संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 429 of 4582

Abhanga 429

Grace can reach you through your family and your closeness to devoted people, steadying your restlessness and clearing your doubt as you walk the path together.

When the deva's kṛpā extends to the bhakta's family — and you have to recognize this register
When the dātā meets at one's icchā — and you accept this immediacy
When Tukya's bandhava (kinsman) is redeemed — and you receive this closing-claim

The verse

पुत्र पौत्र संपन्न भारी । तेणें कृपा केली आम्हांवरी गा ॥१॥ दाता तो मज भेटला इच्छा । येउनि मारग दाविला सरिसा गा॥ध्रु.॥ कडे चुकवुनि कांटवण । ऐका आणिली तीं कोण कोण गा ॥२॥ स्थिर केलीं जीं आचपळें होतीं । सद्धि आणुनि लाविलीं पंथीं गा ॥३॥ धर्में त्याच्या देखियेले पाय । दिलें अखय भय वारुनि दान गा ॥४॥ तो येणें अवघा संदेह । म्हणे फेडियेला तुकयाचा बंधव गा ॥५॥

Literal translation

Putra-pautra-sampanna — heavy — therefore kṛpā done on us. Dātā met me — at icchā — coming, showed the mārga together. Turning aside kāṇṭavaṇa — listen, who-and-who has been brought. Settled the acapaḷē — by siddhi, brought into pantha. By dharma — saw His pāya — gave akhaya — fear removed, dāna. This — avaghā samdeha — says — fēḍiyēlā — Tukya's bandhava.

मराठी: पुत्र पौत्र संपन्न भारी — तेणें कृपा केली आम्हांवरी. दाता तो मज भेटला इच्छा — येउनि मारग दाविला सरिसा. कडे चुकवुनि कांटवण — ऐका आणिली तीं कोण कोण. स्थिर केलीं जीं आचपळें होतीं — सद्धि आणुनि लाविलीं पंथीं. धर्में त्याच्या देखियेले पाय — दिलें अखय भय वारुनि दान. तो येणें अवघा संदेह — म्हणे फेडियेला तुकयाचा बंधव.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
पुत्र पौत्र संपन्न भारी "putra-pautra-sampanna — heavy"
तेणें कृपा केली आम्हांवरी "therefore kṛpā done on us"
दाता तो मज भेटला इच्छा "the dātā met me — at icchā"
येउनि मारग दाविला सरिसा "coming, showed the mārga together"
कडे चुकवुनि कांटवण "turning aside kāṇṭavaṇa"
ऐका आणिली तीं कोण कोण "listen — who-and-who has been brought"
स्थिर केलीं जीं आचपळें होतीं "settled — acapaḷē (restless)"
सद्धि आणुनि लाविलीं पंथीं "by siddhi, brought into pantha"
धर्में त्याच्या देखियेले पाय "by dharma — saw His pāya"
दिलें अखय भय वारुनि दान "gave akhaya — fear removed, dāna"
तो येणें अवघा संदेह "this — avaghā samdeha"
म्हणे फेडियेला तुकयाचा बंधव "says — fēḍiyēlā — Tukya's bandhava"

What it means

A deva-redeems-the-Tuka-bandhava abhang. The closing fēḍiyēlā tukayācā bandhava indicates this is Tukya-bamdhu (Kānhōbā Tukārām, Tukaram's elder brother)'s voice — speaking as one redeemed as Tukaram's brother. Six claims:

  1. पुत्र पौत्र संपन्न भारी — तेणें कृपा केली आम्हांवरीputra-pautra-sampanna heavy — therefore kṛpā done on us. The opening-claim: (the deva is) putra-pautra-sampanna (rich in sons and grandsons)— heavily; therefore He has donekṛpāon us. Family-as-blessing claim.

  2. दाता तो मज भेटला इच्छा — येउनि मारग दाविला सरिसाdātā met me at icchā — coming, showed the mārga together. The meeting-at-icchā claim: thedātāmet me — exactly at myicchā(wish); coming, showed themārgatogether. Wish-immediate-meeting and path-shown.

  3. कडे चुकवुनि कांटवण — ऐका आणिली तीं कोण कोणturning aside kāṇṭavaṇa — listen, who-and-who has been brought. The bringing-list claim: He turned aside thekāṇṭavaṇa(thorn-fence); listen — who-and-who He has brought (here). Implicit list of saints / those-rescued.

  4. स्थिर केलीं जीं आचपळें होतीं — सद्धि आणुनि लाविलीं पंथींsettled the acapaḷē — by siddhi, brought into pantha. The settling-the-restless claim: those who wereacapaḷē(restless, fickle)He settled; bysiddhi, brought them into thepantha(path). Restless-stabilized into path-walking.

  5. धर्में त्याच्या देखियेले पाय — दिलें अखय भय वारुनि दानby dharma, saw His pāya — gave akhaya, fear-removed dāna. The dharma-leads-to-darśana claim: by Hisdharma, (I) saw Hispāya; He gaveakhaya(the imperishable) — fear-removeddāna. Dharma-mediated darśana; akhaya-dāna = imperishable-gift.

  6. तो येणें अवघा संदेह — म्हणे फेडियेला तुकयाचा बंधवthis — avaghā samdeha — says — fēḍiyēlā — Tukya's bandhava. The closing-redemption claim: this (His coming) —avaghā samdeha(entire doubt) (cleared); says —fēḍiyēlā(redeemed / paid-off) — Tukya'sbandhava(kinsman). Tuka's-brother-as-redeemed.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang speaks in the voice of someone close to Tukaram, describing how a rich and full family life became the very channel through which grace reached him. He describes meeting a generous giver right when he needed it, who then walked with him and pointed out the way forward, steering him clear of obstacles along the road. He watches restless, wandering people become steady and settled once they are brought onto that same path. Living rightly, he says, let him catch sight of God's feet directly, and in that moment his fear dissolved and he received a lasting, unshakeable gift. He closes by saying that all his doubt has been cleared simply because of his bond with Tukaram, as if being kin to a devoted saint is itself part of what redeemed him.

मराठी: हा अभंग तुकारामांच्या जवळच्या व्यक्तीच्या, कदाचित त्यांच्या भावाच्या, आवाजात बोलतो, आणि सांगतो की भरलेलं आणि समृद्ध कौटुंबिक जीवन हेच कृपा पोहोचण्याचं माध्यम कसं बनलं. गरज असताना बरोबर त्याच क्षणी एक उदार दाता भेटला, जो सोबत चालत मार्ग दाखवत गेला आणि वाटेतले अडथळे टाळून पुढे नेत गेला, असं तो सांगतो. अस्थिर आणि भरकटलेली माणसं याच मार्गावर आणल्यावर स्थिर आणि शांत होताना तो पाहतो. सरळ आणि धर्ममय जगण्यामुळे त्याला देवाचे पाय प्रत्यक्ष दिसले, आणि त्या क्षणी त्याची भीती विरघळून त्याला एक चिरस्थायी, अढळ देणगी मिळाली. शेवटी तो सांगतो की केवळ तुकारामांशी असलेल्या नात्यामुळे त्याचा सगळा संदेह दूर झाला, जणू एका भक्त संताचा नातलग असणं हेच त्याच्या उद्धाराचा भाग आहे.

Where this applies

Related verses