagnostic: in groups you enter, do you find yourself feeling uniquely seen or one-of-many? The uniquely-seen groups have the deity-frame operative. The one-of-many groups don't. The difference is the felt-presence of visham-prevention.

मराठी: ही ओवी देव (किंवा खरा master) समूहाला कसा handle करतो याचं precise quality नाव सांगते. प्रत्येकाला वाटतं uniquely पाहिलं गेलंय; कुणाच्याही हृदयात visham (असमान वाटण्याची, favored-over किंवा favored-against जाण्याची भावना) येत नाही. हे रचनात्मक: प्रत्येकाला हरि समोर दिसतो; इतरांना त्या-एका-च्या-अनुभवातून अदृश्य. आधुनिक lागू: समूहात असा प्रभाव पाडणारा host, शिक्षक, नेता — कुणी कुणाचा हेवा करत नाही; प्रत्येकाला पूर्ण लक्ष — हा देव-frame मध्ये operating आहे. तुम्ही host करत असलेल्या समूहांत visham दूर करायचा उपाय: मध्यभागी असा; प्रत्येकाकडे पूर्ण attend; इतरांना त्या-एकाच्या-अनुभवातून अदृश्य ठेवा.

परिणाम diagnostic: तुम्ही ज्या समूहांत जाता, तिथे uniquely-पाहिलं की one-of-many वाटतं? uniquely-seen समूहांत देव-frame operative आहे. one-of-many समूहांत नाही. फरक visham-prevention च्या felt-presence मध्ये.

Where this applies

Group where each is uniquely-attended. Recognize the deity-frame.
Tempted to play favorites. विषम-not-allowed.
Wonder if you are uniquely seen. Structurally, this is how it works.