Abhanga 318
Speak the truth you're given, clear the path for others, let your confidence rest on a strength greater than your own, and drop anything that's just useless clutter.
The verse
उजळावया आलों वाटा । खरा खोटा निवाड ॥१॥ बोलविले बोल बोलें । धनीविठ्ठला सन्निध ॥ध्रु.॥ तरी मनीं नाहीं शंका । बळें एका स्वामीच्या ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नये आम्हां । पुढें कामा गबाळ ॥३॥
Literal translation
I have come to clear-the-paths — to make khara-khōṭa nivāḍa. The words spoken — I speak — Viṭṭhal-the-master, sannidha. Then no śankā in (my) manī — by the strength of the one swāmī. Tuka says: no use for us ahead — gabāḷa.
मराठी: उजळावया आलों वाटा — खरा खोटा निवाड. बोलविले बोल बोलें — धनीविठ्ठला सन्निध. तरी मनीं नाहीं शंका — बळें एका स्वामीच्या. तुकाराम म्हणतां — नये आम्हां — पुढें कामा गबाळ.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| उजळावया आलों वाटा | "I have come toujaḷāvayā(clear / brighten) thevāṭā(paths)" |
| खरा खोटा निवाड | "to makekhara-khōṭa nivāḍa(sorting of true-and-false)" |
| बोलविले बोल बोलें | "the words spoken — I speak" |
| धनीविठ्ठला सन्निध | "Viṭṭhal-the-dhanī(master) —sannidha(near)" |
| तरी मनीं नाहीं शंका | "then nośankā(doubt) in (my)manī" |
| बळें एका स्वामीच्या | "by the strength of the oneswāmī" |
| नये आम्हां पुढें कामा गबाळ | "no use for us ahead —gabāḷa" |
What it means
A bhakta-mission-claim abhang. Three claims:
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उजळावया आलों वाटा — खरा खोटा निवाड — I came to clear paths — to make khara-khōṭa nivāḍa. The mission-claim. Tukaram names his own coming as for two purposes: (a) ujaḷāvayā vāṭā — to brighten / clear the paths; (b) khara-khōṭa nivāḍa — to sort the true from the false. Both clearing and sorting.
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बोलविले बोल बोलें — धनीविठ्ठला सन्निध — the words spoken — I speak — Viṭṭhal-the-master, sannidha. The agency-claim. The words I speak — were spoken (commissioned) by Viṭṭhal who is near me. Tukaram is not the original-source of the speech; the speech is Viṭṭhal-master's, transmitted through Tukaram. (Compare 304's bring-to-anubhava-what-you-make-me-speak; here the positive-claim that the speech is Viṭṭhal's.)
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तरी मनीं नाहीं शंका — बळें एका स्वामीच्या — no śankā in my mind — by the one master's strength. The confidence-claim. No doubt in the mind — by-the-strength of the one master. (Compare 191's niścīti has come.)
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तुका म्हणे नये आम्हां पुढें कामा गबाळ — no use for us ahead — gabāḷa. The closing-rejection. Gabāḷa — junk, mess, useless-collected-stuff. No use for gabāḷa ahead. The clearing-mission has no place for the gabāḷa-mode.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram says he came into this world with a purpose: to clear the way for others and to help them tell the true from the false. What he speaks isn't really his own — Vitthal, his master, is right there with him and speaks through him. Because of that, there's no doubt left in his mind; his confidence doesn't come from himself but from the strength of his master. And going forward, he says, there's no room for anything that's just useless clutter.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की ते या जगात एका उद्देशाने आले आहेत — इतरांसाठी मार्ग मोकळा करण्यासाठी आणि त्यांना खरं-खोटं ओळखायला मदत करण्यासाठी. जे ते बोलतात ते खरं तर त्यांचं स्वतःचं नाही — त्यांचे स्वामी विठ्ठल त्यांच्याजवळच असतात आणि त्यांच्यामार्फत बोलतात. त्यामुळेच त्यांच्या मनात कोणतीही शंका उरत नाही; त्यांचा आत्मविश्वास स्वतःच्या बळावर नाही, तर त्यांच्या स्वामींच्या बळावर उभा आहे. आणि पुढे जाताना, ते म्हणतात, निरुपयोगी गोंधळाला काहीही जागा नाही.
Where this applies
- Bhakta-mission: clear-and-sort. Beyond self-cultivation.
- Master-spoken words; bhakta is the channel. Honest agency.
- Borrowed-confidence from the master. Not self-built.
- No use for gabāḷa ahead. Reject junk.