Abhanga 245

This abhang is one of Tukaram's most-quoted on the source-of-instruction. Four claims:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A famous upadeśa-from-any-hand abhang. Four claims:

1. उपदेश तो भलत्या हातीं — जाला चित्तीं धरावा — take the upadeśa from any hand — whatever it is, hold in the chitta. The radical-inclusivity rule about instruction. Bhalatyā hātīm — from whichever hand (= whoever's hand it comes from). The source-of-the-upadeśa is irrelevant; the upadeśa-itself is to be held in the chitta.

2. नये जाऊं पात्रावरी — कवटी सारी नारळें — don't go upon the pātra — the husk carries the coconut. The vessel-vs-content rule. Pātra (vessel / receptacle / source-status) is not what to judge. The kavaṭī (husk, the rough-outer-shell) carries the nāraḷē (the coconut, the prized-fruit). The husk-is-low-status; the coconut-is-high-status. But the husk is the carrier. Without-the-husk, the coconut does not arrive. Don't despise the husk; it is the delivery-vehicle.

3. स्त्री पुत्र बंदीजन — नारायण स्मरविती — wife, son, bandi-jana — make Nārāyaṇa-remembered. The radical-list: wife, son, prisoner (or dependent / servant / inferior-status person) can make Nārāyaṇa-remembered. In the orthodox-frame, upadeśa comes from gurus (specifically: high-status, male, priestly). Tukaram's claim: anyone in your everyday-life — wife, son, prisoner — can make you remember Nārāyaṇa. The upadeśa-channel is open through any everyday-relation.

4. तुका म्हणे रत्नसार — परि उपकार चिंधीचे — Tuka says: ratna-sāra (jewel-essence) — but the cinḍhī (rag) does the upakāra. The closing-image. The jewel (the highest-value content) — but the rag does the favor. (= a jewel wrapped in a rag — the rag is what enables the jewel to be carried, kept, transported.) The rag's favor is what the jewel needs. Don't despise the rag; the upakāra (favor) is the rag's.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang is one of Tukaram's most-quoted on the source-of-instruction. Four claims:

1. Take the upadeśa from any hand. Bhalatyā hātīm. Don't gate-keep upadeśa by source. The content is what matters. Even from someone you would not normally consult, the upadeśa-content may be valuable.

2. Don't go upon the pātra*. Naye jāūm pātrāvarī. The vessel-status is irrelevant. The kavaṭī (husk) carries the nāraḷē (coconut). Without the husk, no coconut*. The low-status-vessel may be the necessary-vehicle.

3. Anyone in your everyday-relations can make Nārāyaṇa-remembered. Strī putra bandi-jana — Nārāyaṇa smaravitī. Wife, son, prisoner (or any-low-status everyday-person) — can be the upadeśa-channel. Don't seek upadeśa only from high-status gurus; it is available everywhere in everyday-relations.

4. The jewel needs the rag's favor. Ratna-sāra — pari upakāra cinḍhīcē. The highest-content needs the low-vessel to be carried, preserved, transported. The cinḍhī (rag) does the upakāra (favor). Honor both the jewel and the rag; the rag is not despicable — it is the favor-doer.

For today: don't despise low-status sources of instruction; take the upadeśa from any hand and hold in the chitta; recognize that anyone in your everyday-life can be the Nārāyaṇa-remembrance-channel; honor the rag-vessels that carry the jewels.

This is also anti-establishment in implication: the formal-religion tells you upadeśa-comes-from-gurus; Tukaram says upadeśa-comes-from-any-hand-including-wife-son-prisoner. (Compare 235's don't-go-to-the-formal-māyā-house; 221's blessed-everyday-objects.)

मराठी: ही ओवी तुकारामांच्या most-quoted पैकी एक — source-of-instruction वर. चार claims:

1. उपदेश भलत्या हातीं* घ्या. भलत्या हातीं. Source ने upadeśa gate-keep करू नका. Content matters. सहसा consult न करता असलेल्या कुणाकडून सुद्धा — upadeśa-content valuable असू शकतं*.

2. Pātra-वर जाऊ नका. नये जाऊं पात्रावरी. Vessel-status irrelevant. कवटी (husk) नारळ carry करते. कवटी शिवाय नारळ नाही. Low-status-vessel necessary-vehicle असू शकतो.

3. रोजच्या nat-relations मध्ये कोणीही Nārāyaṇa-remembered करू शकतं. स्त्री पुत्र बंदीजन — नारायण स्मरविती. पत्नी, मुलगा, बंदीजन (किंवा कोणीही low-status everyday-person) — upadeśa-channel असू शकतं. फक्त high-status gurus कडून upadeśa शोधू नका; रोजच्या nat-relations मध्ये available.

4. रत्नाला चिंधीचा उपकार*. रत्नसार — परि उपकार चिंधीचे. Highest-content ला low-vessel — carry, preserve, transport व्हायला. चिंधी (rag) उपकार करते. रत्न आणि चिंधी दोन्ही honor करा; चिंधी despicable नाही — favor-doer*.

आज: low-status sources of instruction despise करू नका; भलत्या हातीं उपदेश घ्या आणि चित्ती धरा; रोजच्या आयुष्यात कोणीही Nārāyaṇa-remembrance-channel असू शकतं ओळखा; जे रत्न-vessel carry करतात त्या rag-vessels honor करा.

हे anti-establishment implication मध्ये पण: formal-religion upadeśa-गुरूंकडून सांगतं; तुकाराम उपदेश भलत्या-हातीं — स्त्री-पुत्र-बंदीजन सह म्हणतात.

Where this applies

• Take upadeśa from any hand. Don't gate-keep by source.
• Don't judge by the pātra. Husk carries the coconut.
• Anyone (wife, son, prisoner) can make Nārāyaṇa-remembered. Everyday-relations.
• Rag does the favor for the jewel. Honor the vessel.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374
• Abhanga 2377 — English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time.
• Abhanga 2387
• Abhanga 2402