संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 657 of 4582

Abhanga 657

English: Auspicious nāma, beautiful rūpa — eyes cool, tāpa (heat) is-removed — Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal this japa — pragaṭa (manifest), svalpa (brief), atisāra (supremely-essence).

When Viṭṭhal-japa is the manifest-brief-supreme-essence — and you have to recognize this register

When the nāma is the final-hour-arrow — and you accept this image

When now-the-khaṇḍa-must-be — Tuka prostrates — and you receive this final petition

The verse

चांगलें नाम गोमटें रूप । निवती डोळे हरती ताप । विठ्ठल विठ्ठल हा जप । प्रगट स्वल्प । अति सार ॥१॥ शस्त्र हे निर्वाणींचा बाण । निकट समय अवसान । कोठें योजेल दश दान । खंडी नारायण दुःख चिंतनें ॥ध्रु.॥ सकळ श्रेष्ठांचें मत । पावे सिद्धी पाववी अनंत । म्हणोनि व्हावें शरणागत । आहे उचित एवढें चि ॥२॥ म्हणोनि रुसलों संसारा । सर्प विखार हा पांढरा । तुजशीं अंतर रे दातारा । या चि दावेदारानिमत्ति ॥३॥ येणें मज भोगविल्या खाणी । नसतां छंद लाविला मनीं । माजलों मी माझे भ्रमणीं । जाली बोडणी विटंबना ॥४॥ पावलों केलियाचा दंड । खाणी भोगिविल्या उदंड । आतां केला पाहिजे खंड । तुका दंडवत घाली देवा ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Auspicious nāma, beautiful rūpa — eyes cool, tāpa (heat) is-removed — Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal this japa — pragaṭa (manifest), svalpa (brief), atisāra (supremely-essence). Śastra — the final-hour-arrow — close-time-of-end — where will ten-dānas (then) go? — Nārāyaṇa breaks duḥkha by cintana (remembrance). All Highest's mata: that-makes-siddhi, anaṇta causes-it; therefore become śaraṇāgata — that's the only ucita. So I sulk-at samsāra — this whitened-sarpa-vikhāra — distance-from-You, Giver — by-reason-of-this-claimant. (Samsāra) made-me-experience the khāṇī; set-a-non-existent-chanda in mind; I went-mad-in-my-wandering; bōḍaṇī viṭambanā (a complete-mockery) happened. Received the daṇḍa of what-was-done; was-made-to-experience-many-khāṇī; now must-be the khaṇḍa — Tuka daṇḍavata (prostrates) to deva.

मराठी: नाम-चांगलें — रूप-गोमटें — डोळे निवतात, ताप हरतो — Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal हा जप — pragaṭa, svalpa, atisāra. Nirvāṇa-च्या वेळी हा शस्त्र-बाण — दश-दान कुठें योजेल? — Nārāyaṇa चिंतनाने दुःख खंडतो. सकळ श्रेष्ठांचें मत — सिद्धी देणारा अनन्त — म्हणून शरणागत व्हावें — हें च उचित. म्हणून संसार वर रुसलों — हा पांढरा सर्प-विखार — दातार, तुजशीं अंतर — या दावेदारानिमित्ति. खाणी भोगायला लावल्या — नसतां छंद मनीं — माझ्या भ्रमणीं माजलो — bōḍaṇī विटंबना झाली. केल्याचा दंड पावलों — खाणी उदंड — आतां खंड पाहिजे — Tuka दंडवत घाली देवा.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
चांगलें नाम गोमटें रूप	"auspicious nāma — beautiful rūpa"
निवती डोळे हरती ताप	"eyes cool — tāpa (heat) is-removed"
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल हा जप	"Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal — this japa"
प्रगट स्वल्प अति सार	"pragaṭa — svalpa — atisāra"
शस्त्र हे निर्वाणींचा बाण	"śastra — nirvāṇīmcā bāṇa (final-arrow)"
कोठें योजेल दश दान	"daśa-dāna — where would-go?"
खंडी नारायण दुःख चिंतनें	"Nārāyaṇa breaks duḥkha by cintana"
सकळ श्रेष्ठांचें मत	"all Highest's mata"
व्हावें शरणागत	"to-be śaraṇāgata"
आहे उचित एवढें चि	"this-much only is ucita"
रुसलों संसारा	"have-sulked at samsāra"
सर्प विखार हा पांढरा	"this whitened-sarpa-vikhāra (snake-poison)"
तुजशीं अंतर रे दातारा	"distance from You, Giver"
दावेदारानिमत्ति	"by-reason-of-this-claimant"
येणें मज भोगविल्या खाणी	"(this) made me experience the khāṇī (wombs / kinds)"
नसतां छंद लाविला मनीं	"set non-existent chanda (passion) in mind"
जाली बोडणी विटंबना	"became bōḍaṇī viṭambanā (mockery, ridicule)"
पावलों केलियाचा दंड	"received the daṇḍa of what-was-done"
आतां केला पाहिजे खंड	"now must-be the khaṇḍa (breaking)"
तुका दंडवत घाली देवा	"Tuka daṇḍavata (prostrates) to deva"

What it means

A Viṭṭhal-japa-final-arrow-samsāra-snake-poison-Tuka-daṇḍavata abhang. Nāma-as-final-weapon-and-confession-of-samsāra-deceit register. Five claims:

नाम चांगलें — रूप गोमटें — डोळे निव — ताप हर — Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal japa — pragaṭa-svalpa-atisāra — auspicious nāma, beautiful rūpa, eyes cool, tāpa removed, Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal japa — manifest-brief-supreme-essence. The opening-japa-claim: the nāma is auspicious, the rūpa is beautiful; eyes-are-cooled, tāpa-is-removed; Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal this is the japa; pragaṭa (manifest), svalpa (brief), atisāra (supremely-essential). Manifest-brief-essence-japa.
Nirvāṇa-arrow — daśa-dāna doesn't go — Nārāyaṇa-cintana breaks duḥkha — śastra at nirvāṇa-hour — daśa-dāna no place — Nārāyaṇa breaks duḥkha by cintana. The final-hour-arrow-claim: the śastra (weapon) is the nirvāṇīmcā bāṇa (arrow at the final-hour); the niḍūta samaya avasāna (close-time-of-end); daśa-dāna (the ten-elaborate-dānas) — where-would-they-go (= are useless then)?; Nārāyaṇa breaks duḥkha by cintana (remembrance). At-the-final-hour-only-the-nāma-arrow-works-not-elaborate-dāna*.
All Highest's mata — śaraṇāgata — this only ucita — all Highest's mata — śaraṇāgata — this only ucita. The consensus-claim: all Highest's mata (consensus, opinion); one becomes-siddhi — anaṇta makes-it-so; therefore one must become śaraṇāgata (refuge-given); this only is ucita (right). Surrender-is-the-only-right-thing*.
I sulked at samsāra — pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra — distance from You, Giver — rusalōm samsārā — pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra — antara dātārā. The whitened-snake-poison-claim: I have-sulked at samsāra; (samsāra is) the pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra (whitened, deceptive-looking snake-poison — looks-pure-but-is-poison); gives me antara (distance) from You, Giver; by-reason-of-this-dāvēdāra (claimant). Samsāra-as-whitened-snake-poison-creates-distance-from-deva*.
भोगविल्या-खाणी — नसतां-छंद मनीं — माजलों — bōḍaṇī विटंबना — पावलों दंड — आतां खंड पाहिजे — Tuka दंडवत — experienced-khāṇī — non-existent chanda in mind — went-mad-in-wandering — bōḍaṇī viṭambanā — received daṇḍa — now-khaṇḍa-needed — Tuka daṇḍavata. The closing-confession-and-prostration: (samsāra) made-me-experience the khāṇī (wombs / species); set a non-existent chanda (passion) in the mind; I went-mad in my-wandering; bōḍaṇī viṭambanā happened (complete-mockery, ritual-disgrace); received the daṇḍa of what-was-done; now must-be the khaṇḍa (breaking, severance); Tuka daṇḍavata (prostrates) to deva. Confession-of-samsāra-deception-and-Tuka-prostration.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Viṭṭhal-japa-final-arrow-Tuka-daṇḍavata register:

Auspicious nāma, beautiful rūpa; Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal japa is pragaṭa-svalpa-atisāra. Nāma-rūpa cool the eyes and remove tāpa; the Viṭṭhal-japa is manifest, brief, supreme-essence. Japa-priority.
Nirvāṇa-arrow; Nārāyaṇa-cintana breaks duḥkha; daśa-dāna no place there. Final-hour the only-weapon is the nāma; ten-dānas have no place; remembrance-breaks-duḥkha. Final-hour-recognition.
All Highest's mata: śaraṇāgata is the only ucita. Surrender-consensus; this alone is right. Surrender-priority.
Samsāra is the whitened snake-poison; creates distance from the Giver. Pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra. Samsāra looks-pure-but-is-poison; the bhakta sulks at samsāra for separating-them-from-the-Giver. Samsāra-as-deceit.
Daṇḍa received; khaṇḍa needed; Tuka daṇḍavata. Daṇḍa — khaṇḍa — daṇḍavata. Punishment-of-what-was-done received; now severance is needed; Tuka prostrates to deva. Prostration-confession.

For today: the japa of the manifest-brief-supreme-essence-nāma cools the eyes; at-the-final-hour only-the-nāma-arrow works; all consensus says: become śaraṇāgata; samsāra is the whitened-snake-poison creating distance from the Giver; receive the daṇḍa; ask for the khaṇḍa; prostrate.

This abhang is Tukaram's japa-and-confession-and-prostration register — concentrated five-fold petition. Compare 0654 bahu-jācalōm-samsārī; same petition-frame but here with the japa-as-final-arrow image. The pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra (whitened-snake-poison) image for samsāra is striking — it looks-auspicious-but-is-poison.

मराठी: ही ओवी Viṭṭhal-japa-final-arrow-Tuka-daṇḍavata register नाव सांगते:

Nāma चांगलें, रूप गोमटें; Viṭṭhal-japa pragaṭa-svalpa-atisāra. Japa-priority. Nāma-rūpa डोळे निव-तात आणि ताप हरतो; manifest-brief-supreme-essence.
Nirvāṇa-arrow; Nārāyaṇa-cintana ने दुःख खंडतो; दश-दान तेथें नाही. Final-hour-recognition. अंतकाळी फक्त nāma-arrow; daśa-dāna ला place नाही.
सकळ-श्रेष्ठांचें मत: śaraṇāgata-च-ucita. Surrender-priority.
Samsāra पांढरा सर्प-विखार; दातारा पासून अंतर. Samsāra-as-deceit. पांढरा सर्प-विखार — looks-pure-but-poison.
दंड पावलों; आतां खंड; Tuka दंडवत. Prostration-confession. केल्याचा दंड received; आतां severance पाहिजे; Tuka दंडवत.

आज: Manifest-brief-essence-nāma japa डोळे निव-तो; Final-hour फक्त nāma-arrow; सकळ-consensus: śaraṇāgata; Samsāra पांढरा-snake-poison Giver-पासून-distance; Daṇḍa receive करा; khaṇḍa माग; प्रोस्ट्रेट.

Tukaram च-japa-confession-prostration-register — Concentrated five-fold petition. 0654 bahu-jācalōm-samsārī compare; तीच petition-frame पण इथे japa-as-final-arrow image सोबत. Pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra image striking — auspicious-दिसणारं पण poison-असणारं.

Where this applies

Viṭṭhal-japa — atisāra. Japa-priority.
Nirvāṇa-bāṇa — *Nārāyaṇa-cintana.* Final-hour.
Samsāra — pāṇḍharā sarpa-vikhāra*. Samsāra-as-deceit.
Tuka daṇḍavata*. Prostration-confession.