संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 423 of 4582

Abhanga 423

Judge real help by whether it actually lifts up the helpless, ask openly for support when you cannot manage alone, and approach those who can truly help with real humility.

When the blind-bhakta crashes into thorns going to Pandhari — and you have to recognize this register

When the dog of dāruṇā-āśā follows behind — and you accept this image

When the bhakta petitions saints with both hands joined — and you receive this submission

The verse

खेटितां कुंप कांटी । खुंट दरडी न पाहे । आधार नाहीं मज कोणी । बाप ना माये ॥१॥ दाते हो दान करा । जातें पंढरपुरा । न्या मज तेथवरी । अखमाचा सोयरा ॥ध्रु.॥ कीर्ति हे संतां मुखीं । तो चि दाखवा हरी । पांगळां पाय देतो । नांदे पंढरपुरीं ॥२॥ पुढारा म्हणती एक । तया नाहीं करुणा । श्वान हें लागे पाठीं । आशा बहु दारुणा ॥३॥ मी माजी भुललों गा । दीप पतंगासोयी । द्या मज जीवदान । संत महानुभाव कांहीं ॥४॥ दुर्लभ भेटी तुम्हां । पायीं जालें दरुषन । विनवितो तुका संतां । दोन्ही कर जोडून ॥५॥

Literal translation

Crashing into kumpa-kāṇṭī — I don't see khūmṭa-daraḍī — no support — no bāpa-māya. Givers — give dāna — going to Pandharpura — take me there — friend of akhama. Kīrti in saints' mouths — show that Hari — gives pāya to pānguḷā — dwells at Pandharpurī. Some say puḍhāra — they have no karuṇā — śvāna follows — āśā — dāruṇā. I am caught — moth at dīpa — give jīva-dāna — saints, mahānubhāvas. Difficult meeting — saw at feet. Tuka petitions saints — both hands joined.

मराठी: खेटितां कुंप कांटी — खुंट दरडी न पाहे — आधार नाहीं मज कोणी — बाप ना माये. दाते हो दान करा — जातें पंढरपुरा — न्या मज तेथवरी — अखमाचा सोयरा. कीर्ति हे संतां मुखीं — तो चि दाखवा हरी — पांगळां पाय देतो — नांदे पंढरपुरीं. पुढारा म्हणती एक — तया नाहीं करुणा — श्वान हें लागे पाठीं — आशा बहु दारुणा. मी माजी भुललों — दीप पतंगासोयी — द्या मज जीवदान — संत महानुभाव कांहीं. तुकाराम म्हणतां — दुर्लभ भेटी तुम्हां — पायीं जालें दरुषन — विनवितो तुका संतां — दोन्ही कर जोडून.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
खेटितां कुंप कांटी	"crashing into kumpa-kāṇṭī"
खुंट दरडी न पाहे	"khūmṭa-daraḍī — I don't see"
आधार नाहीं मज कोणी बाप ना माये	"no support — no bāpa-māya"
दाते हो दान करा	"givers — give dāna"
जातें पंढरपुरा	"going to Pandharpura"
न्या मज तेथवरी अखमाचा सोयरा	"take me there — friend of akhama"
कीर्ति हे संतां मुखीं तो चि दाखवा हरी	"kīrti in saints' mouths — show that Hari"
पांगळां पाय देतो नांदे पंढरपुरीं	"gives pāya to pānguḷā — dwells at Pandharpurī"
पुढारा म्हणती एक तया नाहीं करुणा	"some say puḍhāra — they have no karuṇā"
श्वान हें लागे पाठीं आशा बहु दारुणा	"śvāna follows — āśā — dāruṇā"
मी माजी भुललों गा दीप पतंगासोयी	"I am caught — moth at dīpa"
द्या मज जीवदान संत महानुभाव कांहीं	"give jīva-dāna — saints, mahānubhāvas"
दुर्लभ भेटी तुम्हां पायीं जालें दरुषन	"difficult — meeting with you — saw at feet"
विनवितो तुका संतां दोन्ही कर जोडून	"Tuka petitions saints — both hands joined"

What it means

A blind-bhakta-petitions-saints-for-Pandhari-route abhang. Six claims:

खेटितां कुंप कांटी — खुंट दरडी न पाहे — आधार नाहीं मज कोणी — बाप ना माये — crashing into kumpa-kāṇṭī — don't see khūmṭa-daraḍī — no support — no bāpa-māya. The opening-helplessness: the blind-bhakta crashes into hedge-thorns; doesn't see stumps-and-mounds; has no support — no father-mother. Total dependence.
दाते हो दान करा — जातें पंढरपुरा — न्या मज तेथवरी — अखमाचा सोयरा — givers — give dāna — going to Pandharpura — take me there — friend of akhama. The petition: givers, please givedāna(alms / help); I am going toPandharpura; take me there — He is the friend of theakhama(destitute). Pandhari is the destination; the journey needs help.
कीर्ति हे संतां मुखीं — तो चि दाखवा हरी — पांगळां पाय देतो — नांदे पंढरपुरीं — kīrti in saints' mouths — show that Hari — gives feet to cripple — dwells at Pandharpurī. The Hari-mark: thekīrti(fame) is in the saints' mouths; show thatHari; the one who gives feet to the cripple; dwells atPandharpurī. Identify Hari by the cripple-cure.
पुढारा म्हणती एक — तया नाहीं करुणा — श्वान हें लागे पाठीं — आशा बहु दारुणा — some say puḍhāra — they have no karuṇā — śvāna follows — āśā — dāruṇā. The false-helpers and the dog-of-āśā: some saypuḍhāra(go ahead, dismiss); they have nokaruṇā; theśvāna(dog) follows behind — theāśā(hope / desire) isdāruṇā(terrible / cruel). Hope-dog at one's heels.
मी माजी भुललों गा — दीप पतंगासोयी — द्या मज जीवदान — संत महानुभाव कांहीं — I am caught — moth at dīpa — give jīva-dāna — saints, mahānubhāvas. The moth-image: I am caught — like a moth at thedīpa(lamp); give mejīva-dāna(life-gift); saints,mahānubhāvas(great-souled-ones). Moth-self-destruction; saints save.
तुका म्हणे दुर्लभ भेटी तुम्हां — पायीं जालें दरुषन — विनवितो तुका संतां — दोन्ही कर जोडून — Tuka says: difficult meeting with you — saw at feet — Tuka petitions saints — both hands joined. The closing-petition: meeting with you (saints) is rare; saw thedarśanaat the feet; Tuka petitions the saints — with both hands joined. Two-handed humility.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram paints himself as a blind man stumbling into thorn hedges and stumps, with no father or mother to steady him, and he asks generous people plainly to help him make his way to Pandharpur. He tells us how to recognize the real thing along the way: true help looks like giving feet to the crippled, the way Hari does, so judge people by whether they actually lift up the helpless, not by their claims. Some who offer to guide him have no real compassion, and hope that trails him like a hungry dog can be its own kind of cruelty. He compares himself to a moth drawn helplessly to a flame, asking the saints for the gift of life, and ends bowing with both hands joined, because a true meeting with people who can actually help is rare and worth real humility.

मराठी: तुकाराम स्वतःला एका आंधळ्या माणसाप्रमाणे चित्रित करतात, जो काटेरी कुंपणात अडखळत जातो, ज्याला आधार द्यायला आई-वडीलही नाहीत, आणि तो उदार माणसांना स्पष्टपणे विनवतो की मला पंढरपुरापर्यंत पोहोचवा. वाटेत खरी मदत कशी ओळखावी हेही ते सांगतात: खरी मदत म्हणजे पांगळ्याला पाय देणे, जसे हरी करतो, म्हणून लोकांचे मोजमाप त्यांच्या शब्दांवरून नव्हे तर ते खरोखर दुर्बलांना उभे करतात का यावरून करावे. काही मार्गदाखवणाऱ्यांना खरी करुणा नसते, आणि भुकेल्या कुत्र्यासारखी मागे लागलेली आशा हीसुद्धा एक प्रकारची क्रूरता असू शकते. ते स्वतःची तुलना दिव्याकडे ओढल्या जाणाऱ्या पतंगाशी करतात आणि संतांकडे जीवदान मागतात, आणि शेवटी दोन्ही हात जोडून नमन करतात, कारण खरोखर मदत करू शकणाऱ्या माणसांची भेट दुर्मिळ असते आणि ती खऱ्या नम्रतेस पात्र असते.

Where this applies

Blind-helplessness; no bāpa-māya. Total dependence.
Petition for dāna on Pandhari-pilgrimage. Don't be ashamed.
Identify Hari by cripple-cure. Pandharpur.
False-helpers; āśā-dog. Recognize.
Two-hands-joined to saints. Deep humility.