Abhanga 224

Tukaram holds up the food in his hand, a simple morsel shared among friends, and says, look, this is what I have. He's quick to say it isn't his own doing: God gave it, and he's just eating his share. He invites others to try the same joy but never pushes anyone into it, if you want it, come try it yourself. He even points to his full belly as proof: this kind of satisfaction, he says, you don't get sitting at home.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A short complete-here-now abhang. Four claims:

1. हा गे माझे हातीं — पाहा कवळ सांगाती — here, in my hand — see the morsel-companion. The immediate-display. Here, in my hand — the bhakta has something to show. The kavaḷa-sāngāti — the morsel-companion — is the piece-of-food-with-its-companion-presence. The immediate-here-now possession.

2. देवें दिला खातों भाग — the deva gave — I eat my share. The deva-gave origin. Tukaram does not claim self-acquisition; the deva-gave it. He just-eats-the-share.

3. कराल तर करा लाग — you can — if you (want), try. The non-coercive invitation. The invitation is open (you can come and have the same), but not pushed (if you want — try).

4. धालें ऐसें पोट — वरी करूनियां बोट — the belly is so full — finger on top. The full-marker. The finger-on-top is a Marathi gesture indicating that one has eaten to the brim. The physical-marker of post-feast satiety.

5. तुका म्हणे घरीं — मग कैं जी या परी — Tuka says: at home — when (do you get) like this? The closing-challenge. At home (= the prior arrangement, the standard-life), when do you get like this? The implication: at home, you don't get this. The kālā-feast register is qualitatively different from the at-home register. The yā parī (like this) condition is not at home. (Compare 191's taka-sarovar at home, navanīta-pūra here.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram holds up the food in his hand, a simple morsel shared among friends, and says, look, this is what I have. He's quick to say it isn't his own doing: God gave it, and he's just eating his share. He invites others to try the same joy but never pushes anyone into it, if you want it, come try it yourself. He even points to his full belly as proof: this kind of satisfaction, he says, you don't get sitting at home.

मराठी: तुकाराम आपल्या हातातला घास दाखवत म्हणतात, हे पाहा, माझ्याकडे हे आहे. हे मी स्वतः मिळवलेलं नाही, देवाने दिलं आणि मी फक्त माझा वाटा खातो आहे, असं ते स्पष्ट सांगतात. तुम्हालाही हेच सुख हवं असेल तर या, पण जबरदस्ती नाही, असं ते खुल्या मनाने आमंत्रण देतात. आपलं तृप्त पोट दाखवत ते म्हणतात, अशी तृप्ती घरी बसून कधीच मिळत नाही.

Where this applies

• Show the morsel-companion. Display, don't hide.
• Credit the deva for the giving. Receiving-stance.
• Invitation open but non-coercive. कराल तर करा लाग.
• Recognize the qualitative-asymmetry. घरीं मग कैं या परी.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4497 — Tukaram describes a life so soaked in devotion that Krishna's presence fills every ordinar