संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 564 of 4582

Abhanga 564

A person can play many different roles in life while staying inwardly unchanged, the way a clear crystal seems colored by what is near it but never actually changes.

When the bhakta plays roles but the deep-rang doesn't change — and you have to recognize this register

When the sphaṭika appears yellow-red but doesn't take the color — and you accept this image

The verse

नटनाट्ये अवघें संपादिलें सोंग । भेद दाऊं रंग न पालटे ॥१॥ मांडियेला खेळ कौतुक बहुरूप । आपुलें स्वरूप जाणतसों ॥ध्रु.॥ स्फटिकाची शिळा उपाधि न मिळे । भाव दावी पिवळे लाल संगे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही या जनाविरहित । होऊनि निश्चिंत क्रीडा करूं ॥३॥

Literal translation

Naṭa-nāṭyē — every sōnga — bhēda — ranga — na pālaṭē. Khēḷa set — bahu-rūpa-kautuka — svarūpa — we know. Sphaṭika — upādhi — na miḷē — bhāva — yellow-red — samga. Tuka says: we — jana-virahita — niścinta — krīḍā.

मराठी: नटनाट्ये अवघें संपादिलें सोंग — भेद दाऊं रंग न पालटे. मांडियेला खेळ कौतुक बहुरूप — आपुलें स्वरूप जाणतसों. स्फटिकाची शिळा उपाधि न मिळे — भाव दावी पिवळे लाल संगे. तुकाराम म्हणतां — आम्ही या जनाविरहित — होऊनि निश्चिंत क्रीडा करूं.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
नटनाट्ये अवघें संपादिलें सोंग	"naṭa-nāṭyē — every sōnga"
भेद दाऊं रंग न पालटे	"bhēda — ranga — na pālaṭē"
मांडियेला खेळ कौतुक बहुरूप	"khēḷa set — bahu-rūpa-kautuka"
आपुलें स्वरूप जाणतसों	"svarūpa — we know"
स्फटिकाची शिळा उपाधि न मिळे	"sphaṭika — upādhi — na miḷē"
भाव दावी पिवळे लाल संगे	"bhāva — yellow-red — by samga"
आम्ही या जनाविरहित	"we — jana-virahita"
होऊनि निश्चिंत क्रीडा करूं	"niścinta — krīḍā"

What it means

A naṭa-nāṭya-sphaṭika-doesn't-take-color-jana-virahita-krīḍā abhang. Saint-as-actor-without-internal-change register. Three claims:

नटनाट्ये अवघें संपादिलें सोंग — भेद दाऊं रंग न पालटे — naṭa-nāṭyē — every sōnga — bhēda — ranga — na pālaṭē. The opening-actor-claim: naṭa-nāṭyē (the actor's-drama)— everysōnga(role / form / pose) we havesampādilē(accomplished); bhēda-dāūm (we show difference, we apparently differ-as-roles);but the ranga (deep-dye, true-color) does not pālaṭē (change, get-altered).Saint-plays-every-role-but-the-deep-dye-doesn't-change.
मांडियेला खेळ कौतुक बहुरूप — आपुलें स्वरूप जाणतसों — स्फटिकाची शिळा उपाधि न मिळे — भाव दावी पिवळे लाल संगे — khēḷa set — bahu-rūpa-kautuka — svarūpa we know — sphaṭika — upādhi na miḷē — yellow-red — samga. The crystal-image-claim: we have set up thekhēḷa(game / play),bahu-rūpa-kautuka(multi-form wonder); but our ownsvarūpa(true-form) we know; thesphaṭika(crystal / quartz) stone — upādhi (coloring-limit / superimposed-condition)doesn'tmiḷē(stick / fit); thebhāva(appearance, mode-of-appearing) ofpīvaḷē(yellow),lāla(red) — comes by samga (contact, proximity).The crystal-stone takes-on-the-color-of-what-it-is-near, but the color-doesn't-stick; remove-the-near-thing, the crystal-is-clear.Saint-as-crystal: appears-colored-by-context, but the deep-quality-doesn't-change.
तुका म्हणे आम्ही या जनाविरहित — होऊनि निश्चिंत क्रीडा करूं — Tuka says: we — jana-virahita — niścinta — krīḍā. The closing-private-play-claim: Tuka says: we arejana-virahita(without-people, separated-from-people); beingniścinta(worry-free); we playkrīḍā(sport, divine-play). The saint-plays-divine-sport-without-the-public-without-worry. Private-divine-play.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram compares himself to an actor who plays every part the world offers, taking on different roles and appearances, yet knowing that none of it touches who he really is underneath. He offers a beautiful image to explain this, a clear crystal placed near something yellow or red seems to take on that color, but the crystal itself never actually changes, remove the colored object and the crystal is clear again. In the same way, he can move through all the different roles and dramas of daily life while staying inwardly untouched and unchanged. He ends by saying he plays this way freely and without worry, at peace, no longer needing the world's approval to know who he is.

मराठी: तुकाराम स्वतःची तुलना अशा अभिनेत्याशी करतात जो जगाने दिलेली प्रत्येक भूमिका वठवतो, वेगवेगळी रूपे आणि स्वरूपे घेतो, पण हे जाणतो की यातलं काहीही त्याच्या खऱ्या स्वरूपाला स्पर्श करत नाही. हे समजावण्यासाठी ते एक सुंदर उदाहरण देतात, पिवळ्या किंवा लाल वस्तूजवळ ठेवलेला स्वच्छ स्फटिक जणू तो रंग घेतल्यासारखा दिसतो, पण स्फटिक स्वतः कधीच बदलत नाही, रंगीत वस्तू काढली की स्फटिक पुन्हा स्वच्छच दिसतो. त्याचप्रमाणे, ते रोजच्या जीवनातील सगळ्या वेगवेगळ्या भूमिका आणि नाटकांतून आतून अस्पर्शित आणि अबदल राहून जाऊ शकतात. शेवटी ते सांगतात की ते हे मोकळेपणाने आणि निश्चिंतपणे खेळतात, शांत, आपण कोण आहोत हे ओळखण्यासाठी आता जगाच्या मान्यतेची गरज न वाटता.

Where this applies

Every role; deep-ranga firm. Actor-image.
Sphaṭikatakes noupādhi. Crystal-image.
Svarūpa known. Self-knowledge.
Jana-virahita-niścinta-krīḍā. Private-play.

Bhakti