Abhanga 656
English: Listen, Pāṇḍuranga, one word — something to say in private — if samcita itself saves us, then what is Your ucita (due)?
The verse
ऐक पांडुरंगा एक मात । कांहीं बोलणें आहे एकांत । आम्हां जरी तारील संचित । तरी उचित काय तुझें ॥१॥ उसनें फेडितां धर्म तो कोण । काय तया मानवेल जन । काय गा मिरवूनि भूषण । वांयां थोरपण जनांमध्यें ॥ध्रु.॥ अन्न जरी न मिळे तयासी देणें । आगांतुक पात्र उचित दान । उपकार तरी धनमंत्रीपणें । जरी देणेंघेणें नाहीं आशा ॥२॥ शूर तों तयासी बोलिजे जाणा । पाठीशीं घालूनि राखे दीना । पार पुण्य नाहीं त्या भूषणा । ऐक नारायणा वचन हें ॥३॥ आतां पुढें बोलणें तें काई । मज तारिसी तरी च सही । वचन आपुलें सिद्धी नेई । तुका म्हणे तई मज कळसी ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Listen, Pāṇḍuranga, one word — something to say in private — if samcita itself saves us, then what is Your ucita (due)? Paying-back-borrowed — what dharma is that? — will people praise that? — what's the parading of ornament — vain greatness in the public? If food is not gotten, give to that-one — the āgāntuka (newcomer) is the ucita-pātra for dāna — upakāra even with money-and-counsel — only when there's no āśā of give-take. Śūra — know — is he who puts the dīna on his back and protects — no equal puṇya to that bhūṣaṇa — listen, Nārāyaṇa, this word. Now what more to say? — only if You save me will it be sahī (true) — take Your word to siddhi — Tuka says: only-then You-are-known to me.
मराठी: ऐक Pāṇḍuranga, एक मात — एकांत — बोलणें आहे — samcita च जर तारील — तर तुझें ucita काय?. उसनें फेडितां — तो धर्म कोण? — लोक मानवतील? — भूषण मिरवून थोरपणा वांयां. अन्न न मिळणाऱ्याला देणें — आगांतुक उचित-पात्र — उपकार धन-मंत्री-पणें — जर देणे-घेणे आशा नाही. शूर — पाठीशीं दीन रक्षणें — त्या भूषणाला पुण्य पार नाही — Nārāyaṇa, ऐक. आतां पुढें काय? — मज तारिसी तरी च सही — वचन सिद्धी नेई — Tuka म्हणे: तई मज कळसी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐक पांडुरंगा एक मात | "aika Pāṇḍurangā — one māta (word)" |
| कांहीं बोलणें आहे एकांत | "ēkānta — private — to-say" |
| आम्हां जरी तारील संचित | "if samcita — saves us" |
| तरी उचित काय तुझें | "then ucita (due) — what — Yours?" |
| उसनें फेडितां धर्म तो कोण | "usanē phēḍitām (paying-back-borrowed) — what dharma?" |
| काय गा मिरवूनि भूषण | "what — miravūni (parading) — bhūṣaṇa?" |
| अन्न जरी न मिळे तयासी देणें | "if anna not-gotten — give to that-one" |
| आगांतुक पात्र उचित दान | "āgāntuka (newcomer) — ucita-pātra — dāna" |
| उपकार तरी धनमंत्रीपणें | "upakāra — dhana-mantrīpaṇē (with money-counsel)" |
| जरी देणेंघेणें नाहीं आशा | "if dēṇē-ghēṇē (give-take) — no āśā" |
| शूर तों तयासी बोलिजे जाणा | "śūra — he is called — know!" |
| पाठीशीं घालूनि राखे दीना | "pāṭhīśīm ghālūni (on-the-back) — rākhē dīna" |
| पार पुण्य नाहीं त्या भूषणा | "pāra-puṇya none — to that bhūṣaṇa" |
| मज तारिसी तरी च सही | "save me — only-then — sahī (true)" |
| वचन आपुलें सिद्धी नेई | "vacana — Your — to siddhi — take" |
| तुका म्हणे तई मज कळसी | "Tuka says: taī — to me kaḷasī (You-are-known)" |
What it means
A eka-māta-samcita-vs-tujhē-ucita-śūra-dīna-pāṭhīśīm-rākhē-mā-tāriśī-tarī-ca-sahī abhang. Bhakta-puts-Pāṇḍuranga-on-the-spot register. Five claims:
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ऐक Pāṇḍurangā एक मात — एकांत — samcita च जर तारील तर तुझें ucita काय? — aika Pāṇḍurangā ēka māta — ēkānta — if samcita saves, what's Your ucita?. The opening-private-word-claim: Listen, Pāṇḍuranga, one word — to say in private (ēkānta); if our own samcita (accumulated good karma) itself saves us — then what is ucita (the right-share, the due, the proper-claim) of Yours?. If-samcita-saves-by-itself-then-Your-saving-grace-has-no-place. Bhakta-argues-grace-must-exceed-karma-balance-for-divine-glory-to-mean-anything.
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उसनें फेडितां धर्म कोण — मानवेल जन — भूषण मिरवून थोरपणा वांयां — paying-back-borrowed what dharma — will people praise — parading ornament vain greatness. The paying-back-borrowed-claim: if you only pay back what was already borrowed (= what was already due as samcita-fruit), what dharma (merit, righteous-act) is that?; will people mānavēla (praise, accept-as-noble) such an act?; what's the use of miravūni bhūṣaṇa (parading-ornament) — vāyām thōrapaṇa (vain greatness) in the public?. Mere-karma-payback-isn't-divine-dharma-it's-vain.
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अन्न न-मिळणाऱ्याला देणें — आगांतुक उचित-पात्र — उपकार धन-मंत्री-पणें — आशा नाही — give to one without food — newcomer is right-recipient — favor with money-counsel — when no āśā. The true-dāna-claim: if anna (food) is not-gotten by someone, give to that-one; the āgāntuka (newcomer, the unannounced-stranger) is the ucita-pātra (right-recipient) for dāna; upakāra (favor, beneficence) is real only when given by dhana-mantrīpaṇē (money-and-counsel) and only when there's no dēṇē-ghēṇē (give-take, transactional-exchange) of āśā (expectation). Real-dāna-is-to-the-stranger-without-expectation. (This is a precise dāna-doctrine* statement.)
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शूर — पाठीशीं दीन — रक्षणें — पार-पुण्य त्या भूषणाला नाही — Nārāyaṇa, ऐक — śūra — dīna on back — protects — no equal puṇya to that ornament — listen, Nārāyaṇa. The śūra-claim: the śūra (hero, brave-one) — bōlijē jāṇā (is-called, know!) — is he who pāṭhīśīm ghālūni rākhē dīna (puts the dīna (poor-helpless) on his own back and protects); no equal-puṇya to that bhūṣaṇa (adornment); listen, Nārāyaṇa, this word. True-śūra-protects-the-dīna; this-is-the-greatest-puṇya. (And by implication: Pāṇḍuranga must be this śūra — must put Tuka the dīna on His back.)
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आतां पुढें काय? — मज तारिसी तरी च सही — वचन सिद्धी नेई — Tuka म्हणे: तई मज कळसी — what more — only if save me sahī — take vacana to siddhi — Tuka says: only-then known to me. The closing-only-if-saving-makes-You-known-claim: now what more to say?; only if You save me will it be sahī (genuine, the-real-thing, the seal-of-truth); take Your vacana (word, promise) to siddhi (fulfillment, accomplishment); Tuka says: only-then (taī) You-are-known (kaḷasī) to me. Saving-Tuka-is-the-test-of-Your-promise-only-then-You-are-known-to-the-bhakta. Final-demand.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the bhakta-puts-Pāṇḍuranga-on-the-spot register:
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If samcita itself saves us, what's Your ucita? Samcita tārīla — tujhē ucita kāya?. If accumulated-karma alone saves, divine grace has no part; the bhakta argues for grace-beyond-karma. Grace-must-exceed-karma.
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Paying-back-borrowed isn't dharma — vain ornament. Usanē phēḍitām — dharma na — vain bhūṣaṇa. Mere-karma-balance is not divine-dharma; it's vain-display. Dharma-must-exceed-debt-payback.
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True dāna: to the āgāntuka without āśā. Anna-na-miḷē — āgāntuka — āśā-nāhīm. Real giving is to the unannounced-stranger without expectation of give-take. Dāna-doctrine.
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Śūra puts dīna on his back; no equal puṇya. Śūra — pāṭhīśīm dīna — pāra-puṇya nāhīm. True heroism is protecting the dīna by carrying-on-one's-back; no equal merit. Hero-image. (Implication: Pāṇḍuranga, You must be this śūra.)
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Only if You save me will it be sahī; only-then You-are-known to me. Mā-tāriśī tarī ca sahī — taī maja kaḷasī. The bhakta makes saving-Tuka the test of the divine-promise's truth; only-then is Pāṇḍuranga known-to-the-bhakta. Final-demand.
For today: if karma-balance saves, grace has no part — the bhakta argues for grace-beyond-balance; paying-back-borrowed isn't dharma; mere-merit-balance is vain; real dāna is to the āgāntuka without āśā; true śūra protects the dīna on his back; only if You save me will Your vacana be true — only-then You-are-known.
This abhang is Tukaram's eka-māta-private-argument-with-Pāṇḍuranga register — one of the boldest grace-vs-karma-arguments. Compare 0654 bahu-jācalōm-samsārī; same petition-frame but here with the dharma-of-grace argument rather than the dīna-petition. The taī maja kaḷasī (only-then You-are-known) is a striking demand: knowing-Pāṇḍuranga depends on Pāṇḍuranga's-saving-act.
मराठी: ही ओवी bhakta-puts-Pāṇḍuranga-on-the-spot register नाव सांगते:
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Samcita च जर तारील तर तुझें ucita काय? Samcita-vs-Your-ucita. Karma-च-जर-saves तर grace-ला place नाही; bhakta grace-beyond-karma साठी argue.
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Usanē phēḍitām — dharma नाही — vain bhūṣaṇa. Borrowed-payback — not-dharma — vain-display. Mere-balance-is-vain.
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True dāna: āgāntuka without āśā. Anna-na-miḷē — āgāntuka — āśā-नाहीं. Real-giving stranger ला, expectation न-घेता. Dāna-doctrine.
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Śūra पाठीशीं दीन — पार-पुण्य नाही. Śūra-image. True-hero दीन ला पाठीशीं घेऊन रक्षण; equal-puṇya नाही. (Implication: Pāṇḍuranga, You must be this śūra.)
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मज तारिसी तरी च सही — तई मज कळसी. Final-demand. Saving-Tuka वर divine-promise चं truth depend; only-then Pāṇḍuranga bhakta-ला known.
आज: Karma-balance saves तर grace ला place नाही — bhakta grace-beyond-balance साठी argue; Borrowed-payback dharma नाही, mere-balance vain; Real dāna āgāntuka ला, āśā न-घेता; True śūra dīna ला पाठीशीं रक्षण; Only-if-You-save-me your vacana true — taī You-are-known.
Tukaram च-eka-māta-private-argument-with-Pāṇḍuranga-register — Boldest grace-vs-karma-arguments पैकी एक. 0654 bahu-jācalōm-samsārī compare; तीच petition-frame पण इथे dharma-of-grace argument rather-than-dīna-petition सोबत. Taī maja kaḷasī (only-then-You-are-known) striking demand: knowing-Pāṇḍuranga Pāṇḍuranga च्या saving-act वर depend.
Where this applies
- Samcita tārīla — ucita kāya? Grace-beyond-karma.
- Usanē phēḍitām — dharma na. Beyond-balance.
- Āgāntuka — *ucita-pātra.* Dāna-doctrine.
- Śūra — pāṭhīśīm dīna — *rākhē.* Hero-image.
- Mā-tāriśī tarī ca sahī — *taī maja kaḷasī.* Final-demand.