संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 370 of 4582

Abhanga 370

English: I placed the bhāra — stayed in niścaya.

When the saints have handed you over to Viṭhobā — and you have to recognize this register
When His hand strokes the head and says don't-worry — and you accept this consolation
When your lāja is in the saints' charge — and you receive this transfer-of-honor

The verse

घालुनियां भार राहिलों निश्चितीं । निरविलें संतीं विठोबासि ॥१॥ लावूनियां हातें कुरवाळिला माथा । सांगितलें चिंता न करावी ॥ध्रु.॥ कटीं कर सम चरण साजिरे । राहिला भीवरें तीरीं उभा ॥२॥ खुंटले सायास अणिकि या जीवा । धरिले केशवा पाय तुझे ॥३॥ तुज वाटे आतां तें करीं अनंता । तुका म्हणे संता लाज माझी ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: I placed the bhāra — stayed in niścaya. Saints handed (me) over to Viṭhobā. (He) placed His hand — stroked the māthā — said: do not cintā. Hands on hips, equal feet, sājirē — He stands on the Bhīvarā-tīra. Sāyāsa exhausted for this jīva — I held Your pāya, Keśava. Do now what You see fit, Ananta. Tuka says: the saints — my lāja.

मराठी: घालुनियां भार राहिलों निश्चितीं — निरविलें संतीं विठोबासि. लावूनियां हातें कुरवाळिला माथा — सांगितलें चिंता न करावी. कटीं कर सम चरण साजिरे — राहिला भीवरें तीरीं उभा. खुंटले सायास अणिकि या जीवा — धरिले केशवा पाय तुझे. तुज वाटे आतां तें करीं अनंता. तुकाराम म्हणतां — संता लाज माझी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
घालुनियां भार राहिलों निश्चितीं "placed the bhāra — stayed in niścaya"
निरविलें संतीं विठोबासि "saints — niravilē — to Viṭhobā"
लावूनियां हातें कुरवाळिला माथा "(He) placed (His) hand — stroked the māthā"
सांगितलें चिंता न करावी "said: do not cintā"
कटीं कर सम चरण साजिरे "hands on hips, equal feet, sājirē"
राहिला भीवरें तीरीं उभा "stands on the Bhīvarā-tīra"
खुंटले सायास अणिकि या जीवा "sāyāsa — exhausted — for this jīva"
धरिले केशवा पाय तुझे "I have held — Your pāya, Keśava"
तुज वाटे आतां तें करीं अनंता "do now what You see fit, Ananta"
संता लाज माझी "the saints — my lāja"

What it means

A saints-handed-me-over-to-Viṭhobā abhang in the sad-guru-grace cluster (cf. 367 colophon, 368, 369, 371). Five claims:

  1. घालुनियां भार राहिलों निश्चितीं — निरविलें संतीं विठोबासि — placed the bhāra — stayed in niścaya — saints handed me over to Viṭhobā. The transfer-image: Tukaram placed his bhāra; stayed in niścaya (resolved-stillness); the saints handed him over (niravilē) to Viṭhobā. (Niravaṇē — to hand over with introduction / transfer of guardianship.)

  2. लावूनियां हातें कुरवाळिला माथा — सांगितलें चिंता न करावी — placed His hand, stroked the māthā — said don't worry. The direct-consolation by Viṭhobā: placed His hand on Tukaram's head, stroked it, said don't worry. The physical-tactile-consolation.

  3. कटीं कर सम चरण साजिरे — राहिला भीवरें तीरीं उभा — hands on hips, equal feet, sājirē — stands on the Bhīvarā-tīra. The iconic Viṭhobā image: hands on hips, equal feet (sama-caraṇa), beautiful (sājirē); stands on the Bhīvarā-tīra (the bank of the Bhīmā river at Pandharpur). (Compare 346 kaṭīm kara ṭhēvūniyām; same icon.)

  4. खुंटले सायास अणिकि या जीवा — धरिले केशवा पाय तुझे — sāyāsa exhausted for this jīva — held Your pāya, Keśava. The jīva's-claim: all sāyāsa is exhausted; I have held Your feet. No more striving; the feet are held.

  5. तुज वाटे आतां तें करीं अनंता — तुका म्हणे संता लाज माझी — do now what You see fit, Ananta — Tuka says: the saints — my lāja. The closing-surrender: do whatever You see fit, Ananta; and the saints carry my lāja (honor). The honor / shame is in the saints' charge; they handed me over and they bear the lāja.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the saints-handed-me-over-to-Viṭhobā register:

  1. Place the bhāra, stay in niścaya*. Ghālūnīyā bhāra rāhilōm niścitīm. Place down the burden; stay in resolved-stillness. The active-self-laboring is over*.

  2. The saints hand the bhakta over to Viṭhobā*. Niravilē samtīm Viṭhobāsi. The saints' role is the niravaṇē (handing-over-with-introduction). They are the bridge between the bhakta and the deva*.

  3. Viṭhobā strokes the māthā and says don't worry*. Lāvūnīyā hātē kuravāḷilā māthā — sāngitalē cintā na karāvī. The physical-consolation: the deva strokes the head and gives the don't-worry-instruction. Receive the consolation tactilely*.

  4. His feet held; the sāyāsa* exhausted. Khumṭalē sāyāsa — dharilē Keśavā pāya tujhē. No more striving; the feet are held. Surrender into the held-feet*.

  5. Saints carry your lāja*. Samtā lāja mājhī. Your honor is in the saints' charge. They handed you over; the lāja is theirs to bear. Don't carry the lāja yourself*.

For today: place the bhāra and stay in niścaya; let the saints hand you over to Viṭhobā; receive Viṭhobā's hand-stroke-on-māthā and don't-worry-instruction; hold the feet and exhaust the sāyāsa; let the saints carry your lāja.

This abhang is one of Tukaram's most-tender on saint-mediated-transfer: the saint is the bridge; Viṭhobā is the destination; the consolation is physical-tactile; the lāja is in the saints' charge. (Companion: 326 viśrānti at saints' feet; 369 kṛpā-sāgara Pāṇḍuranga.)

मराठी: ही ओवी saints-handed-me-over-to-Viṭhobā register नाव सांगते:

  1. भार ठेवा, niścaya* मध्ये राहा. घालुनियां भार राहिलों निश्चितीं. Burden खाली ठेवा; resolved-stillness मध्ये राहा. Active-self-laboring संपलं*.

  2. Saints bhakta ला Viṭhobā* कडे handover करतात. निरविलें संतीं विठोबासि. Saints चं role niravaṇē (handing-over-with-introduction). Bhakta आणि deva मधला bridge*.

  3. Viṭhobā māthā कुरवाळतो आणि चिंता-नका* म्हणतो. लावूनियां हातें कुरवाळिला माथा — सांगितलें चिंता न करावी. Physical-consolation: deva डोकं कुरवाळतो आणि don't-worry-instruction देतो. Tactile consolation receive करा*.

  4. त्याचे पाय धरले; sāyāsa* खुंटले. खुंटले सायास — धरिले केशवा पाय तुझे. Striving नाही; पाय धरले. Held-feet मध्ये surrender*.

  5. Saints तुमचं lāja* carry करतात. संता लाज माझी. तुमचा honor saints च्या charge मध्ये. त्यांनी handover केलं; lāja त्यांचं bear करायचं. लाज स्वतः carry करू नका*.

आज: Bhāra ठेवा आणि niścaya मध्ये राहा; Saints ला Viṭhobā कडे handover करू द्या; Viṭhobā ची hand-stroke-on-māthā आणि don't-worry-instruction receive करा; पाय धरा आणि sāyāsa खुंटू द्या; Saints ला तुमचं lāja carry करू द्या.

Tukaram च्या saint-mediated-transfer वर most-tender पैकी एक: Saint bridge; Viṭhobā destination; consolation physical-tactile; lāja saints च्या charge मध्ये. (Companion: 326 viśrānti at saints' feet; 369 kṛpā-sāgara Pāṇḍuranga.)

Where this applies

Sant-sang / Sant-pūjā Bhakti

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