संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 581 of 4582

Abhanga 581

English: Gōḍī-paṇa — guḷa — deva — sakaḷa.

When the deva pervades by sweetness like jaggery — and you have to recognize this register
When the deva is outside-and-inside; how to worship apart? — and you accept this paradox
When the wave is not separate from water; gold in ornaments by name — and you receive these images

The verse

गोडीपणें जैसा गुळ । तैसा देव जाला सकळ ॥१॥ आतां भजों कवणे परी । देव सबाह्य अंतरीं ॥ध्रु.॥ उदका वेगळा । नव्हे तरंग निराळा ॥२॥ हेम अळंकारा नामीं । तुका म्हणे तैसे आम्ही ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Gōḍī-paṇaguḷa — deva — sakaḷa. Now — bhajan — what way? — sa-bāhya-amtarīm. From udaka — separate — taranga not nirāḷā. Hēmaaḷankāra — by nāma. Tuka says: thus we are.

मराठी: गोडीपणें जैसा गुळ — तैसा देव जाला सकळ. आतां भजों कवणे परी — देव सबाह्य अंतरीं. उदका वेगळा — नव्हे तरंग निराळा. हेम अळंकारा नामीं. तुकाराम म्हणतां — तैसे आम्ही.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
गोडीपणें जैसा गुळ "gōḍī-paṇaguḷa"
तैसा देव जाला सकळ "deva — sakaḷa"
आतां भजों कवणे परी "now — bhajan — what way?"
देव सबाह्य अंतरीं "sa-bāhya-amtarīm"
उदका वेगळा "from udaka — separate"
नव्हे तरंग निराळा "taranga — not nirāḷā"
हेम अळंकारा नामीं "hēmaaḷankāra — by nāma"
तुका म्हणे तैसे आम्ही "thus we are"

What it means

A deva-pervades-by-sweetness-bhakta-deva-merger abhang. Three classical-images for non-difference. Three claims:

  1. गोडीपणें जैसा गुळ — तैसा देव जाला सकळ — आतां भजों कवणे परी — देव सबाह्य अंतरींgōḍī-paṇa — guḷa — deva — sakaḷa — now — bhajan — what way? — sa-bāhya-amtarīm. The opening-pervasion-claim: by the way of gōḍī-paṇa (sweetness)like guḷa (jaggery, palm-sugar); the deva has become sakaḷa (all); now in what way to bhajan? — the deva is sa-bāhya-amtarīm (outside-and-inside). Deva-pervades-everything-like-sweetness-pervades-jaggery; how-to-worship-Him-apart? (The classical jaggery-sweetness image: every-bit-of-jaggery is sweet; you can't-separate-the-sweetness-from-the-jaggery.)

  2. उदका वेगळा — नव्हे तरंग निराळाfrom udaka — separate — taranga — not nirāḷā. The wave-water-image: separate from udaka (water)the taranga (wave) is not nirāḷā (different). Wave-and-water-not-different. Bhakta-and-deva-not-different.

  3. हेम अळंकारा नामीं — तुका म्हणे तैसे आम्हीhēma — aḷankāra — by nāma — thus we are. The closing-gold-and-ornament-image: like hēma (gold) in the aḷankāra (ornaments) by nāma (name only); Tuka says: thus we are. Gold-is-the-substance-of-ornaments; only-the-name-distinguishes-them. Bhakta-and-deva: same-substance, different-only-by-name. (The classical Vedānta-image: bracelet-and-necklace are gold; only the name differs.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the deva-pervades-three-images register:

  1. Sweetness pervades jaggery; deva pervades all. Gōḍī-paṇa — guḷa — sakaḷa. Recognize-deva-as-pervading-sweetness. Universal-immanence.

  2. Deva is sa-bāhya-amtarīm*; how to worship Him apart? Sa-bāhya-amtarīm — bhajan kavaṇē parī? The deva is outside-and-inside; the bhakta-deva merger is structural, not optional. Bhakti-paradox*.

  3. Wave is not separate from water. Udaka taranga nirāḷā nakō. Bhakta-and-deva-non-difference.

  4. Gold-in-ornament-by-name only; thus we are. Hēma — aḷankāra — nāma — thus we. Same-substance, different-only-by-name. Bhakta-deva-substance-identity.

For today: the deva pervades like sweetness in jaggery; bhakta and deva are wave-and-water, gold-and-ornament — same-substance, different-only-by-name.

This abhang is Tukaram's bhakta-deva-merger-three-images registercompanion to 0577 with similar but different images. Compare 0577 sun-rays-sugar-sweetness-sound-sky; same merger but different image-sets. The guḷa-gōḍī-sakaḷa and udaka-taranga and hēma-aḷankāra are all classical-Vedānta images applied in bhakti-Marathi.

मराठी: ही ओवी deva-pervades-three-images register नाव सांगते:

  1. Sweetness guḷa* व्यापते; देव सकळ व्यापतो. गोडी-पणे — गुळ — सकळ. Sweetness-व्यापणारा-देव ओळखा. Universal-immanence*.

  2. Deva sa-bāhya-amtarīm; bhajan* कशा प्रकारे apart? सबाह्य-अंतरीं — भजन कवणे परी? Deva outside-and-inside; bhakta-deva-merger structural, optional नाही. Bhakti-paradox*.

  3. Wave water-पासून separate नाही. उदक तरंग निराळा नको. Bhakta-and-देव-non-difference.

  4. Hēma aḷankāra त फक्त nāma ने; thus we. हेम — अळंकार — नाम — तसे आम्ही. Same-substance, different-only-by-name. Bhakta-देव-substance-identity*.

आज: Deva sweetness guḷa त-व्यापणारा; bhakta आणि देव wave-and-water, gold-and-ornament — same-substance, different-only-by-name.

Tukaram च-bhakta-deva-merger-three-images-register0577 च companion with similar-but-different-images. 0577 sun-rays-sugar-sweetness-sound-sky compare; तीच merger पण different image-sets. Guḷa-gōḍī-sakaḷa आणि udaka-taranga आणि hēma-aḷankāra सर्व classical-Vedānta images bhakti-Marathi मध्ये applied.

Where this applies

Related verses