Abhanga 591

Tukaram reminds God of two things that give simply because giving is their nature: the wishing-tree never turns away a beggar, and the touchstone turns iron to gold out of its own inherent power, almost its own pride. If You are truly the best of all, he says, don't forget that this is Your nature too. He isn't asking for a favor so much as calling out a forgetting, complaining loudly and calling God's name until the truth of who God is wakes back up. The lesson is that real generosity, real love, doesn't need to be begged for again and again; it should simply flow because of what you are.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A kalpa-taru-doesn't-refuse-don't-forget-Your-dharma abhang. Reputation-leverage register. Three claims:

1. झाड कल्पतरू — न करी याचकीं आव्हेरू — kalpa-taru — doesn't refuse — yācaka. The opening-kalpa-taru-image: thekalpa-taru(wishing-tree, the tree-of-cosmic-wish-fulfillment) tree; doesn'tāvhērū(refuse, send-away) theyācaka(beggar / petitioner). Kalpa-taru-doesn't-refuse-anyone.

2. तुम्ही सर्वी सर्वोत्तम — ऐसे विसरतां धर्म — sarvī sarvōttama — forget — dharma. The charge-claim: You aresarvī sarvōttama(best in / among all); (yet) You forget thedharma(= the rule, the deva-dharma of granting). Best-yet-forgetful-of-Your-dharma. Reputation-charge.

3. परिसा तुमचें देणें — तो त्या जागे अभिमानें — गार्‍हाण्यानें तुका — गर्जे मारुनियां हाका — parīsa — Your giving — wakes — abhimāna — garhāṇē — Tuka — garjē — hākā. The parīsa-and-roar-claim: theparīsa(philosopher's-stone, which transmutes-iron-to-gold) — Your giving; (it) wakes byabhimāna(its honor / its-own-pride) (= the parīsa transmutes because of its-own-honor; it must give-because-of-what-it-is);with garhāṇē (complaint / lamentation), Tuka garjē (roars);striking with hākā (calls).The deva-must-give-because-He-is-deva, just-as-the-parīsa-transmutes-because-it-is-parīsa; Tuka roars-with-complaint-and-calls.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram reminds God of two things that give simply because giving is their nature: the wishing-tree never turns away a beggar, and the touchstone turns iron to gold out of its own inherent power, almost its own pride. If You are truly the best of all, he says, don't forget that this is Your nature too. He isn't asking for a favor so much as calling out a forgetting, complaining loudly and calling God's name until the truth of who God is wakes back up. The lesson is that real generosity, real love, doesn't need to be begged for again and again; it should simply flow because of what you are.

मराठी: तुकाराम देवाला दोन गोष्टींची आठवण करून देतात, ज्या केवळ आपल्या स्वभावामुळे देतात: कल्पतरू कधीही याचकाला नकार देत नाही, आणि परीस आपल्याच सामर्थ्याने, जणू आपल्याच अभिमानाने लोखंडाचे सोने करतो. जर तू खरोखर सर्वांत श्रेष्ठ आहेस, तर हा तुझाही स्वभाव आहे हे विसरू नकोस, असे ते म्हणतात. ते उपकाराची भीक मागत नाहीत, तर देवाला त्याच्या विसरलेल्या स्वभावाची जाणीव करून देत मोठ्याने हाका मारतात आणि गाऱ्हाणे मांडतात. खरी उदारता, खरे प्रेम, वारंवार मागावे लागू नये; ते जे आहे त्यातूनच सहज वाहायला हवे.

Where this applies

• Kalpa-taru doesn't refuse. Tree-nature.
• Don't forget dharma. Reputation-charge.
• Parīsa—abhimāna. Honor-binding.
• Tuka roars complaint. Loud-protest.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4497 — Tukaram describes a life so soaked in devotion that Krishna's presence fills every ordinar