संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 371 of 4582

Abhanga 371

English: Know the nirdhāra of my mana — I have become udāra toward jīva now.

When the saints have given the hāvāla and the bhakta vows firm — and you have to recognize this register
When bhaya-lāja-śankā are thrown off — and you accept this clearance
When jīva-bhāva is placed at the deva's feet — no lāja for the deva — and you receive this challenge

The verse

माझिये मनींचा जाणा हा निर्धार । जिवासि उदार जालों आतां ॥१॥ तुजविण दुजें न धरीं आणिका । भय लज्जा शंका टाकियेली ॥ध्रु.॥ ठायींचा संबंध तुज मज होता । विशेष अनंता केला संतीं ॥२॥ जीवभाव तुझ्या ठेवियेला पायीं । हें चि आतां नाही लाज तुम्हां ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे संतीं घातला हावाला । न सोडीं विठ्ठला पाय आतां ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: Know the nirdhāra of my mana — I have become udāra toward jīva now. Apart from You — I won't hold another — bhaya, lajjā, śankā thrown off. The original sambandha between You and me — made viśeṣa by the saints, Ananta. Jīva-bhāva placed at Your feet — this itself — now no lāja for You. Tuka says: saints have placed the hāvāla — I won't release Viṭhṭhala's feet now.

मराठी: माझिये मनींचा जाणा हा निर्धार — जिवासि उदार जालों आतां. तुजविण दुजें न धरीं आणिका — भय लज्जा शंका टाकियेली. ठायींचा संबंध तुज मज होता — विशेष अनंता केला संतीं. जीवभाव तुझ्या ठेवियेला पायीं — हें चि आतां नाही लाज तुम्हां. तुकाराम म्हणतां — संतीं घातला हावाला — न सोडीं विठ्ठला पाय आतां.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
माझिये मनींचा जाणा हा निर्धार "know — the nirdhāra of my mana"
जिवासि उदार जालों आतां "I have become udāra (generous) toward jīva"
तुजविण दुजें न धरीं आणिका "apart from You — I won't hold another"
भय लज्जा शंका टाकियेली "bhaya, lajjā, śankā — thrown off"
ठायींचा संबंध तुज मज होता "the original sambandha between You and me — was"
विशेष अनंता केला संतीं "made viśeṣa — by the saints — Ananta"
जीवभाव तुझ्या ठेवियेला पायीं "jīva-bhāva — placed at Your feet"
हें चि आतां नाही लाज तुम्हां "this itself — now no lāja for You"
संतीं घातला हावाला "saints have placed the hāvāla (charge)"
न सोडीं विठ्ठला पाय आतां "I won't release Viṭhṭhala's feet now"

What it means

A firm-vow-after-saints-give-the-hāvāla abhang in the sad-guru-grace cluster (cf. 367 colophon, 368-370). Five claims:

  1. माझिये मनींचा जाणा हा निर्धार — जिवासि उदार जालों आतां — know the nirdhāra of my mana — I have become udāra toward jīva now. The opening-self-claim: the firm resolve in my mind — I have become udāra (generous, willing-to-give-up) toward the jīva (the bodily-life). The jīva is no longer hoarded.

  2. तुजविण दुजें न धरीं आणिका — भय लज्जा शंका टाकियेली — apart from You — I won't hold another — bhaya, lajjā, śankā thrown off. The clearance-claim: no other to hold besides You; the three obstacles — bhaya (fear), lajjā (shame), śankā (doubt) — thrown off. (Compare 365 no gonvā at kāḷa-pāśa; same clearance register.)

  3. ठायींचा संबंध तुज मज होता — विशेष अनंता केला संतीं — the original sambandha between You and me was — made viśeṣa by the saints. The original-relation made special by saints: there was already an original sambandha between You and me; the saints made it viśeṣa (special, distinguished). The saints' role is to elevate the latent sambandha to the active-relationship.

  4. जीवभाव तुझ्या ठेवियेला पायीं — हें चि आतां नाही लाज तुम्हां — jīva-bhāva placed at Your feet — this itself — now no lāja for You. The challenge-claim: jīva-bhāva is placed at Your feet; now there is no lāja (honor / responsibility) for You — meaning, You bear the responsibility now. Tukaram challenges Viṭhṭhala: I have given You my whole jīva-bhāva; now You can't refuse.

  5. तुका म्हणे संतीं घातला हावाला — न सोडीं विठ्ठला पाय आतां — Tuka says: saints have placed the hāvāla — I won't release Viṭhṭhala's feet now. The closing-vow: the saints have placed the hāvāla (charge / pledge / guarantee); I won't release Viṭhṭhala's feet now. (Hāvāla — the act of giving-into-charge / pledging-as-guarantor. The saints have guaranteed Tukaram to Viṭhṭhala; the bhakta therefore holds the feet unshakably.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the saints-give-the-hāvāla and bhakta-vows-firm register:

  1. Become udāra toward the jīva*. Jīvāsi udāra jālōm ātām. Generosity-toward-the-jīva (= willingness to give up bodily-life) is the bhakta's-stance. The jīva is not hoarded*.

  2. Throw off bhaya, lajjā, śankā*. Bhaya lajjā śankā ṭākīyēlī. The three obstacles to total-bhakti: fear, shame, doubt. All three thrown off; no holding another besides the deva*.

  3. The original-sambandha is made-special* by saints. Ṭhāyī-cā sambandha — viśeṣa kelā samtīm. Saints' role is to make the latent-original-relationship special / activated. The saints don't create a new relation; they activate the existing one*.

  4. Place jīva-bhāva at the feet — no lāja* for the deva. Jīva-bhāva tujhyā ṭhēvīyēlā pāyīm — hē ci ātām nāhīm lāja tumhām. The challenge: placing your jīva-bhāva at the deva's feet, the deva can't refuse the responsibility. The bhakta hands over the lāja, the deva must bear it*.

  5. Saints have given the hāvāla* — won't release the feet. Samtīm ghātalā hāvālā — na sōḍīm Viṭhṭhalā pāya ātām. The saints have given Viṭhṭhala the pledge / charge for you; therefore you hold the feet unshakably. The hāvāla-mechanism makes the vow firm. (Compare 355 na sōḍīm na sōḍīm na sōḍīm; same vow, here with the saints' hāvāla* as the underlying mechanism.)

For today: become udāra toward the jīva; throw off bhaya, lajjā, śankā; recognize that the saints made the original-sambandha special; place your jīva-bhāva at the feet — no lāja for the deva, the responsibility is His; recognize that the saints have given the hāvāla — your vow rests on their pledge.

This abhang is the firm-vow-as-saint-mediated-pledge — the bhakta's vow rests on the saints' hāvāla. It is the strongest formulation of the saints-as-mediator role.

मराठी: ही ओवी saints-give-the-hāvāla and bhakta-vows-firm register नाव सांगते:

  1. Jīva कडे udāra* व्हा. जिवासि उदार जालों. Jīva-कडे-generosity (= bodily-life सोडण्याची तयारी) — bhakta's-stance. Jīva hoard करायचा नाही*.

  2. Bhaya, lajjā, śankā टाका. भय लज्जा शंका टाकियेली. Total-bhakti ला तीन obstacles: fear, shame, doubt. तिन्ही टाका; deva शिवाय दुसरं काही धरायचं नाही*.

  3. Original-sambandha saints* विशेष करतात. ठायींचा संबंध — विशेष केला संतीं. Saints चं role — latent-original-relationship special / activated करणं. Saints नवीन relation create करत नाहीत; existing activate करतात*.

  4. Jīva-bhāva पायी ठेवा — deva ला लाज नाही*. जीवभाव तुझ्या ठेवियेला पायीं — हें चि आतां नाही लाज तुम्हां. Challenge: Jīva-bhāva deva च्या पायी ठेवल्यावर deva responsibility refuse करू शकत नाही. Bhakta lāja handover करतो, deva ला बेअर करावं लागतं*.

  5. Saints ने hāvāla* दिलं — पाय सोडणार नाही. संतीं घातला हावाला — न सोडीं विठ्ठला पाय आतां. Saints ने Viṭhṭhala ला तुमच्यासाठी pledge दिलं; म्हणून पाय unshakable धरता. Hāvāla-mechanism vow firm करतो. (Compare 355 न सोडीं x3; same vow, here saints चं hāvāla* underlying mechanism.)

आज: Jīva कडे udāra व्हा; Bhaya, lajjā, śankā टाका; Saints ने original-sambandha विशेष केलं ओळखा; Jīva-bhāva पायी ठेवा — deva ला लाज नाही, responsibility त्याची; Saints ने hāvāla दिलं ओळखा — vow त्यांच्या pledge वर resting.

Firm-vow-as-saint-mediated-pledge: Bhakta चा vow saints च्या hāvāla वर resting. Saints-as-mediator role चं strongest formulation.

Where this applies

Cosmology / Avatāra Sant-sang / Sant-pūjā Bhakti fear-shame-doubt-thrown-off

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