संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 366 of 4582

Abhanga 366

This abhang names the Vaiṣṇava-marks:

When Vaiṣṇava is defined by māyā-on-deva not by yāti — and you have to recognize this register
When no other pramāṇa than deva — and you accept this exclusivity
When the nēma holds firm under heavy burden — and you receive this test-of-Vaiṣṇavaness

The verse

वैष्णव तो जया । अवघी देवावरी माया ॥१॥ नाहीं आणीक प्रमाण । तन धन तृण जन ॥ध्रु.॥ पडतां जड भारी । नेमा न टळे निर्धारीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे याती । हो का तयाची भलती ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: The Vaiṣṇava is the one whose all māyā is upon the deva. No other pramāṇa — tana, dhana, tṛṇa, jana. (When) burden falls heavy — the nēma does not waver firmly. Tuka says: the yāti — let it be any whatever.

मराठी: वैष्णव तो जया — अवघी देवावरी माया. नाहीं आणीक प्रमाण — तन धन तृण जन. पडतां जड भारी — नेमा न टळे निर्धारीं. तुकाराम म्हणतां — याती — हो का तयाची भलती.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
वैष्णव तो जया "the Vaiṣṇava — is the one whose..."
अवघी देवावरी माया "all māyā — is upon the deva"
नाहीं आणीक प्रमाण "no other pramāṇa (proof / measure)"
तन धन तृण जन "tana (body), dhana (wealth), tṛṇa (grass), jana (people)"
पडतां जड भारी "(when) burden falls heavy"
नेमा न टळे निर्धारीं "the nēma — does not waver firmly"
याती हो का तयाची भलती "the yāti — let it be — bhalatī (any whatever)"

What it means

A famous Vaiṣṇava-marks abhang. Three claims:

  1. वैष्णव तो जया — अवघी देवावरी माया — the Vaiṣṇava — is one whose all māyā is upon the deva. The defining-mark: Vaiṣṇava is defined by māyā-totally-on-the-deva. Māyā — love, affection. The Vaiṣṇava-essence is total-affection-on-the-deva; no other criterion.

  2. नाहीं आणीक प्रमाण — तन धन तृण जन — no other pramāṇa — body, wealth, grass, people. The exclusivity-claim: no other pramāṇa (no other measure / proof) for Vaiṣṇavaness. Tana, dhana, tṛṇa, jana — body, wealth, grass / trifle, people — are not the pramāṇa. The body-condition, the wealth-status, the trivial-things, the people-around — none of these are the proof of Vaiṣṇavaness.

  3. पडतां जड भारी — नेमा न टळे निर्धारीं — (when) burden falls heavy — nēma doesn't waver firmly. The test-under-burden: when burden falls heavy, the nēma (vow / discipline) does not waver — firmly (nirdhārīm). The Vaiṣṇava is tested by burden; the firm nēma is the mark.

  4. तुका म्हणे याती — हो का तयाची भलती — Tuka says: the yāti — let it be any whatever. The closing-radical-claim: the yāti (caste) of such a Vaiṣṇava — let it be any whatever. Any caste — Vaiṣṇavaness is defined by māyā-on-deva, not by yāti. Yāti is irrelevant for Vaiṣṇavaness. (Compare 337 yāti-kuḷa apramāṇa, guṇa is the cause; same anti-caste-essential register.)

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For someone today

This abhang names the Vaiṣṇava-marks:

  1. All māyā* on the deva. Avaghī dēvāvarī māyā. The defining-test: is your māyā (love) wholly on the deva? If yes, you are Vaiṣṇava; if partial, not yet*.

  2. No other pramāṇa*. Nāhīm āṇīka pramāṇa — tana dhana tṛṇa jana. The exclusivity-rule: body, wealth, trifle, people — none is the pramāṇa of Vaiṣṇavaness. Don't seek validation in these*.

  3. The nēma* holds under burden. Paḍatām jaḍa bhārī — nēmā na ṭaḷē nirdhārīm. The test of Vaiṣṇavaness is the under-burden test: does the nēma hold when burden is heavy? The firm-nēma is the mark*.

  4. Any yāti* allowed. Yātī — hō kā tayācī bhalatī. The anti-caste-essential rule: any yāti is allowed for Vaiṣṇavaness. Caste is irrelevant; māyā-on-deva is the test*.

For today: test your bhakti by māyā-totally-on-the-deva; don't seek other pramāṇa (body, wealth, trifle, people); let your nēma hold under burden — that is the test; recognize that any yāti is welcome — yāti is not the test.

This abhang is one of Tukaram's most-quoted on Vaiṣṇava-definition: Vaiṣṇava is by māyā-on-deva, firmness-under-burden, and any-yāti. It is the egalitarian Vārkarī-Vaiṣṇava charter*.

मराठी: ही ओवी Vaiṣṇava-marks नाव सांगते:

  1. सर्व māyā* deva वर. अवघी देवावरी माया. Defining-test: तुमची māyā (love) wholly देव वर आहे का? Yes — Vaiṣṇava; partial — अजून नाही*.

  2. दुसरं pramāṇa* नाही. नाहीं आणीक प्रमाण — तन धन तृण जन. Exclusivity-rule: Body, wealth, trifle, people — कोणतंच Vaiṣṇavaness चं pramāṇa नाही. यामध्ये validation शोधू नका*.

  3. Nēma burden खाली टिकतो. पडतां जड भारी — नेमा न टळे निर्धारीं. Vaiṣṇavaness चा test under-burden test: Burden जड पडलं — nēma टिकतो का? Firm-nēma च mark*.

  4. कोणतीही yāti* allowed. याती — हो का तयाची भलती. Anti-caste-essential rule: कोणतीही yāti Vaiṣṇavaness साठी allowed. Caste irrelevant; māyā-on-deva test*.

आज: Bhakti test करा māyā-totally-on-the-deva ने; दुसरी pramāṇa (body, wealth, trifle, people) शोधू नका; Nēma burden खाली टिकू द्या — तोच test; कोणतीही yāti welcome — yāti test नाही ओळखा.

Tukaram च्या Vaiṣṇava-definition वर most-quoted पैकी एक: Vaiṣṇava — māyā-on-deva, firmness-under-burden, any-yāti. Egalitarian Vārkarī-Vaiṣṇava charter.

Where this applies

Cosmology / Avatāra Bhakti

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