संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 346 of 4582

Abhanga 346

This abhang names the householder-bhakti rule:

When worrying about crossing bhava-sāgara — and you have to recognize Viṭhobā stands ready
When one bhāva is enough for Him to carry you on shoulder — and you accept this radical-cheapness
When dayā and kṣamā must not be abandoned in samsāra — and you receive this two-duty rule

The verse

भवसागर तरतां । कां रे करीतसां चिंता । पैल उभा दाता । कटीं कर ठेवुनियां ॥१॥ त्याचे पायीं घाला मिठी । मोल नेघे जगजेठी । भावा एका साठीं । खांदां वाहे आपुल्या ॥ध्रु.॥ सुखें करावा संसार । परि न संडावे दोन्ही वार । दया क्षमा घर । चोजवीत येतील ॥२॥ भुक्तिमुक्तिची चिंता । नाहीं दैन्य दरिद्रता । तुका म्हणे दाता । पांडुरंग वोळगिल्या ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Crossing the bhava-sāgara — why are you worrying? On the (other) shore stands the dātā — hands on hips. Embrace His feet — Jagajeṭhī takes no price. For one bhāva — He carries (you) on His own shoulder. Do samsāra with sukha — but don't abandon two duties — dayā and kṣamā will come asking the way to your home. No worry of bhukti-mukti — no dainya-daridrata. Tuka says: the dātāPāṇḍuranga — when served.

मराठी: भवसागर तरतां — कां रे करीतसां चिंता — पैल उभा दाता — कटीं कर ठेवुनियां. त्याचे पायीं घाला मिठी — मोल नेघे जगजेठी — भावा एका साठीं — खांदां वाहे आपुल्या. सुखें करावा संसार — परि न संडावे दोन्ही वार — दया क्षमा घर — चोजवीत येतील. तुकाराम म्हणतां — भुक्तिमुक्तिची चिंता नाहीं — दैन्य-दरिद्रता — दाता पांडुरंग वोळगिल्या.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
भवसागर तरतां कां रे करीतसां चिंता "crossing bhava-sāgara — why are you worrying?"
पैल उभा दाता कटीं कर ठेवुनियां "on the (other) shore stands the dātā — hands on kaṭi (hips)"
त्याचे पायीं घाला मिठी "embrace His feet"
मोल नेघे जगजेठी "Jagajeṭhī takes no mōla (price)"
भावा एका साठीं खांदां वाहे आपुल्या "for one bhāva — He carries (you) on His own shoulder"
सुखें करावा संसार "do samsāra with sukha"
परि न संडावे दोन्ही वार "but don't abandon — two duties / two-doors"
दया क्षमा घर चोजवीत येतील "dayā and kṣamā — will come, asking the way to (your) home"
भुक्तिमुक्तिची चिंता नाहीं दैन्य दरिद्रता "no worry of bhukti-mukti — no dainya-daridrata"
दाता पांडुरंग वोळगिल्या "the dātāPāṇḍuranga — when served"

What it means

A famous Viṭhobā-stands-with-hands-on-hips abhang. Four claims:

  1. भवसागर तरतां — पैल उभा दाता — कटीं कर ठेवुनियांcrossing the bhava-sāgara — on the (other) shore stands the dātā — hands on hips. The iconic Viṭhobā image: standing on the brick (vīṭa), hands on hips (kaṭīm kara ṭhēvūniyām). The dātā is on the other shore; He stands waiting. Why worry about crossing?

  2. त्याचे पायीं घाला मिठी — मोल नेघे जगजेठी — भावा एका साठीं — खांदां वाहे आपुल्याembrace His feet — Jagajeṭhī takes no price — for one bhāva He carries (you) on His shoulder. The radical-cheapness: no price (mōla nēghē). For one bhāva alone, He carries you on His own shoulder. The bhāva is the entire payment.

  3. सुखें करावा संसार — परि न संडावे दोन्ही वार — दया क्षमा घर — चोजवीत येतीलdo samsāra with sukha — but don't abandon two duties — dayā and kṣamā will come asking the way home. The householder-bhakti rule: do samsāra in sukha (cheerfully), but don't abandon dayā (compassion) and kṣamā (forbearance) — these two duties (dōnhī vāra = two doors / two duties). If you keep these, they will come asking your home's waythey (the deva, the saints, the good) will find you.

  4. भुक्तिमुक्तिची चिंता नाहीं — दैन्य दरिद्रता — दाता पांडुरंग वोळगिल्याno worry of bhukti-mukti — no dainya-daridrata — when Pāṇḍuranga is served. The closing-claim: when Pāṇḍuranga is vōḷagilyā (served / made-favorable), no worry of bhukti (enjoyment) or mukti (liberation), no dainya-daridrata (poverty).

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the householder-bhakti rule:

  1. Stop worrying about crossing the bhava-sāgara*. Pail ubhā dātā kaṭīm kara ṭhēvūniyām. The dātā stands ready with hands on hips on the other shore. Why worry about your own swimming?*

  2. For one bhāva*, He carries you on His shoulder. Bhāvā ēkā sāṭhīm khāndām vāhē āpulyā. No mōla (price); one bhāva is enough. The bhāva-cost is the only-cost*.

  3. Do samsāra with sukha, but don't abandon dayā-kṣamā*. Sukhē karāvā samsāra — pari na samḍāvē dōnhī vāra. Householder-life done in sukha; but compassion and forbearance — keep these two doors. They are what bring the good to your home*.

  4. When Pāṇḍuranga is served, no bhukti-mukti worry, no dainya-daridrata*. Bhukti-mukti and dainya-daridrata both vanish. Pāṇḍuranga's service is the abolition of the bhukti-mukti dichotomy*.

For today: the bhava-sāgara has a dātā waiting; one bhāva is the price; do samsāra cheerfully but keep dayā-kṣamā; serve Pāṇḍuranga and the bhukti-mukti worry vanishes.

This is a household-bhakti charter abhang: cheerful samsāra + dayā-kṣamā + Pāṇḍuranga-service. The icon of Viṭhobā-on-the-brick-with-hands-on-hips is Tukaram's deep-image of the dātā-who-waits.

मराठी: ही ओवी householder-bhakti rule नाव सांगते:

  1. Bhava-sāgara crossing चिंता थांबवा. पैल उभा दाता कटीं कर ठेवुनियां. Dātā पल्याडच्या किनाऱ्यावर हाता-कमरेवर ठेवून उभा आहे. तुम्ही पोहण्याची चिंता का?

  2. एका bhāva* साठी तो खांद्यावर carry करतो. भावा एका साठीं खांदां वाहे आपुल्या. Mōla (price) नाही; एक bhāva पुरे. Bhāva-cost only-cost*.

  3. Samsāra sukha-ने करा — पण dayā-kṣamā* सोडू नका. सुखें करावा संसार — परि न संडावे दोन्ही वार. Householder-life sukha मध्ये; पण दया-क्षमा — दोन doors राखा. घराला good आणतात ते*.

  4. Pāṇḍuranga served — bhukti-mukti, dainya-daridrata दोन्ही गायब. Pāṇḍuranga ची service — bhukti-mukti dichotomy च निर्मूलन.

आज: Bhava-sāgara कडे dātā वाट पाहत आहे; bhāva price; samsāra cheerful पण dayā-kṣamā; Pāṇḍuranga ची service करा — bhukti-mukti चिंता गायब.

Household-bhakti charter abhang: cheerful samsāra + dayā-kṣamā + Pāṇḍuranga-service. Viṭhobā-on-brick-hands-on-hipsTukaram च deep-image dātā-who-waits.

Where this applies

Related verses