Abhanga 583
Held in God's presence, a devotee is protected like a sealed thread that will not burn, but that same presence sees everything, so no fault can hide.
The verse
मोहोर्याच्या संगें । सुत नव्हे आगीजोगें ॥१॥ नाहीं तरी त्याचें भक्ष । काय सांगणें ते साक्ष ॥ध्रु.॥ स्वामीचिया अंगें । रूप नव्हे कोणाजोगें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे खोडी । देवमणी न देती दडी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Mōhōrā — samga — sūta — not āgī-jōgē. Otherwise — its bhakṣa — sākṣa. Svāmī-anga — rūpa — not anyone's. Tuka says: khōḍī — deva-maṇi — doesn't daḍī.
मराठी: मोहोर्याच्या संगें — सुत नव्हे आगीजोगें. नाहीं तरी त्याचें भक्ष — काय सांगणें ते साक्ष. स्वामीचिया अंगें — रूप नव्हे कोणाजोगें. तुकाराम म्हणतां — खोडी — देवमणी न देती दडी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मोहोर्याच्या संगें | "mōhōrā — samga" |
| सुत नव्हे आगीजोगें | "sūta — not āgī-jōgē" |
| नाहीं तरी त्याचें भक्ष | "otherwise — its bhakṣa" |
| काय सांगणें ते साक्ष | "what to say — sākṣa" |
| स्वामीचिया अंगें | "svāmī-anga" |
| रूप नव्हे कोणाजोगें | "rūpa — not anyone's" |
| तुका म्हणे खोडी | "khōḍī" |
| देवमणी न देती दडी | "deva-maṇi — doesn't daḍī" |
What it means
A protected-by-deva-thread-not-burned-jewel-can't-hide abhang. Two protection-images. Three claims:
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मोहोर्याच्या संगें — सुत नव्हे आगीजोगें — नाहीं तरी त्याचें भक्ष — काय सांगणें ते साक्ष — mōhōrā — samga — sūta — not āgī-jōgē — otherwise — its bhakṣa — sākṣa. The opening-thread-image: with thesamgaofmōhōrā(a sealing-substance, lac, or fire-resistant coating) — sūta (thread) is not āgī-jōgē (fit for fire = doesn't burn easily);otherwise (without the mōhōrā), what to say — the thread becomes bhakṣa (fuel-food);that's the sākṣa (proof, witness).Mōhōrā-protects-thread-from-fire; without-protection-it-burns.The bhakta-with-deva's-protection is fire-resistant; without-it-he'd-burn.
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स्वामीचिया अंगें — रूप नव्हे कोणाजोगें — svāmī-anga — rūpa — not anyone's. The svāmī's-presence-claim: by thesvāmī'sanga(body / presence) — therūpa(form) is notkōṇā-jōgē(anyone's, fit-for-anyone's-grasp). Through-the-deva's-presence, the bhakta's-form is no-one-else's. Bhakta-claimed-by-deva-not-by-anyone-else.
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तुका म्हणे खोडी — देवमणी न देती दडी — Tuka says: khōḍī — deva-maṇi — doesn't daḍī. The closing-deva-jewel-image: Tuka says: anykhōḍī(fault, defect, harm); thedeva-maṇi(deva-jewel) doesn't daḍī (give-hiding-place, allow-concealment-of-tracks).The deva-jewel reveals everything; faults can't hide.Bhakta-protected-by-deva-jewel: no-fault-can-hide-from-it. (Thedeva-maṇi image: a magic-jewel that reveals what is hidden / the deva as the self-revealing witness.)
[T]
For someone today
A thread coated with a protective seal does not catch fire the way a bare thread would, and that is proof the coating works. Tukaram says a devotee held in God's presence is protected the same way, claimed by the divine and not up for grabs by anyone else. But nothing stays hidden from that presence either, like a jewel that reveals what is concealed, God's closeness does not let faults slip by unnoticed. The protection is not an excuse to be careless; it comes bundled with being fully seen.
मराठी: मोहऱ्याने लेपलेला दोरा साध्या दोऱ्यासारखा पेटत नाही — हाच त्या लेपाच्या ताकदीचा पुरावा आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात, देवाच्या सान्निध्यात असलेला भक्तही असाच सुरक्षित असतो — तो देवाचा आहे, दुसऱ्या कोणाच्याही हातात सापडणारा नाही. पण त्या सान्निध्यापासून काहीही लपून राहत नाही — जसा एखादा मणी लपलेलं उघड करतो, तसं देवाचं जवळपण चुका लपू देत नाही. म्हणजे ही सुरक्षा बेफिकीर राहण्याचं कारण नाही; ती पूर्णपणे पाहिलं जाण्यासोबतच येते.
Where this applies
- Mōhōrā protects from fire. Bhakta-protection.
- Svāmī-anga; not anyone's. Belonging.
- Deva-maṇi reveals. No-hiding.