संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 595 of 4582

Abhanga 595

English: Kharī sevā — what bhaya — jīva?

When true sevā gives no fear to jīva — and you have to recognize this register
When vāda with the svāmī gives more-and-more ānanda — and you accept this paradox
When dharma bears the varma — and you receive this rule

The verse

ज्याची खरी सेवा । त्याच्या भय काय जीवा ॥१॥ करितां स्वामीसवें वाद । अधिक अधिक आनंद ॥ध्रु.॥. असावा तो धर्म । मग साहों जातें वर्म ॥२॥ वदे वाग्देवी । तुका विठ्ठली गौरवी ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Kharī sevā — what bhaya — jīva? Svāmī-vāda — adhika-adhika ānanda. Dharma should be — then sāhōm — varma. Vāg-dēvī speaks — Tuka praises Viṭṭhalā.

मराठी: ज्याची खरी सेवा — त्याच्या भय काय जीवा?. करितां स्वामीसवें वाद — अधिक अधिक आनंद. असावा तो धर्म — मग साहों जातें वर्म. तुकाराम म्हणतां — वदे वाग्देवी — तुका विठ्ठली गौरवी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
ज्याची खरी सेवा "whose kharī sevā"
त्याच्या भय काय जीवा "what bhaya — jīva?"
करितां स्वामीसवें वाद "svāmī-with — vāda"
अधिक अधिक आनंद "adhika-adhika ānanda"
असावा तो धर्म "dharma should be"
मग साहों जातें वर्म "then — sāhōm — varma"
वदे वाग्देवी "vāg-dēvī speaks"
तुका विठ्ठली गौरवी "Tuka praises Viṭṭhalā"

What it means

A true-sevā-no-fear-vāda-with-svāmī-ānanda abhang. Confidence-of-true-bhakta register. Three claims:

  1. ज्याची खरी सेवा — त्याच्या भय काय जीवा — kharī sevā — bhaya — jīva. The opening-no-fear-claim: one whose sevā is kharī (true, real, genuine); what bhaya (fear) can his jīva (life-soul) have? True-sevā-removes-jīva-fear.

  2. करितां स्वामीसवें वाद — अधिक अधिक आनंद — svāmī-vāda — adhika-adhika ānanda. The vāda-claim: doing vāda (debate, contention, argument) with the svāmī; adhika-adhika ānanda (more-and-more joy). Vāda-with-deva-gives-increasing-joy*. (This is a striking-claim: arguing-with-the-deva-is-bhakti-not-irreverence; the relationship-is-strong-enough-to-bear-debate-and-the-debate-itself-is-joy.)

  3. असावा तो धर्म — मग साहों जातें वर्म — वदे वाग्देवी — तुका विठ्ठली गौरवी — dharma should be — sāhōm — varma — vāg-dēvī speaks — Tuka praises Viṭṭhalā. The dharma-and-vāg-dēvī-claim: the dharma (rule) should be there; then the varma (sore-spot, vital-point) will be sāhōm jātē (will-be-borne, will-tolerate); vāg-dēvī (speech-goddess, Sarasvatī) speaks; Tuka gauravī (praises) Viṭṭhalā. With-dharma, even-the-varma-can-be-borne; the speech-goddess-herself speaks-the-praise-of-Viṭṭhalā.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the true-sevā-no-fear-vāda-with-svāmī register:

  1. True sevā* removes jīva-fear. Kharī sevā — bhaya nakō. Genuine-bhakti-removes-fear-of-life. Confidence-of-true-bhakta*.

  2. Vāda with the svāmī* gives more ānanda. Svāmī-vāda — adhika ānanda. Arguing-with-deva-is-bhakti-itself; the debate is joyful. Vāda-as-bhakti-mode*.

  3. With dharma, even the varma* is borne. Dharma — sāhōm varma. When the rule is followed, even the sore-spot can be tolerated. Dharma-bears-the-pain*.

  4. Vāg-dēvī speaks; Tuka praises Viṭṭhalā. Vāg-dēvī — Tuka — Viṭṭhalā gauravī. The bhakti-speech is itself the speech-goddess's. Speech-as-divine-channel*.

For today: true sevā gives no fear to jīva; vāda with the svāmī gives more-and-more ānanda; with dharma, even the varma is borne; the speech-goddess speaks Tukaram's praise.

This abhang is Tukaram's true-sevā-vāda-with-deva register — the bhakta's-debate-with-the-deva-is-joyful. Compare 0529 why-no-word-from-You; same protest-mode but here named-as-vāda-with-ānanda. The adhika-adhika-ānanda claim is striking: the more-the-debate, the more-the-joy.

मराठी: ही ओवी true-sevā-no-fear-vāda-with-svāmī register नाव सांगते:

  1. Kharī sevā jīva-fear remove करते. Kharī sevā — bhaya नको. Genuine-bhakti-life-fear-remove. True-bhakta च confidence*.

  2. Svāmī सोबत vāda अधिक ānanda. Svāmī-vāda — adhika ānanda. देवासोबत-argue-bhakti-स्वतःच; debate joyful. Vāda-as-bhakti-mode*.

  3. Dharma असेल तर varma सुद्धा borne. Dharma — sāhōm varma. Rule follow असेल तर sore-spot सुद्धा tolerable. Dharma-pain-bears*.

  4. Vāg-dēvī बोलते; Tuka Viṭṭhalā gaurava. Vāg-dēvī — Tuka — Viṭṭhalā gauravī. Bhakti-speech speech-goddess-स्वतःची. Speech-divine-channel*.

आज: True sevā jīva-no-fear; Svāmī-vāda more-and-more ānanda; Dharma सोबत varma borne; Speech-goddess Tukaram च praise बोलते.

Tukaram च-true-sevā-vāda-with-deva-register — Bhakta-debate-with-देव-joyful. 0529 why-no-word-from-You compare; तीच protest-mode पण इथे vāda-with-ānanda म्हणून named. Adhika-adhika-ānanda claim striking: more-debate, more-joy.

Where this applies

Bhakti dharma-bears-the-varma

Related verses