संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 332 of 4582

Abhanga 332

Simply seeing Pandharpur, Tukaram says, can dissolve faults no ritual can fix, because it is heaven itself present here on earth rather than a distant place to only imagine.

When no śāstra-remedy works for your doṣa — and the abhang says Pandhari-darshan removes apāra
When Pandhari is the māher of all tīrthas, the bhū-vaikuṇṭha — and you receive this status-claim
When those going to Pandhari attain Vaikuntha — and you accept this destination-claim

The verse

जया दोषां परीहार । नाहीं नाहीं धुंडितां शास्त्र । ते हरती अपार । पंढरपुर देखिलिया ॥१॥ धन्य धन्य भीमातीर । चंद्रभागा सरोवर । पद्मातीर्थी विठ्ठल वीर । क्रीडास्थळ वेणुनादीं ॥ध्रु.॥ सकळतीर्थांचें माहेर । भूवैकुंठ निर्विकार । होतो नामाचा गजर । असुरकाळ कांपती ॥२॥ नाहीं उपमा द्यावया । सम तुल्य आणिका ठाया । धन्य भाग्य जयां । जे पंढरपूर देखती ॥३॥ उपजोनि संसारीं । एक वेळ पाहें पा पंढरी । महा दोषां कैची उरी । देवभक्त देखिलिया ॥४॥ ऐसी विष्णूची नगरी । चतुर्भुज नर नारी । सुदर्शन घरटी करी । रीग न पुरे कळिकाळा ॥५॥ तें सुख वर्णावया गति । एवढी कैची मज मति । जे पंढरपुरा जाती । ते पावती वैकुंठ ॥६॥ तुका म्हणे या शब्दाचा । जया विश्वास नाहीं साचा । अधम जन्मांतरिचा । तया पंढरी नावडे ॥७॥

Literal translation

Doṣas without parihāra in the śāstra — removed apāra by Pandhari-darshan. Dhanya Bhīma-tīra, Candrabhāgā-sarōvara, Padma-tīrtha-Viṭṭhal-vīra — crīḍā-sthaḷa of veṇu-nāda. Māhera of all tīrthas — bhū-vaikuṇṭha nirvikāranāma-gajaraasura-kāḷa tremble. No upamā equal-anywhere — dhanya bhāgya — those who see Pandhari. Born in samsāra — see Pandhari at-least once — what is left of mahā-doṣa — seeing deva-bhakta. Vishnu's nagarī, four-armed nara-nārī; Sudarśana makes gharaṭī — no rīga for kaḷi-kāḷa. To describe that sukha — what mati of mine — those going Pandhari — attain Vaikuntha. Tuka says: to one without sācā viśvāsaadhama from janmāntara — Pandhari does not please.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
जया दोषां परीहार नाहीं नाहीं धुंडितां शास्त्र "doṣas for which noparihāra(remedy) — searching the śāstra"
ते हरती अपार पंढरपुर देखिलिया "they removed without-limit — by Pandhari-darshan"
धन्य धन्य भीमातीर चंद्रभागा सरोवर "dhanya Bhīma-tīra, Candrabhāgā-sarōvara"
सकळतीर्थांचें माहेर भूवैकुंठ निर्विकार "māhera of alltīrthasbhū-vaikuṇṭha(earth-Vaikuntha)nirvikāra(changeless)"
होतो नामाचा गजर असुरकाळ कांपती "nāma-gajara roars — asura-kāḷa tremble"
उपजोनि संसारीं एक वेळ पाहें पा पंढरी "born in samsāra — see Pandhari at-least once"
महा दोषां कैची उरी देवभक्त देखिलिया "what is left of mahā-doṣa — seeing deva-bhakta"
सुदर्शन घरटी करी रीग न पुरे कळिकाळा "Sudarśana makesgharaṭī— norīgaforkaḷi-kāḷa"
जे पंढरपुरा जाती ते पावती वैकुंठ "those going Pandhari — attain Vaikuntha"
जया विश्वास नाहीं साचा अधम जन्मांतरिचा "to one withoutsācā viśvāsa— adhama fromjanmāntara"
तया पंढरी नावडे "to him, Pandhari does not please"

What it means

The companion-abhang to 0331. Where 0331 described the Kārtikī-procession, 0332 names Pandhari's structural-status. Seven verses:

  1. Pandhari-darshan removes śāstra-unremediable doṣas. Pandhari accomplishes what the śāstra cannot. (Compare 315 vidhi-niṣedha lōpa; the direct-Pandhari-darshan supersedes textual-remedy.)

  2. Bhīma-tīra, Candrabhāgā, Padma-tīrtha, Viṭṭhal-vīra. Pandhari's geographical-features named: Bhīma-river-bank, Candrabhāgā lake, Padma lotus-tīrtha, Viṭṭhal the warrior.

  3. Māhera of all tīrthas, bhū-vaikuṇṭha-nirvikāra. Pandhari is the māhera (natal-mother-house) of all tīrthasthe source from which all-tīrthas flow. And bhū-vaikuṇṭha-nirvikārathe Vaikuntha on earth, unchangeable. (Note: this complicates the 198/255 anti-Vaikuntha reading; here Pandhari is the Vaikuntha-on-earth. Reading: not the Vaikuntha-as-elsewhere; the Vaikuntha-as-this-place.)

  4. Nāma-gajara, asura-kāḷa tremble; no upamā. Standard bhakta-celebration + no-comparable-place.

  5. Born in samsāra — see Pandhari at-least once. The direct-instruction. Once-Pandhari-seen, no mahā-doṣa remains in seeing the deva-bhakta.

  6. Sudarśana makes gharaṭī; no rīga for kaḷi-kāḷa. Sudarśana-discus rotates around Pandhari; no entry for kali-kāḷa (death and dark-age) into Pandhari. The protected-zone claim.

  7. Those going to Pandhari attain Vaikuntha. Direct equation: Pandhari-going = Vaikuntha-attainment. (This clarifies the 198/255 readings: the anti-Vaikuntha claims are anti-Vaikuntha-as-elsewhere; the pro-Pandhari claims include Vaikuntha-as-Pandhari-itself. No conflict if read carefully.)

  8. Closing-judgment: those without sācā viśvāsa = adhama from janmāntara; Pandhari does not please. Inability to feel-pleasure-in-Pandhari = adhama-state-from-prior-births. (Compare 305 bad-sañcita prevents reception.)

[T] [Major Pandhari abhang]

For someone today

Simply beholding Pandharpur, Tukaram says, can dissolve faults that no ritual or scripture can fix. This is because Pandhari is not just a place to imagine visiting someday — it is heaven itself, present right here on earth, unchanging and eternal. Once someone has seen Pandhari even a single time, and seen the devotees gathered with God there, the weight of even the gravest wrongs falls away, and the place itself stays protected from the corrupting forces of the dark age. Those who make the journey to Pandhari are said to reach the same state as reaching heaven directly, with no further path required. And if someone feels no pull toward this place at all, Tukaram suggests that this very lack of attraction reveals something unresolved from their own past.

मराठी: पंढरपूर नुसते डोळ्यांनी पाहणे, तुकाराम म्हणतात, अशा चुका विरघळवू शकते ज्या कोणताही विधी किंवा शास्त्र दुरुस्त करू शकत नाही. कारण पंढरी हे केवळ कधीतरी पाहायचे एक स्थळ नाही — ते प्रत्यक्ष स्वर्गच आहे, इथे पृथ्वीवर, अढळ आणि शाश्वत रूपात वसलेले. एकदा जरी पंढरी पाहिली आणि तिथे देव आणि भक्त एकत्र पाहिले, तरी मोठमोठ्या पापांचे ओझे उतरते, आणि हे स्थळ कलियुगाच्या भ्रष्ट शक्तींपासूनही सुरक्षित राहते. जे पंढरीची वारी करतात, त्यांना स्वर्गप्राप्तीइतकेच फळ मिळते, त्यासाठी आणखी कोणत्याही मार्गाची गरज उरत नाही. आणि ज्याला या स्थळाबद्दल मुळीच ओढ वाटत नाही, तुकाराम सुचवतात की हा अनाकर्षण स्वतःच त्या व्यक्तीच्या पूर्वजन्मीच्या अपुऱ्या राहिलेल्या गोष्टीचे लक्षण आहे.

Where this applies

Related verses