Abhanga 374
Do not let pride about status stop you from taking even the humblest place near good company, because that lowly start can lead all the way to being welcomed as an equal.
The verse
संतसमागम एखादिया परी । राहावें त्याचे द्वारीं श्वानयाती ॥१॥ तेथें रामनाम होईल श्रवण । घडेल भोजन उच्छिष्टाचें ॥ध्रु.॥ कामारी बटीक सेवेचे सेवक । दीनपण रंक तेथें भलें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सर्व सुख त्या संगती । घडेल पंगती संतांचिया ॥३॥
Literal translation
Saint-samāgama — in some way — stay at his door as śvāna-yāti. There Rāmanāma will reach the śravaṇa — bhojana of ucchiṣṭa will happen. Kāmārī, baṭīka, sēvaka of sēvā — dīna-paṇa, ranka — that is good there. Tuka says: all sukha in that company — you will get to sit in the saints' pankti.
मराठी: संतसमागम एखादिया परी — राहावें त्याचे द्वारीं श्वानयाती. तेथें रामनाम होईल श्रवण — घडेल भोजन उच्छिष्टाचें. कामारी बटीक सेवेचे सेवक — दीनपण रंक तेथें भलें. तुकाराम म्हणतां — सर्व सुख त्या संगती — घडेल पंगती संतांचिया.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| संतसमागम एखादिया परी | "saint-samāgama — in some way" |
| राहावें त्याचे द्वारीं श्वानयाती | "stay — at his door — as śvāna-yāti" |
| तेथें रामनाम होईल श्रवण | "there — Rāmanāma — will reach (your) śravaṇa" |
| घडेल भोजन उच्छिष्टाचें | "bhojana of ucchiṣṭa — will happen" |
| कामारी बटीक सेवेचे सेवक | "kāmārī, baṭīka — sēvaka of sēvā" |
| दीनपण रंक तेथें भलें | "dīna-paṇa, ranka — there is good" |
| सर्व सुख त्या संगती | "all sukha in that company" |
| घडेल पंगती संतांचिया | "(you) will get to sit in the pankti of the saints" |
What it means
A saint-sanga-at-any-cost-even-as-śvāna abhang. Three claims:
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संतसमागम एखादिया परी — राहावें त्याचे द्वारीं श्वानयाती — saint-sanga in some way — stay at his door as śvāna-yāti. The radical-claim: saint-company is to be obtained insome way(whatever way); even staying at the saint's door as aśvāna(dog) — is worth. Don't despise the dog-position at the saint's door; that is the route.
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तेथें रामनाम होईल श्रवण — घडेल भोजन उच्छिष्टाचें — there Rāmanāma will reach śravaṇa — bhojana of ucchiṣṭa will happen. The benefit-claim: at the saint's door,Rāmanāmawill reach your hearing; meal ofucchiṣṭa(leftovers) will happen. (Ucchiṣṭa — leftover-food; in orthodox-Brahmanical-frame, eating ucchiṣṭa is impure-status. Tukaram inverts: ucchiṣṭa of saints is the bhakta's high-meal. Compare 245 cinḍhī does the favor; same anti-purity-rank register.)
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कामारी बटीक सेवेचे सेवक — दीनपण रंक तेथें भलें — kāmārī, baṭīka, sēvaka of sēvā — dīna-paṇa, ranka — good there. The humble-status-is-good claim: being slave-girl, hand-maid, servant-of-servant; humble-status, beggar — these are good positions at the saint's door. No status-anxiety at the saint's door; lowness is the position.
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तुका म्हणे सर्व सुख त्या संगती — घडेल पंगती संतांचिया — Tuka says: all sukha in that company — saints' pankti will happen. The closing-promise: all sukha in such company; you will get to sit in the pankti (line) of the saints. Starting-as-dog-at-the-door — ending-in-the-saints'-pankti. (Pankti — the row of seated diners; sitting-in-the-pankti is to be served as a peer.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram says do not wait for a dignified way to enter the company of saints, take whatever position you can get, even if it means staying at their door like a dog. At that door you will still hear the name of Rama, and even the leftover food from their meal becomes something worth eating. He insists that being a lowly servant, a beggar, or the humblest helper is perfectly fine there, so let go of worrying about your status. Because in the end, that humble beginning leads to real joy, and you will find yourself welcomed to sit and eat as an equal among the saints.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात, संतांच्या सहवासात जाण्यासाठी सन्मानाच्या वाटेची वाट पाहू नका, जी काही जागा मिळेल ती स्वीकारा, अगदी त्यांच्या दारात कुत्र्यासारखं राहावं लागलं तरी चालेल. त्या दारातसुद्धा तुम्हाला रामनाम कानी पडेल, आणि त्यांच्या ताटातलं उरलेलं अन्नसुद्धा खाण्यायोग्य वाटेल. ते सांगतात की तिथे साधा सेवक, भिकारी किंवा सर्वात लहान मदतनीस असणंही अगदी चालतं, त्यामुळे आपल्या प्रतिष्ठेची काळजी सोडून द्या. कारण शेवटी हीच नम्र सुरुवात खऱ्या आनंदाकडे घेऊन जाते, आणि तुम्हाला संतांबरोबर समान बसून जेवायला मिळेल.
Where this applies
- Stay at saint's door as śvāna-yāti. Any-route-is-good.
- Rāmanāmaanducchiṣṭa at the door. Benefits-are-high.
- Humble-status is good there. No status-anxiety.
- Saints' pankti is the destination. Trajectory.