Abhanga 348
This abhang names bhakti's public-purpose and its honor-test:
The verse
याजसाठीं भक्ति । जगीं रूढवावया ख्याति ॥१॥ नाहीं तरी कोठें दुजें । आहे बोलाया सहजें ॥ध्रु.॥ गौरव यासाटीं । स्वामिसेवेची कसोटी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे अळंकारा । देवभक्त लोकीं खरा ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: For this — bhakti — to spread khyāti in the world. Otherwise — where else is there — to speak naturally? Honor — for this — testing-stone of svāmi-sevā. Tuka says: as ornament — the deva-bhakta is true in the lōka.
मराठी: याजसाठीं भक्ति — जगीं रूढवावया ख्याति. नाहीं तरी कोठें दुजें — आहे बोलाया सहजें. गौरव यासाटीं — स्वामिसेवेची कसोटी. तुकाराम म्हणतां — अळंकारा — देवभक्त लोकीं खरा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| याजसाठीं भक्ति | "for this — bhakti" |
| जगीं रूढवावया ख्याति | "to spread khyāti (fame) in the jaga (world)" |
| नाहीं तरी कोठें दुजें | "otherwise — where else?" |
| आहे बोलाया सहजें | "is there — to speak naturally" |
| गौरव यासाटीं | "gaurava (honor) — for this" |
| स्वामिसेवेची कसोटी | "kasōṭī (test-stone) of svāmi-sevā" |
| अळंकारा देवभक्त लोकीं खरा | "as aḷankāra (ornament) — deva-bhakta is true in the lōka" |
What it means
A short bhakti-purpose abhang. Three claims:
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याजसाठीं भक्ति — जगीं रूढवावया ख्याति — for this — bhakti — to spread khyāti in the world. The opening-purpose-claim: bhakti exists — to spread its khyāti in the world. The bhakti-public-purpose — not just private. Khyāti — fame, public-knowing.
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नाहीं तरी कोठें दुजें — आहे बोलाया सहजें — otherwise — where else is there — to speak naturally? The rhetorical-question: if not for spreading bhakti's khyāti, where else (would there be) something to speak naturally about? The purpose-of-speech-itself is the bhakti-spreading.
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गौरव यासाटीं — स्वामिसेवेची कसोटी — gaurava (honor) — for this — the kasōṭī of svāmi-sevā. The honor-test-claim: gaurava (the honor / status that comes to the bhakta) is for this purpose — to be the kasōṭī (testing-stone) of svāmi-sevā. Honor tests whether one's master-service is genuine.
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तुका म्हणे अळंकारा — देवभक्त लोकीं खरा — Tuka says: as ornament — the deva-bhakta is true in the lōka. The closing-self-claim: the deva-bhakta is the true ornament (aḷankāra) of the lōka (world). The world's true ornament is the deva-bhakta.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names bhakti's public-purpose and its honor-test:
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Bhakti's purpose includes spreading its khyāti* in the world. Yāja-sāṭīm bhakti — jagīm rūḍhavāvayā khyāti. Bhakti is not only private; it is also for spreading the khyāti (fame, public-knowing) in the world. The world needs the bhakti-fame*.
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If not for this, what else would be naturally-speakable? Without bhakti, ordinary speech has no naturally-worth-speaking topic. The bhakti-frame is the natural-speech-frame.
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Honor tests svāmi-sevā*. Gaurava — svāmi-sevēcī kasōṭī. The honor / public-respect that comes is the kasōṭī (test-stone) — does the bhakta's master-service remain pure under honor? Honor is not unmixed-good; it is test*.
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The deva-bhakta* is the true ornament of the world. Aḷankārā deva-bhakta lōkīm kharā. The bhakta is the world's ornament; the world's adornment is the deva-bhakta. (Compare 197 the bhakta is the deva's ornament; here, the bhakta is the world's*.)
For today: recognize bhakti has a public-purpose — spreading its khyāti; let your speech come from the bhakti-frame; let honor be your kasōṭī, not your reward; be the world's ornament as deva-bhakta.
This abhang is a charter for the public-bhakta: bhakti is not private-only; it is for the world. The honor-test keeps it from corrupting.
मराठी: ही ओवी bhakti's public-purpose and honor-test नाव सांगते:
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Bhakti च purpose — jaga मध्ये khyāti spread. याजसाठीं भक्ति — जगीं रूढवावया ख्याति. Bhakti private-only नाही; jaga मध्ये khyāti spread साठी पण. Jaga ला bhakti-fame लागते.
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नाहीतर naturally बोलण्यासारखं काय आहे? Bhakti शिवाय ordinary speech ला naturally-worth-speaking topic नाही. Bhakti-frame natural-speech-frame.
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Honor svāmi-sevā* test करतो. गौरव — स्वामिसेवेची कसोटी. Honor / public-respect — kasōṭī (test-stone) — honor मध्ये bhakta ची master-service pure राहते का? Honor unmixed-good नाही; test*.
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Deva-bhakta lōka* चं true ornament. अळंकारा देवभक्त लोकीं खरा. Bhakta jaga चं ornament; jaga चं adornment deva-bhakta. (197 bhakta deva चं ornament — compare; इथे bhakta jaga चं*.)
आज: Bhakti ला public-purpose आहे — khyāti spread ओळखा; speech bhakti-frame मधून येऊ द्या; honor कसोटी ठेवा, reward नका; jaga चं ornament व्हा deva-bhakta म्हणून.
Public-bhakta साठी charter: bhakti private-only नाही; jaga साठी. Honor-test corrupting होण्यापासून ठेवतं.
Where this applies
- Bhakti for spreading khyāti. Public-purpose.
- Naturally-speakable topic only here. Bhakti-frame.
- Honor is kasōṭī, not reward. Test-stone.
- Deva-bhakta is the world's ornament. Self-claim.