Abhanga 482
Picture God seated on a jewel-studded throne, with Rakhumai and Rahi close by his side and fans waving over him, a full royal court in attendance. Even the great mystical powers that seekers chase after are shown here as nothing more than servants doing his bidding, a reminder that such powers are never the goal, only tools in his service. And in that whole grand scene, Tukaram places himself not among the powerful but standing quietly at the door, holding God's sandals in his hands, the lowest servant, and for that very reason the one closest to him. There is real dignity in choosing that humble, faithful place near the door rather than seeking any higher seat.
The verse
रत्नजडित सिंहासन । वरी बैसले आपण ॥१॥ कुंचे ढळती दोहीं बाहीं । जवळी रखुमाई राही ॥ध्रु.॥ नाना उपचारीं । सिद्धि वोळगती कामारी ॥२॥ हातीं घेऊनि पादुका । उभा बंदिजन तुका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ratna-jaḍita simhāsana — He himself sat above. Kuñca-fans wave both sides — Rakhumāī-Rāhī near. Many upacāra — siddhi-kāmārī serve. Pādukā in hand — bandi-jana Tuka stands.
मराठी: रत्नजडित सिंहासन — वरी बैसले आपण. कुंचे ढळती दोहीं बाहीं — जवळी रखुमाई राही. नाना उपचारीं — सिद्धि वोळगती कामारी. हातीं घेऊनि पादुका — उभा बंदिजन तुका.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| रत्नजडित सिंहासन | "ratna-jaḍita simhāsana" |
| वरी बैसले आपण | "(He) himself sat above" |
| कुंचे ढळती दोहीं बाहीं | "kuñca-fans wave on both sides" |
| जवळी रखुमाई राही | "Rakhumāī-Rāhī near" |
| नाना उपचारीं सिद्धि वोळगती कामारी | "many upacāra — siddhi-kāmārī serve" |
| हातीं घेऊनि पादुका उभा बंदिजन तुका | "pādukā in hand — bandi-jana Tuka stands" |
What it means
A short throne-court-darśana abhang. Tuka-as-bandi-jana (door-keeper / chamberlain holding the deva's slippers) — a self-image of the bhakta as servant-attendant. Four claims:
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रत्नजडित सिंहासन — वरी बैसले आपण — ratna-jaḍita simhāsana — He himself sat above. The throne-image: the deva sits on aratna-jaḍita(gem-studded)simhāsana(lion-throne). Royal-iconography.
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कुंचे ढळती दोहीं बाहीं — जवळी रखुमाई राही — kuñca-fans on both sides — Rakhumāī-Rāhī near. The court-attendants: kuñca-fans (the chowries / yak-tail fans) wave on both sides;Rakhumāī-Rāhī(Rukmiṇī-and-Rādhā / or Rakhumāī = Rukmiṇī, Rāhī = Sat-yabhāmā / consort) — near. Consort-attendants in court.
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नाना उपचारीं — सिद्धि वोळगती कामारी — many upacāra — siddhi-kāmārī serve. The siddhi-as-servants claim: manyupacāra(services / ritual-attentions); thesiddhi(yogic-powers, traditionally personified as supernatural-attendants) serve as kāmārī (handmaid-servants).Yogic-siddhis as the deva's-servants — the deva is above all siddhis.
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हातीं घेऊनि पादुका — उभा बंदिजन तुका — pādukā in hand — bandi-jana Tuka stands. The self-image: holding thepādukā(the deva's-sandals) in hand, Tuka — thebandi-jana(door-keeper / chamberlain / one bound to the door) — stands.Tuka's-self-position: door-keeper at the deva's-throne, holding the slippers.
[T]
For someone today
Picture God seated on a jewel-studded throne, with Rakhumai and Rahi close by his side and fans waving over him, a full royal court in attendance. Even the great mystical powers that seekers chase after are shown here as nothing more than servants doing his bidding, a reminder that such powers are never the goal, only tools in his service. And in that whole grand scene, Tukaram places himself not among the powerful but standing quietly at the door, holding God's sandals in his hands, the lowest servant, and for that very reason the one closest to him. There is real dignity in choosing that humble, faithful place near the door rather than seeking any higher seat.
मराठी: देवाला रत्नजडित सिंहासनावर बसलेलं कल्पना करा, रखुमाई आणि राही त्याच्या जवळ उभ्या असून चवऱ्या ढाळल्या जात आहेत — संपूर्ण राजदरबार सेवेत हजर आहे. साधक ज्या महान सिद्धींच्या मागे धावतात त्याही इथे त्याच्या आज्ञेत असणाऱ्या दासींसारख्या दाखवल्या आहेत, याची आठवण करून देत की अशा शक्ती कधीच ध्येय नसतात, फक्त त्याच्या सेवेतली साधनं असतात. आणि या संपूर्ण भव्य दृश्यात तुकाराम स्वतःला बलवानांमध्ये न ठेवता दाराशी शांतपणे उभं राहून देवाच्या पादुका हातात धरणारा सेवक म्हणून बघतात — सगळ्यात लहान सेवक, आणि म्हणूनच त्याच्या सगळ्यात जवळचा. उंच जागा शोधण्यापेक्षा दाराशी असलेली ही नम्र, इमानी जागा निवडण्यातच खरी प्रतिष्ठा आहे.
Where this applies
- Visualize ratna-jaḍita simhāsana. Iconographic-darśana.
- Rakhumāī-Rāhīnear;kuñca-fans. Court-context.
- Siddhis serve, don't lead. Anti-siddhi-as-goal.
- Tuka is bandi-jana-doorkeeper. Humblest self-position.