संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 561 of 4582

Abhanga 561

English: Who knows — upāsanā?

When only the deva is the listener-and-speaker — and you have to recognize this register
When clever-arguments don't suffice — and you accept this rejection
When me and Hari come to dwell in one ghara — and you receive this intimacy

The verse

कोण जाणे कोणा घडे उपासना । कोण या वचनाप्रति पावे ॥१॥ आतां माझा श्रोता वक्ता तूं चि देवा । करावी ते सेवा तुझी च मां ॥ध्रु.॥ कुशळ चतुर येथें न सरते । करितील रिते तर्क मतें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जालें पेणें एके घरीं । मज आणि हरी तुम्हां गांठी ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Who knows — upāsanā? — who attains vacana? Śrōtā-vaktā — You alone — deva — sevā — to You only. Kuśaḷa-catura — don't saratē — ritē — tarka-matē. Tuka says: pēṇē — one ghara — me and Hari — gāmṭhī.

मराठी: कोण जाणे कोणा घडे उपासना — कोण या वचनाप्रति पावे?. आतां माझा श्रोता वक्ता तूं चि देवा — करावी ते सेवा तुझी च मां. कुशळ चतुर येथें न सरते — करितील रिते तर्क मतें. तुकाराम म्हणतां — जालें पेणें एके घरीं — मज आणि हरी तुम्हां गांठी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
कोण जाणे कोणा घडे उपासना "who knows — upāsanā?"
कोण या वचनाप्रति पावे "who attains vacana?"
आतां माझा श्रोता वक्ता तूं चि देवा "śrōtā-vaktā — You alone — deva"
करावी ते सेवा तुझी च मां "sevā — to You only"
कुशळ चतुर येथें न सरते "kuśaḷa-catura — don't saratē"
करितील रिते तर्क मतें "ritē — tarka-matē"
जालें पेणें एके घरीं "pēṇē — one ghara"
मज आणि हरी तुम्हां गांठी "me and Hari — gāmṭhī"

What it means

A You-alone-śrōtā-vaktā-Hari-our-gāmṭhī abhang. Withdrawal-from-public-into-Hari-only register. Three claims:

  1. कोण जाणे कोणा घडे उपासना — कोण या वचनाप्रति पावे — who knows — upāsanā? — who attains vacana? The opening-public-question: who knows — to whom upāsanā (worship-meditation) befits / falls?; who attains (pāvē) to this vacana (word, teaching)? Public-fitness-for-the-teaching-is-uncertain. Recognition-of-public-uncertainty.

  2. आतां माझा श्रोता वक्ता तूं चि देवा — करावी ते सेवा तुझी च मां — śrōtā-vaktā — You alone — deva — sevā — to You only. The withdrawal-into-Hari-claim: now — śrōtā (listener) and vaktā (speaker) — You alone, deva; the sevā to be done — only Yours. The bhakti-cycle-becomes-a-private-circle-with-Hari-only. Speaker-listener-and-receiver are all the deva*.

  3. कुशळ चतुर येथें न सरते — करितील रिते तर्क मतें — तुका म्हणे जालें पेणें एके घरीं — मज आणि हरी तुम्हां गांठी — kuśaḷa-catura — don't saratē — ritē — tarka-matē — pēṇē — one ghara — me and Hari — gāmṭhī. The closing-private-meeting-claim: kuśaḷa-catura (clever-skillful, the intellectuals-and-debaters) — don't saratē (suffice, count, work) here; they make ritē tarka-matē (empty arguments-and-opinions); Tuka says: came to pēṇē (dwell, take residence) in one ghara (house); me and Hari — Your gāmṭhī (knot, meeting, bundle, knot-tied-relationship). Private-meeting-of-bhakta-and-Hari; intellectuals-can't-enter. The gāmṭhī-image: a knot-tied that can't be untied; or a bundle-tied; or simply a meeting*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the You-alone-śrōtā-vaktā-Hari-gāmṭhī register:

  1. Don't-know who is fit for upāsanā*; the public-fitness is uncertain. Kōṇa jāṇē kōṇā ghaḍē upāsanā? Don't-presume-public-fitness; recognize-the-uncertainty*.

  2. You alone are śrōtā-vaktā; sevā* only to You. Śrōtā-vaktā — sevā tujhī. The bhakti-cycle becomes private-circle-with-Hari-only. Withdraw-into-Hari-private*.

  3. Clever-skillful don't saratē here; they make ritē tarka-matē*. Kuśaḷa-catura — saratē nāhīm — ritē tarka-matē. Intellectuals-and-debaters can't enter the bhakti-private-circle; their arguments are empty. Don't-let-clever-arguments-disturb*.

  4. Came to pēṇē in one ghara; me and Hari — gāmṭhī*. Pēṇē ēkē gharī — me and Hari — gāmṭhī. Bhakta and deva have come to dwell in one house; the gāmṭhī (meeting / knot-tied-relationship) is sealed. Private-house-of-bhakti*.

For today: don't-presume public-fitness; the upāsanā-fitness is uncertain; withdraw into Hari-only as śrōtā-vaktā; clever-arguments don't enter; you and Hari come to dwell in one house — that is the gāmṭhī.

This abhang is Tukaram's withdrawal-into-Hari-private-circle register — the bhakti-relationship as private-meeting-only-of-bhakta-and-deva. Compare 0537 paradox-of-living-bhakta; same private-state but here from the listener-speaker-circle angle. The me-and-Hari-Your-gāmṭhī image is a beautiful metaphor for the bhakti-bond.

मराठी: ही ओवी You-alone-śrōtā-vaktā-Hari-gāmṭhī register नाव सांगते:

  1. Upāsanā कोणाला घडते माहीत नाही; public-fitness uncertain. कोण जाणे कोणा घडे उपासना? Public-fitness presume नका; uncertainty ओळखा*.

  2. तू एकटाच śrōtā-vaktā; sevā* फक्त तुला. श्रोता-वक्ता — सेवा तुझी. Bhakti-cycle Hari-only-private-circle होतं. Hari-private-withdraw करा*.

  3. Kuśaḷa-catura इथे saratē नाहीत; ritē tarka-matē करतात. कुशळ-चतुर — सरते नाही — रिते तर्क-मते. Intellectuals-and-debaters bhakti-private-circle मध्ये entry नाही; arguments empty. Clever-arguments-disturb नका*.

  4. Pēṇē एका ghara मध्ये; मी आणि Hari — gāmṭhī. पेणे एके घरी — मज आणि हरी — गांठी. Bhakta आणि देव एका घरात राहायला आलेत; gāmṭhī (meeting / knot-tied-relationship) sealed. Private-house-of-bhakti*.

आज: Public-fitness presume नका; upāsanā-fitness uncertain; Hari-only मध्ये śrōtā-vaktā withdraw करा; Clever-arguments enter नकोत; तुम्ही आणि Hari एका-घरात-राहायला-आलात — तेच gāmṭhī**.

Tukaram च-withdrawal-into-Hari-private-circle-register — Bhakti-relationship private-meeting-only-of-bhakta-and-देव. 0537 paradox-of-living-bhakta compare; तीच private-state पण इथे listener-speaker-circle angle ने. Me-and-Hari-Your-gāmṭhī image bhakti-bond ची सुंदर metaphor.

Where this applies

Cosmology / Avatāra Bhakti

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