संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 196 of 4582

Abhanga 196

This abhang refines the one-rhythm-collective claim of the vāḷavaṇṭa cluster:

When you've been at a kīrtana and noticed the meeting-in-one-chand despite different bodies — and you have to recognize this as the structural feature
When sorting out of those who don't meet the rhythm is part of the discipline — and you have to honor this without judgement
When even-unknowingly the Viṭṭhal-name-strength has given status — and you recognize the inclusive-grace claim

The verse

कुसरी अंगें मोडितील परी । मेळविति एका छंदें रे ॥१॥ सम विषम तेथें होऊं च नेदी । जाणऊनि आगळिया रे ॥ध्रु.॥ हात राखोन हाणिती टिपर्‍या । टिपरें मिळोनि जाय त्याची सोई रे ॥२॥ निवडूनि बाहेर काढिती निराळा । जो न मिळे संताचिया घाई रे ॥३॥ नेणतीं नेणतीं च एकें पावलीं मान । विठ्ठल नामाचिया बळें रे ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे कंठ सद्गदित दाटे । या विठोबाच्या अंगसंगें रे ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: The bodies twist with skill — but they meet in one chand. Sama-viṣama (even-and-odd) cannot form there — known as separate. Holding hand, they strike the ṭiparyā; the ṭipare meet, going their way. They sort and pull aside (whoever does) not meet the saints' ghāī. Even unknowing-unknowingly, one got status — by Viṭṭhal-name's strength. Tuka says: the throat chokes-up — by Viṭhobā's body-touch.

मराठी: कुसरी अंगें मोडितील परीएका छंदे मेळतात. सम-विषम तिथे होऊ देत नाहीआगळिया (वेगळा-वेगळा) म्हणून जाणतात. हात राखोनि टिपर्या हाणतात; टिपरे मिळोनि जाय त्याची सोई. सोडून बाहेर काढतात निराळाजो न मिळे संताचिया घाई. नेणतीं नेणतीं चएकें पावलीं मानविठ्ठल नामाचिया बळें. तुकाराम म्हणतात — कंठ सद्गदित दाटेया विठोबाच्या अंगसंगें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
कुसरी अंगें मोडितील परी "the bodies twist with kusara (skill)"
मेळविति एका छंदें "(yet) they meet in one chand (rhythm-passion)"
सम विषम तेथें होऊं च नेदी "sama-viṣama (even-and-odd / asymmetry) cannot form there"
जाणऊनि आगळिया "(each is) known as āgaḷiyā (separate / set-apart)"
हात राखोन हाणिती टिपर्‍या "holding hand, (they) strike the ṭiparyā (small percussion-sticks)"
टिपरें मिळोनि जाय त्याची सोई "the ṭiparē meet, going the soya (way)"
निवडूनि बाहेर काढिती निराळा "they sort and pull aside separately"
जो न मिळे संताचिया घाई "whoever does not meet the saints' ghāī"
नेणतीं नेणतीं च एकें पावलीं मान "even unknowing-unknowing-ly, one got māna (status / honor)"
विठ्ठल नामाचिया बळें "by Viṭṭhal-name's strength"
कंठ सद्गदित दाटे "the throat sad-gadita chokes-up"
या विठोबाच्या अंगसंगें "by Viṭhobā's anga-sanga (body-touch)"

What it means

A kīrtana-rhythm-discipline abhang. Builds on 194's one-ghāī claim with structural elaboration:

  1. कुसरी अंगें मोडितील — मेळविति एका छंदेंbodies twist with skill, yet meet in one chand. Each body has its own kusara (individual skill / movement-style), yet the meeting-point is one chand. Plurality at the level of form, unity at the level of rhythm-passion.

  2. सम विषम तेथें होऊं च नेदी — जाणऊनि आगळियाsama-viṣama (even/odd, symmetric/asymmetric, equal/unequal) cannot form there; (each is) known as separate. The kīrtana's one-chand is not equality-of-uniformity. Each is āgaḷiyāseparate, distinct. The one-chand is not sameness-erasure; it is unity-in-distinctness. (Compare 193's one-sādhaka equality, here refined: equal in chand, distinct in body.)

  3. निवडूनि बाहेर काढिती निराळा — जो न मिळे संताचिया घाईsorted aside is whoever does not meet the saints' ghāī. The discipline includes sorting. Some are pulled aside — those who do not meet the rhythm. This is not punishment; it is protection of the chand. The non-meeting body would break the one-rhythm.

  4. नेणतीं नेणतीं च एकें पावलीं मान — विठ्ठल नामाचिया बळेंeven unknowingly-unknowingly, one got status — by Viṭṭhal-name's strength. The radical inclusivity claim. Even the bhakta who does not know what is happening — received status via the Viṭṭhal-name-strength. The name itself does the work; the bhakta's understanding is not required.

  5. कंठ सद्गदित दाटे — विठोबाच्या अंगसंगेंthe throat chokes-up — by Viṭhobā's body-touch. The sad-gadita (choked-up-with-emotion) is the diagnostic — when anga-sanga (body-touch) of Viṭhobā has happened, the throat chokes-up.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang refines the one-rhythm-collective claim of the vāḷavaṇṭa cluster:

  1. Distinctness preserved within unity. The bodies twist with skill differently; the one chand is the meeting-point, not the flattening-point. Don't confuse being-in-one-rhythm with being-the-same.

  2. Sama-viṣama cannot form. Equal-and-unequal doesn't apply in the chand-zone. Stop comparing who is more devoted, who is less. The metric does not work in this register.

  3. Sorting-out is part of the practice. Some get pulled aside. This is not exclusion-by-prejudice; it is protection of the one-chand. If you find yourself pulled asidethat is the discipline working; either join the one-chand or accept the side-position.

  4. Even unknowing — Viṭṭhal-name-strength gives status. The radical inclusivity: you don't have to understand to receive. The name itself is the agent. Stop thinking your deficient understanding is the obstacle; the name-strength operates underneath understanding.

  5. The body-touch is the diagnostic. Anga-sanga. When the throat chokes-up, the body-touch has happened. Don't doubt the experience by checking against what the doctrine says should happen.

For today: when at a real-collective-practice — preserve your distinctness while meeting in one chand; stop the sama-viṣama comparison; if pulled-aside, accept; trust that the name-strength operates even in unknowing; receive the body-touch as the diagnostic.

मराठी: ही ओवी vāḷavaṇṭa-cluster च्या one-rhythm-collective claim ला refine करते:

  1. Unity मध्ये distinctness जपलेली. कुसरी अंगें वेगळ्या twist होतात; एक छंद meeting-point, flattening-point नाही. एका रिदम मध्ये असणं एक-सारखं असणं शी confuse करू नका.

  2. सम-विषम तयार होत नाही. Equal-and-unequal चंद-zone मध्ये लागू नाही. कोण जास्त devoted, कोण कमी comparison थांबवा. Metric या register मध्ये काम करत नाही.

  3. Sorting-out practice चा भाग. काही बाजूला काढले जातात. Prejudice-exclusion नाही; one-chand-protection. तुम्ही बाजूला काढले गेलात — discipline काम करतंय; एकतर एक-छंद मध्ये join करा किंवा side-position स्वीकारा.

  4. Unknowing — Viṭṭhal-नाम-शक्ती status देते. Radical inclusivity: समजायला गरज नाही receive करायला. नाम स्वतः agent. तुमची deficient understanding obstacle आहे असं वाटू नका; नाम-शक्ती understanding-च्या-खाली काम करते.

  5. अंग-संग diagnostic. कंठ सद्गदित — body-touch झालं. Doctrine काय व्हायला हवं शी अनुभव check करत doubt करू नका.

आज: real-collective-practice मध्ये असाल — distinctness जपा एक-छंद-मध्ये-meet होताना; सम-विषम comparison थांबवा; बाजूला काढले गेलात — स्वीकारा; नाम-शक्ती unknowing मध्येही operate होते यावर विश्वास ठेवा; body-touch diagnostic म्हणून घ्या.

Where this applies

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