Abhanga 320
This abhang is one of Tukaram's most-personal autobiographical claims:
The verse
बरा कुणबी केलों । नाहीं तरि दंभेंचि असतों मेलों ॥१॥ भलें केलें देवराया । नाचे तुका लागे पायां ॥ध्रु.॥ विद्या असती कांहीं । तरी पडतों अपायीं ॥२॥ सेवा चुकतों संताची । नागवण हे फुकाची ॥३॥ गर्व होता ताठा । जातों यमपंथें वाटा ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे थोरपणें । नरक होती अभिमानें ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Good thing — kuṇabī was made — otherwise would have died in dambha. Bhale kele devarāya — Tuka dances, falls at the feet. If vidyā were there — would fall in apāya. Would miss sant-sevā — that fukā nāgavaṇa. If garva-tāṭhā were there — would go on yama-paths. Tuka says: with thōrapaṇa — naraka happens by abhimāna.
मराठी: बरा कुणबी केलों — नाहीं तरि दंभेंचि असतों मेलों. भलें केलें देवराया — नाचे तुका लागे पायां. विद्या असती कांहीं — तरी पडतों अपायीं. सेवा चुकतों संताची — नागवण हे फुकाची. गर्व होता ताठा — जातों यमपंथें वाटा. तुकाराम म्हणतां — थोरपणें — नरक होती अभिमानें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बरा कुणबी केलों | "good thing — kuṇabī (farmer) was made (= I was made)" |
| नाहीं तरि दंभेंचि असतों मेलों | "otherwise — would have died in dambha**" |
| भलें केलें देवराया | "deva-rāya did well!" |
| नाचे तुका लागे पायां | "Tuka dances — falls at the feet" |
| विद्या असती कांहीं तरी पडतों अपायीं | "if vidyā were there — (I) would fall in apāya**" |
| सेवा चुकतों संताची नागवण हे फुकाची | "would miss sant-sevā — that fukā nāgavaṇa (free-stripping)" |
| गर्व होता ताठा जातों यमपंथें वाटा | "if garva-tāṭhā were there — (I) would go on yama-paths**" |
| थोरपणें नरक होती अभिमानें | "with thōrapaṇa — naraka happens by abhimāna**" |
What it means
A famous autobiographical-grateful-poverty abhang. Tukaram thanks the deva for making him a kuṇabī (farmer) rather than something higher-status. Five claims:
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बरा कुणबी केलों — नाहीं तरि दंभेंचि असतों मेलों — good thing kuṇabī was made — else would have died in dambha. The autobiographical-thanks. Kuṇabī — farmer / cultivator — is the low-status everyday-householder. Tukaram thanks the deva for this status — if I had been higher-status, I would have died in dambha (pretense). The low-status saved me from the dambha-trap.
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भलें केलें देवराया — नाचे तुका लागे पायां — deva-rāya did well! — Tuka dances, falls at feet. The grateful-celebration. The deva-king did well (in making me kuṇabī). Tuka dances and falls at the feet — celebratory-prostration.
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विद्या असती कांहीं — तरी पडतों अपायीं — if vidyā were there — would fall in apāya. The vidyā-as-trap claim. If I had vidyā (learning), I would have fallen in apāya (harm). Vidyā is dangerous when accompanied by pride. (Compare 254's jñāna-with-bhūta-matsara is theft; 293's jñāna-with-garva-tāṭhā drowns.)
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सेवा चुकतों संताची — नागवण हे फुकाची — would miss sant-sevā — that free-stripping. Vidyā-pride would have missed sant-sevā. Fukā nāgavaṇa — free-stripping (= total ruin happening for free, without paid). The vidyā-pride is the free-ruin.
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गर्व होता ताठा — जातों यमपंथें वाटा — garva-tāṭhā was there — would go on yama-paths. Pride-stiffness would have taken me on the yama-paths. (Compare 293's garva-tāṭhā drowns even with jñāna.)
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तुका म्हणे थोरपणें — नरक होती अभिमानें — with thōrapaṇa — naraka happens by abhimāna. The closing-rule. Thōrapaṇa (greatness) combined with abhimāna (pride) → naraka. The greatness itself isn't the problem; abhimāna-with-greatness is the problem. (Compare 244's abhimāna-renunciation is julūma.)
[T]
For someone today
This abhang is one of Tukaram's most-personal autobiographical claims:
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Low-status can be a saving-condition. Barā kuṇabī kelōm. If you have been resenting your low-status, the abhang says: the low-status may have saved you from the dambha-trap that high-status would have produced. Recognize the gift in the apparent-disadvantage.
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Vidyā with abhimāna is a trap. Vidyā astī — paḍatōm apāyīm. Learning is dangerous if combined with pride. Better-no-vidyā-and-no-pride than vidyā-with-pride. (Compare 222's all-skilled begs for innocence; 254's brahma-niṣṭha-with-bhūta-matsara.)
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Pride-stiffness sends to yama-paths. Garva-tāṭhā — yama-paths. The pride-rigidity is destination-determining.
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Greatness with abhimāna = naraka. Thōrapaṇa-abhimāna = naraka. The greatness itself is fine; abhimāna-attached-to-greatness produces naraka. Honor the greatness without taking pride in it.
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Tukaram's grateful-celebration mode. Bhalē kele devarāya — nāche Tuka lāge pāyām. The bhakta thanks the deva for the apparent-disadvantage. The grateful-celebration of low-status is the bhakta's distinctive-mode — neither resignation nor pride-of-poverty, but honest-thanks for what was given.
For today: check whether your apparent-disadvantage saved you from a worse-trap; recognize the danger of vidyā-with-abhimāna; honor greatness without abhimāna; embrace the grateful-celebration mode for what was given.
This abhang is foundationally important for understanding Tukaram's autobiographical-bhakti voice. The low-status of his kuṇabī-life is reframed as the saving-condition. (Compare 273's niraya-vāsī piśā; same humble-honest register.)
मराठी: ही ओवी तुकारामांच्या most-personal autobiographical claims पैकी एक:
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Low-status saving-condition असू शकतं. बरा कुणबी केलों. तुम्ही low-status वर resentment ठेवत असाल — ओवी म्हणते: low-status ने तुम्हाला high-status-ने-produce-केलेल्या dambha-trap पासून वाचवलं असेल. Apparent-disadvantage मध्ये gift ओळखा.
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Vidyā with abhimāna trap. विद्या असती — पडतों अपायीं. Pride सोबत Learning dangerous. Vidyā-with-pride पेक्षा no-vidyā-and-no-pride better.
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Pride-stiffness yama-paths कडे नेतो. गर्व-ताठा — yama-paths. Pride-rigidity destination-determining.
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Thōrapaṇa-with-abhimāna = naraka. Greatness-abhimāna = naraka. Greatness स्वतः ठीक; abhimāna-attached-to-greatness naraka produce करतं. Pride-शिवाय greatness honor करा.
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Tukaram चा grateful-celebration mode. भलें केलें देवराया — नाचे तुका लागे पायां. Bhakta apparent-disadvantage साठी देवाला thanks देतो. Low-status चं grateful-celebration — bhakta चा distinctive-mode — resignation किंवा pride-of-poverty नाही, तर जे दिलं त्यासाठी honest-thanks**.
आज: तुमच्या apparent-disadvantage ने एखाद्या worse-trap पासून वाचवलं का check करा; vidyā-with-abhimāna चं danger ओळखा; abhimāna-शिवाय greatness honor करा; जे दिलं त्यासाठी grateful-celebration mode embrace करा.
ही ओवी तुकारामांच्या autobiographical-bhakti voice समजायला foundationally important. Kuṇabī-life चं low-status saving-condition म्हणून reframed. (273's niraya-vāsī piśā compare; same humble-honest register.)
Where this applies
- Low-status as saving-condition. Apparent-disadvantage may be gift.
- Vidyā with abhimāna = trap. Better no-vidyā than vidyā-with-pride.
- Garva-tāṭhā sends to yama-paths. Pride-rigidity destination.
- Thōrapaṇa-with-abhimāna = naraka. Greatness fine; abhimāna-attached not.
- Grateful-celebration of what was given. Bhakta's mode.