संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 597 of 4582

Abhanga 597

English: Nāma — sāra-of-sāra — śaraṇāgata yama-kinkara.

When nāma is the essence of essence — and you have to recognize this register
When even Śiva japs the nāma; even the fisherman Vālmīki crossed — and you accept these examples
When Viṭhōbā's feet alone save — and you receive this closing

The verse

नाम साराचें ही सार । शरणागत यमकिंकर ॥१॥ उतमातम । वाचे बोला पुरुषोत्तम ॥ध्रु.॥. नाम जपतां चंद्रमौळी । नामें तरला वाल्हा कोळी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे वणूप काय । तारक विठोबाचे पाय ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Nāma — sāra-of-sāra — śaraṇāgata yama-kinkara. Utama-uttama — vāca speak Puruṣōttama. Cāndra-mauḷī japs — Vālhā-kōḷī saved by nāma. Tuka says: what to praise? — Viṭhōbā feet — tāraka.

मराठी: नाम साराचें ही सार — शरणागत यमकिंकर. उतमातम — वाचे बोला पुरुषोत्तम. नाम जपतां चंद्रमौळी — नामें तरला वाल्हा कोळी. तुकाराम म्हणतां — वणूप काय — तारक विठोबाचे पाय.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
नाम साराचें ही सार "nāma — sāra-of-sāra"
शरणागत यमकिंकर "śaraṇāgata — yama-kinkara"
उतमातम "utama-uttama"
वाचे बोला पुरुषोत्तम "vāca speak — Puruṣōttama"
नाम जपतां चंद्रमौळी "Cāndra-mauḷī japs nāma"
नामें तरला वाल्हा कोळी "Vālhā-kōḷī — saved by nāma"
तारक विठोबाचे पाय "Viṭhōbā feet — tāraka"

What it means

A nāma-is-sāra-of-sāra-Vālhā-kōḷī-saved abhang. Nāma-priority register with classical-examples. Three claims:

  1. नाम साराचें ही सार — शरणागत यमकिंकर — nāma — sāra-of-sāra — śaraṇāgata yama-kinkara. The opening-essence-claim: nāma is the sāra of sāra (the essence-of-essence); it makes one śaraṇāgata (refuge-given-to) before the yama-kinkara (Yama's-servants). Even-Yama-takes-refuge-before-the-nāma. Nāma-supreme-essence*.

  2. उतमातम — वाचे बोला पुरुषोत्तम — utama-uttama — vāca speak Puruṣōttama. The vāca-rule: utama-uttama (best-of-best); by vāca speak Puruṣōttama (Supreme-Person). Speak-the-best-name-with-the-best-vāca*.

  3. नाम जपतां चंद्रमौळी — नामें तरला वाल्हा कोळी — तुका म्हणे वणूप काय — तारक विठोबाचे पाय — Cāndra-mauḷī japs — Vālhā-kōḷī saved — what to praise? — Viṭhōbā feet — tāraka. The classical-examples-and-closing-claim: Cāndra-mauḷī (Śiva, who has the moon on his head) himself japs the nāma; by the nāma, Vālhā-kōḷī (Vālmīki the fisherman, the future-author of the Rāmāyaṇa) taralā (was-crossed, was-saved); Tuka says: what to praise (vaṇūpa kāya)?; Viṭhōbā's pāyā (feet) are tāraka (saving, ferry-bringing). Even-Śiva-japs; even-Vālmīki-the-fisherman-was-saved; how-much-more-Viṭhōbā's-feet-save. (The Vālhā-kōḷī reference: Vālmīki was a fisherman / hunter who became a sage by repeating Rāma-Rāma — the standard-example of nāma-power transforming the lowliest.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the nāma-is-sāra-of-sāra-Vālhā-kōḷī-saved register:

  1. Nāma is the essence-of-essence; even Yama-servants make one śaraṇāgata. Nāma sāra-cē sāra. The nāma is the supreme essence; Yama himself defers to it. Nāma-priority*.

  2. Speak Puruṣōttama* — best of best. Vāca — Puruṣōttama. Use the best-vāca for the best-name. Speech-priority*.

  3. Cāndra-mauḷī japs nāma; Vālhā-kōḷī saved. Cāndra-mauḷī japs — Vālhā-kōḷī saved. Classical-examples: even Śiva japs the nāma; even-the-fisherman-Vālmīki was saved. No-status-bar-for-nāma.

  4. Viṭhōbā's feet are tāraka*. Viṭhōbā pāyā tāraka. The feet of Viṭhōbā are the ferry across samsāra. Final-saving-image*.

For today: the nāma is the supreme essence; even Yama-servants and Śiva himself defer-to-it; even-the-fisherman-Vālmīki was-saved; Viṭhōbā's feet are the ferry.

This abhang is Tukaram's nāma-priority-with-classical-examples register — invokes Śiva and Vālmīki as warrants. Compare 0535 tuṣa bāpuḍē sakaḷī kāḷa; same nāma-priority but here with classical-examples. The Vālhā-kōḷī example is a standard Vārkarī-warrant for nāma-power transforming the lowliest.

मराठी: ही ओवी nāma-is-sāra-of-sāra-Vālhā-kōḷī-saved register नाव सांगते:

  1. Nāma essence-of-essence; Yama-servants सुद्धा śaraṇāgata. Nāma sāra-cē sāra. Nāma supreme essence; Yama-स्वतः-defer. Nāma-priority*.

  2. Puruṣōttama speak — best of best. Vāca — Puruṣōttama. Best-vāca best-name साठी वापरा. Speech-priority*.

  3. Cāndra-mauḷī japs nāma; Vālhā-kōḷī saved. Cāndra-mauḷī japs — Vālhā-kōḷī saved. Classical-examples: Śiva-japs; fisherman-Vālmīki-saved. No-status-bar-for-nāma*.

  4. Viṭhōbā चे पाय tāraka. Viṭhōbā पाया तारक. Viṭhōbā च्या पायांनी samsāra पार. Final-saving-image*.

आज: Nāma supreme essence; Yama-servants आणि Śiva-स्वतः-defer; fisherman-Vālmīki-saved; Viṭhōbā च्या पायांनी ferry*.

Tukaram च-nāma-priority-with-classical-examples-register — Śiva आणि Vālmīki warrant. 0535 tuṣa bāpuḍē sakaḷī kāḷa compare; तीच nāma-priority पण इथे classical-examples. Vālhā-kōḷī example standard Vārkarī-warrant nāma-power-lowliest-transforming च.

Where this applies

Name Bhakti Pāṇḍuranga / Viṭhṭhal

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