Abhanga 582
Tukaram rejects every worldly and spiritual attainment, from Brahma's seat to liberation itself, as trifling or even painful without the simple remembrance of Hari, which alone he calls true wealth.
The verse
परमेष्ठिपदा । तुच्छ करिती सर्वदा ॥१॥ हें चि ज्यांचें धन । सदा हरीचें स्मरण ॥ध्रु.॥ इंद्रपदादिक भोग । भोग नव्हे तो भवरोग ॥२॥ सार्वभौमराज्य । त्यांसि कांहीं नाहीं काज ॥३॥ पाताळींचें आधिपत्य । ते तों मानिती विपत्य ॥४॥ योगसिद्धिसार । ज्यासि वाटे तें असार ॥५॥ मोक्षायेवढें सुख । सुख नव्हे चि तें दुःख ॥६॥ तुका म्हणे हरीविण । त्यासि अवघा वाटे सिण ॥७॥
Literal translation
Paramēṣṭhi-pada — tuccha always — dhana — Hari-smaraṇa. Indra-pada-bhōga — bhava-rōga. Sārvabhauma-rājya — no use. Pātāḷa-ādhipatya — vipatya. Yoga-siddhi-sāra — asāra. Mokṣa sukha — duḥkha. Tuka says: without Hari — all siṇa.
मराठी: परमेष्ठिपदा — तुच्छ करिती सर्वदा. हें चि ज्यांचें धन — सदा हरीचें स्मरण. इंद्रपदादिक भोग — भोग नव्हे तो भवरोग. सार्वभौमराज्य — त्यांसि कांहीं नाहीं काज. पाताळींचें आधिपत्य — ते तों मानिती विपत्य. योगसिद्धिसार — ज्यासि वाटे तें असार. मोक्षायेवढें सुख — सुख नव्हे चि तें दुःख. तुकाराम म्हणतां — हरीविण — त्यासि अवघा वाटे सिण.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| परमेष्ठिपदा तुच्छ करिती सर्वदा | "paramēṣṭhi-pada — tuccha always" |
| हें चि ज्यांचें धन सदा हरीचें स्मरण | "dhana — Hari-smaraṇa" |
| इंद्रपदादिक भोग भोग नव्हे तो भवरोग | "indra-pada-bhōga — bhava-rōga" |
| सार्वभौमराज्य त्यांसि कांहीं नाहीं काज | "sārvabhauma-rājya — no use" |
| पाताळींचें आधिपत्य ते तों मानिती विपत्य | "pātāḷa-ādhipatya — vipatya" |
| योगसिद्धिसार ज्यासि वाटे तें असार | "yoga-siddhi-sāra — asāra" |
| मोक्षायेवढें सुख सुख नव्हे चि तें दुःख | "mokṣa sukha — duḥkha" |
| हरीविण त्यासि अवघा वाटे सिण | "without Hari — all siṇa" |
What it means
A famous six-fold-rejection-of-everything-other-than-Hari abhang. Systematic rejection of all classical-spiritual-attainments in favor of Hari-smaraṇa-alone. Seven claims:
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परमेष्ठिपदा — तुच्छ करिती सर्वदा — हें चि ज्यांचें धन — सदा हरीचें स्मरण — paramēṣṭhi-pada — tuccha — dhana — Hari-smaraṇa. The opening-claim: paramēṣṭhi-pada (Brahmā's-seat, the highest cosmic-position)— they treat astuccha(trifling) always; this — is theirdhana(wealth): sadā Hari-smaraṇa (always Hari's-remembrance).Brahmā's-seat-rejected; Hari-smaraṇa-as-only-wealth.
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इंद्रपदादिक भोग — भोग नव्हे तो भवरोग — indra-pada-bhōga — bhava-rōga. The Indra-rejection: indra-pada-bhōga (the enjoyments of Indra-position, the king-of-gods' pleasures);not bhōga (enjoyment) — but bhava-rōga (samsāra-disease).Indra's-pleasures-are-samsāra-disease.
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सार्वभौमराज्य — त्यांसि कांहीं नाहीं काज — sārvabhauma-rājya — no use. The universal-emperor's-kingdom (the highest-earthly-rule) — they have no use for it.Earthly-emperorship-rejected.
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पाताळींचें आधिपत्य — ते तों मानिती विपत्य — pātāḷa-ādhipatya — vipatya. The lordship ofpātāḷa(the lower-realms / the underworld) — they consider it vipatya (calamity).Underworld-lordship-rejected.
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योगसिद्धिसार — ज्यासि वाटे तें असार — yoga-siddhi-sāra — asāra. The essence ofyoga-siddhi(yogic-perfections, the eight-siddhis) — to them seems asāra (without-essence).Yogic-perfections-rejected.
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मोक्षायेवढें सुख — सुख नव्हे चि तें दुःख — mokṣa-sukha — duḥkha. Thesukhaequal tomokṣa — notsukhabutduḥkha. Even-mokṣa-is-duḥkha-without-Hari. (Compare 0534 mokṣa-kāmṭāḷā; same priority but here in the rejection-list.)
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तुका म्हणे हरीविण — त्यासि अवघा वाटे सिण — Tuka says: without Hari — all siṇa. Tuka says: withoutHari — all feelssiṇa(weariness, fatigue, exhaustion) to them. Without-Hari-all-is-weariness. Final-priority-claim.
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For someone today
Tukaram runs down the whole ladder of worldly and spiritual ambition here: Brahma's throne, Indra's pleasures, ruling the whole earth, lordship over the underworld, yogic powers, even liberation itself. He calls all of it trifling next to simply remembering Hari. He is not saying these things are evil, only that without Hari they turn into disease, calamity, or exhaustion, while constant remembrance is the one real wealth. So when you catch yourself chasing status, power, or spiritual achievement for its own sake, ask what it is worth if it leaves God out.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे मोठमोठ्या मिळकतींची यादीच नाकारतात — ब्रह्मदेवाचं पद, इंद्राची सुखं, सार्वभौम राज्य, पाताळाचं आधिपत्य, योगसिद्धी आणि अगदी मोक्षसुद्धा — आणि म्हणतात की हरीच्या स्मरणाशिवाय हे सगळं तुच्छ आहे. या गोष्टी वाईट आहेत असं ते म्हणत नाहीत; पण हरीशिवाय त्या रोग, संकट किंवा थकवाच बनतात, आणि सतत हरीचं स्मरण हीच खरी संपत्ती आहे. त्यामुळे जेव्हा तुम्ही प्रतिष्ठा, सत्ता किंवा आध्यात्मिक प्रगतीच्या मागे धावत असाल, तेव्हा विचारा — यात देव नसेल तर याची किंमत काय?
Where this applies
- Paramēṣṭhi trifling. Cosmic-rejection.
- Indra-bhōga = bhava-rōga. Disease-not-enjoyment.
- Mokṣa=duḥkha. Bhakti-priority.
- Without Hari — siṇa. Final-priority.