संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 278 of 4582

Abhanga 278

This is a radical exclusive-commitment abhang. Three readings:

When you've been spreading praise across multiple-deities — and the abhang names this as brahma-hatyā for the bhakta
When single-fold-feeling toward one is the bhakta's-vow — and you accept this exclusive-commitment
When a single contrary-sankalpa makes all pāpas — and you receive the structural-claim

The verse

आणिकांची स्तुति आम्हां ब्रम्हहत्या । एका वांचूनि त्या पांडुरंगा ॥१॥ आम्हां विष्णुदासां एकविध भाव । न म्हणों या देव आणिकांसि ॥ध्रु.॥ शतखंड माझी होईल रसना । जरी या वचना पालटेन ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मज आणिका संकल्पें । अवघीं च पापें घडतील ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Praising others — for us, brahma-hatyā — except for that Pāṇḍuranga. For us Vishnu-dāsas, eka-vidha-bhāva — we do not call deva to others. My rasanā will become śata-khaṇḍa if I change this vow. Tuka says: with a contrary sankalpa — all pāpas will be made.

मराठी: आणिकांची स्तुति आम्हां ब्रम्हहत्या — एका वांचूनि त्या पांडुरंगा. आम्हां विष्णुदासां एकविध भाव — न म्हणों या देव आणिकांसि. शतखंड माझी होईल रसना — जरी या वचना पालटेन. तुकाराम म्हणतात — मज आणिका संकल्पें — अवघीं च पापें घडतील.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
आणिकांची स्तुति आम्हां ब्रम्हहत्या "praising others — for us, brahma-hatyā"
एका वांचूनि त्या पांडुरंगा "except for that one Pāṇḍuranga"
आम्हां विष्णुदासां एकविध भाव "for us, the Vishnu-dāsaseka-vidha-bhāva (single-fold feeling)"
न म्हणों या देव आणिकांसि "we do not call deva to others"
शतखंड माझी होईल रसना "my rasanā (tongue) will become śata-khaṇḍa (hundred-pieces)"
जरी या वचना पालटेन "if I change this vacana (vow / word)"
आणिका संकल्पें "(with) a contrary sankalpa (intention / resolution)"
अवघीं च पापें घडतील "all pāpas will be made (= committed)"

What it means

An exclusive-commitment-to-Pāṇḍuranga abhang. Four claims:

  1. आणिकांची स्तुति आम्हां ब्रम्हहत्या — एका वांचूनि त्या पांडुरंगाpraising others — for us, brahma-hatyā — except for that Pāṇḍuranga. The exclusive-commitment-vow. Praising any other deity (besides Pāṇḍuranga / Viṭṭhal) is equivalent to brahma-hatyā (the gravest sin) for the Vishnu-dāsa.

  2. आम्हां विष्णुदासां एकविध भाव — न म्हणों या देव आणिकांसिfor us Vishnu-dāsas, eka-vidha-bhāva; we do not call deva to others. Eka-vidha-bhāvasingle-fold feeling, exclusive devotion. We do not call others deva. The exclusive-commitment is structural.

  3. शतखंड माझी होईल रसना — जरी या वचना पालटेनmy rasanā will become śata-khaṇḍa if I change this vow. The vow-emphasis: I would rather have my tongue split into a hundred pieces than change this vow. The seriousness of the exclusive-commitment.

  4. तुका म्हणे मज आणिका संकल्पें — अवघीं च पापें घडतीलTuka says: with a contrary sankalpa — all pāpas will be made. The closing structural-claim. Even a single contrary sankalpa (= intention to praise another, plan to honor another, decision to call-another-deva) — all the pāpas will be made. The single sankalpa is the root; the acts will follow.

[T]

For someone today

This is a radical exclusive-commitment abhang. Three readings:

  1. Reading 1 — narrow / sectarian: The bhakta is exclusively committed to one form (here, Vishnu / Pāṇḍuranga); praising other deities is brahma-hatyā. This is the literal warkari-vaiṣṇava sectarian reading.

  2. Reading 2 — broader: The exclusive-commitment principle applies to any real-relation. Praising-others (= spreading the highest praise to many instead of concentrating it on the One) is betrayal of the exclusive-relation. The eka-vidha-bhāva requirement is psychological-and-structural: real-bhakti requires single-direction (compare 0007's gopī-vyabhicāra-bhakti — all-affects-toward-the-same-deity).

  3. Reading 3 — ethical: A single contrary-sankalpa makes all the pāpas. The seed-act produces the tree. Don't think one small contrary-thought is harmless; the single sankalpa is the root.

For today: recognize when you have an exclusive-commitment (to a deity, to a beloved, to a real-presence) — and honor the eka-vidha-bhāva. Spreading praise to many is betrayal in this register. And — single contrary-sankalpa is enough to start the karma-cascade; guard the sankalpa, not just the act.

This abhang is important methodologically: it names the sankalpa-level as the karma-root. Most ethics focus on acts; Tukaram focuses on the sankalpa that precedes the act. Guard the sankalpa.

Important caveat: this is not against respect for other-traditions. Tukaram's eka-vidha-bhāva is about the bhakta's own exclusive-vow, not about denying other-traditions' validity for their bhaktas. The single-direction is for me; each bhakta has their own single-direction.

मराठी: ही radical exclusive-commitment ओवी. तीन readings:

  1. Reading 1 — narrow / sectarian: Bhakta exclusively एक form ला committed (इथे, Vishnu / Pāṇḍuranga); इतर देवतांची स्तुति brahma-hatyā. Literal warkari-vaiṣṇava sectarian reading.

  2. Reading 2 — broader: Exclusive-commitment principle कोणत्याही real-relation ला लागू. Praising-others (= highest praise अनेकांना spread करणंएकावर concentrate न करता) — exclusive-relation चं betrayal. Eka-vidha-bhāva requirement psychological-and-structural: real-bhakti ला single-direction लागते.

  3. Reading 3 — ethical: एक contrary-sankalpa सर्व pāpas बनवतो. Seed-act tree produce करतं. एक छोटा contrary-thought harmless समजू नका; single sankalpa root.

आज: exclusive-commitment कधी आहे ओळखा (देव, प्रिय, real-presence ला) — आणि eka-vidha-bhāva honor करा. Praise अनेकांना spread करणं या register मध्ये betrayal. आणि — single contrary-sankalpa karma-cascade सुरू करायला पुरेसा; sankalpa guard करा, फक्त act नाही.

Methodologically महत्त्वाचं: sankalpa-level karma-root म्हणून नाव सांगते. बहुतेक ethics acts वर focus; तुकाराम act-च्या-आधीच्या sankalpa वर focus. Sankalpa guard करा.

महत्त्वाचा caveat: हे इतर-traditions वर respect विरुद्ध नाही. तुकारामांचं eka-vidha-bhāva bhakta च्या स्वतःच्या exclusive-vow बद्दल, इतर-traditions ची validity त्यांच्या bhaktas साठी deny करण्या-बद्दल नाही. Single-direction माझ्यासाठी; प्रत्येक bhakta च्या आपल्या single-direction असते.

Where this applies

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