Abhanga 369

A true guru gives a mantra matched to what's already in your heart, simple and untangling, so that anyone, learned or not, can find their own way across life's difficulties.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A guru-knew-the-bhāva-gave-easy-mantra abhang in the sad-guru-grace cluster (cf. 367 colophon, 368, 370, 371). Four claims:

1. माझिये मनींचा जाणोनियां भाव — तो करी उपाव गुरुराजा — knowing the bhāva in my mana — the guru-rāja did the upāya. The guru-knew-the-disciple's-bhāva: the sad-guru did not give a generic-mantra; he knew Tukaram's mind's bhāva and did the upāya (means) accordingly.

2. आवडीचा मंत्र सांगितला सोपा — जेणें गुंपा कांहीं कोठें — gave the mantra of āvaḍī — easy — by which no entanglement anywhere. The mantra-of-āvaḍī claim: the mantra given matches the disciple's preference; easy; by which nogumpā(entanglement / confusion) arises. The easy-non-entangling mantra is the right-mantra.

3. जाती पुढें एक उतरले पार — हा भवसागर साधुसंत — जाणत्या नेणत्या ज्या जैसी आवडी — उतार सांगडी तापे पेटीं — ahead — those who crossed pāra — bhava-sāgara — sādhu-samta — to jñātyā-nēṇatyā, whatever the āvaḍī — utāra-sāngaḍī by tape-pēṭī. The trail-precedent: sādhu-samta have crossed ahead; tojñātyā-nēṇatyā(knowing and unknowing alike) — whatever theāvaḍī— theutāra-sāngaḍī(crossing-vessel) is given bytape-pēṭī(heated-vessel — perhaps meaningthe tested-and-tempered means).The crossing-vessel is provided to all, whether knowing or unknowing, according to āvaḍī.

4. तुका म्हणे मज दावियेला तारू — कृपेचा सागरु पांडुरंग — Tuka says: shown me the tārū — Pāṇḍuranga the kṛpā-sāgara. The closing-image: the boat shown me is Pāṇḍuranga — thekṛpā-sāgara(ocean of grace). The boat is the deva himself; the deva is also the ocean of grace one sails on. (Compare 362 tūm bhava-sāgarīm tārūm devā; same image; here, the kṛpā-sāgara is also the ocean.)

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For someone today

The guru saw exactly what was already in Tukaram's heart, and instead of handing him some generic teaching, he gave a mantra suited to what Tukaram already loved — simple, and free of tangles or confusion. Saints who went before, whether learned or unlearned, are living proof that a way across life's difficult ocean exists for anyone, matched to what they truly care about. Tukaram closes by saying the boat he was shown to cross that ocean is Panduranga himself — both the very ocean of grace and the vessel that carries him across it.

मराठी: गुरूंनी तुकारामांच्या मनातला भाव अगदी बरोबर ओळखला आणि त्यांना कोणतीही सर्वसाधारण शिकवण न देता, त्यांच्या आवडीला साजेसा असा सोपा मंत्र दिला — असा मंत्र ज्यामुळे कुठेही गुंता निर्माण होत नाही. आधी होऊन गेलेले साधुसंत, मग ते ज्ञानी असोत वा अज्ञानी, हेच सिद्ध करतात की या भवसागरातून पार होण्याचा मार्ग प्रत्येकासाठी, त्याच्या आवडीनुसार उपलब्ध आहे. तुकाराम शेवटी सांगतात की त्यांना दाखवलेली नाव म्हणजे स्वतः पांडुरंग आहे — तोच कृपेचा सागर आणि तोच त्यातून तारून नेणारी नाव.

Where this applies

• Sad-guru knows the disciple's bhāva. Personalized-not-generic.
• Āvaḍī-mantra is easy, non-entangling. Right-mantra mark.
• Sādhu-samta crossed ahead — utāra-sāngaḍī for all. Trail-precedent.
• Pāṇḍurangathekṛpā-sāgara is the boat. Deva-as-boat-and-ocean.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is
• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2459 — Liberation does not have to be earned through grueling effort or endless searching; it is