Abhanga 658
English: Good?
The verse
चांगला तरी पूर्णकाम । गोड तरी याचें चि नाम । दयाळ तरी अवघा धर्म । भला तरी दासा श्रम होऊं नेदी ॥१॥ उदार तरी लक्ष्मीयेसी । जुंझार तरी कळिकाळासी । चतुर तरी गुणांची च रासी । जाणता तयासी तो एक ॥ध्रु.॥ जुनाट तरी बहु काळा । न कळे जयाची लीळा । नेणता गोवळीं गोवळा । लाघवी अवळाभुलवणा ॥२॥ गांढ्या तरी भावाचा अंकित । बराडी तरी उच्छिष्टाची प्रीत । ओंगळ तरी कुब्जेशीं रत । भ्याड अनंत बहु पापा ॥३॥ खेळतो येणें चि खेळावा । नट तो येणें चि आवगावा । लपोनि जीवीं न कळे जीवा । धरितां देवा नातुडेसी ॥४॥ उंच तरी बहुत चि उंच । नीच तरी बहुत चि नीच । तुका म्हणे बोलिलों साच । नाहीं अहाच पूजा केली ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Good? — pūrṇa-kāma. Sweet? — His nāma. Dayāḷa? — avaghā dharma. Bhalā? — doesn't allow śrama to the dāsa. Udāra? — to Lakṣmī. Junjhāra? — against kaḷikāḷa. Catura? — heap-of-guṇas. Jāṇatā? — only-one-knows. Junāṭa? — bahu-kāḷa. Līlā unknowable. Nēṇatā? — among cowherds, a cowherd. Lāghavī — captivates-the-strange. Gāṇḍhyā? — bhāva-ankita. Barāḍī? — ucchiṣṭa-prīti. Ongaḷa? — engaged-with-Kubjā. Bhyāḍa? — to abundant pāpa. Plays — this only the play. Naṭa — this only His town. Hidden in jīva, jīva doesn't know — grasped, deva, You don't fit. Unca — very unca. Nīca — very nīca. Tuka says: I have spoken true — no false pūjā done.
मराठी: चांगला? — पूर्णकाम; गोड? — याचें नाम; दयाळ? — अवघा-धर्म; भला? — दासा-श्रम-होऊं-नेदी. उदार? — लक्ष्मीला; जुंझार? — कळिकाळा-विरुद्ध; चतुर? — गुणांची राशी; जाणता? — एकच जाणतो. जुनाट? — बहुकाळ; लीळा अकळ्य; नेणता? — गोवळींगोवळा; लाघवी — अवळा-भुलवणा. गांढ्या? — भाव-अंकित; बराडी? — उच्छिष्ट-प्रीत; ओंगळ? — Kubjā रत; भ्याड? — बहु पापाला. खेळतो — हाच खेळ; नट — हाच गांव; जीवीं लपून — जीव कळेना; धरतां — देवा, न-तुडेसी. उंच? — बहु उंच; नीच? — बहु नीच; Tuka म्हणे: साच बोलिलों — अहाच पूजा नाही केली.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| चांगला तरी पूर्णकाम | "good — then pūrṇa-kāma" |
| गोड तरी याचें चि नाम | "sweet — then His nāma" |
| दयाळ तरी अवघा धर्म | "dayāḷa — then avaghā dharma" |
| भला तरी दासा श्रम होऊं नेदी | "bhalā — doesn't-allow-śrama to dāsa" |
| उदार तरी लक्ष्मीयेसी | "udāra — to Lakṣmī" |
| जुंझार तरी कळिकाळासी | "junjhāra — to kaḷikāḷa" |
| चतुर तरी गुणांची च रासी | "catura — heap-of-guṇas" |
| जाणता तयासी तो एक | "jāṇatā — only-one-knows-him" |
| जुनाट तरी बहु काळा | "junāṭa — bahu-kāḷa (much-time)" |
| न कळे जयाची लीळा | "whose līḷā unknowable" |
| नेणता गोवळीं गोवळा | "nēṇatā — among-cowherds-a-cowherd" |
| लाघवी अवळाभुलवणा | "lāghavī — avaḷā-bhulavaṇā (charming-captivator)" |
| गांढ्या तरी भावाचा अंकित | "gāṇḍhyā — bhāva-ankita (bhāva-marked)" |
| बराडी तरी उच्छिष्टाची प्रीत | "barāḍī — ucchiṣṭa-prīti" |
| ओंगळ तरी कुब्जेशीं रत | "ongaḷa — Kubjā engaged" |
| भ्याड अनंत बहु पापा | "bhyāḍa — to bahu pāpa" |
| खेळतो येणें चि खेळावा | "plays — this only the khēḷa" |
| नट तो येणें चि आवगावा | "the naṭa — this only His gāva" |
| लपोनि जीवीं न कळे जीवा | "hidden-in-jīva — jīva doesn't-know" |
| धरितां देवा नातुडेसी | "grasped, deva, You-don't-fit" |
| उंच तरी बहुत चि उंच | "unca — very unca" |
| नीच तरी बहुत चि नीच | "nīca — very nīca" |
| बोलिलों साच | "I-have-spoken-true" |
| नाहीं अहाच पूजा केली | "no — false-pūjā done" |
What it means
A pūrṇa-kāma-Kubjā-rata-unca-nīca-paradox-list abhang. List-of-paradoxical-qualities of Pāṇḍuranga register. The structure is if-X-then-Y — Pāṇḍuranga is X-in-this-way: each qualifier opens a paradox or unique-instance.
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Cāngalā — pūrṇa-kāma; gōḍa — His nāma; dayāḷa — avaghā dharma; bhalā — doesn't allow śrama to dāsa. Auspicious-quality-list: Good — then He is pūrṇa-kāma (totally-fulfilled, beyond-desire); sweet — then His nāma (sweetness is the very nāma); compassionate — then He is avaghā dharma (the totality-of-dharma); good-natured — He doesn't-allow śrama (toil) to His dāsa. Pāṇḍuranga's-goodness-is-his-quality-of-not-letting-the-dāsa-toil.
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Udāra — to Lakṣmī; junjhāra — against kaḷikāḷa; catura — heap-of-guṇas; jāṇatā — only-one-knows. Power-quality-list: Generous — to Lakṣmī Herself; warrior — against kaḷikāḷa (Kali-time, time-of-evil); clever — a heap-of-guṇas; knowing — only-one-knows-him (i.e., He alone is the true-knower). Pāṇḍuranga-fights-the-Kali-age-Himself.
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Junāṭa — much-time; līlā unknowable; nēṇatā — among cowherds a cowherd; lāghavī — captivates-the-strange. Eternal-and-cowherd-list: Ancient — beyond much-time; His līlā unknowable; unknowing — among cowherds He is a cowherd (= He plays the cowherd's-role-without-self-display); charming — captivates-the-strange (the un-related). Eternal-yet-plays-cowherd-role.
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Gāṇḍhyā — bhāva-ankita; barāḍī — ucchiṣṭa-prīti; ongaḷa — Kubjā-rata; bhyāḍa — to bahu pāpa. Lower-paradox-list: Timid (gāṇḍhyā) — bound by bhāva (the bhakta's emotional-state); baraḍī (waiting-on-meals, scrounger) — loves ucchiṣṭa (leftovers — refers to eating Vidura's leftovers, Śabarī's tasted-fruits, etc.); ongaḷa (dirty / unrefined) — engaged-with Kubjā (the hunchbacked-woman of Mathurā that Kṛṣṇa healed and visited); bhyāḍa (cowardly) — to abundant pāpa. He-takes-on-low-and-paradoxical-roles-out-of-love-for-the-bhakta. (The Kubjā-rata and ucchiṣṭa-prīti are particularly bold: God-eats-leftovers-and-loves-the-deformed.)
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Khēḷatō — this only the khēḷa; naṭa — this only His town; hidden-in-jīva-jīva-doesn't-know; grasped, deva, You don't fit. Hidden-actor-list: He plays — this only is the khēḷa (sport); the naṭa (actor) — this only is His town; hidden-in-the-jīva, the jīva doesn't know; grasped, deva, You-don't-fit. Hidden-cosmic-play-which-can't-be-grasped.
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Unca — very unca; nīca — very nīca; Tuka says: spoken-truth, no false-pūjā done. High-low-and-Tuka-stamp: unca — very high; nīca — very low (= the highest of the high and the lowest of the low — both extremes equally Pāṇḍuranga); Tuka says: I have spoken-truth (sāca); no false (ahāca) pūjā done (= I do not engage in deceptive-praise). Both-extremes-and-Tuka's-truth-stamp.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the paradox-list-of-Pāṇḍuranga register:
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Good = pūrṇa-kāma; sweet = nāma; compassionate = all-dharma; good-natured = no-toil-for-dāsa. Auspicious-list. Each adjective is owned-by-Pāṇḍuranga in a unique way; the dāsa is not made to toil.
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Generous to Lakṣmī; warrior against kaḷikāḷa; clever as guṇa-heap; only-knower. Power-list. He fights the kali-age Himself; only-He-truly-knows.
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Ancient yet plays cowherd; līlā unknowable; charm captivates the strange. Eternal-cowherd-list.
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Timid (bhāva-bound); loves leftovers; engaged-with-Kubjā; cowardly-to-pāpa. Lower-paradox-list. He takes-on-low-roles out of love; eats leftovers, heals Kubjā, fears abundant-pāpa-of-bhakta-on-Himself. (The bhakta-language of bhāva-ankita is striking — He is bound-by-the-bhakta's-bhāva.)
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Plays-and-acts; hidden-in-jīva; grasped, doesn't fit. Cosmic-play-list.
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Very high and very low; Tuka spoken-truth, no false-pūjā. Both-extremes-and-truth-stamp.
For today: Pāṇḍuranga is not a one-sided-quality but a paradox-list; He is pūrṇa-kāma and barāḍī (eats-leftovers); junjhāra (warrior) and gāṇḍhyā (timid-bhāva-bound); unca (very high) and nīca (very low); the bhakta speaks-truth and doesn't engage-in-false-pūjā*.
This abhang is Tukaram's list-of-paradoxes-of-Pāṇḍuranga register — one of the most-vivid catalogues. Compare 0594 saint-priority-over-mūrti; same praise-frame but here the praise-itself moves through paradox. The Kubjā-rata and ucchiṣṭa-prīti are bold instances of God-as-low-by-love.
मराठी: ही ओवी paradox-list-of-Pāṇḍuranga register नाव सांगते:
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चांगला = पूर्णकाम; गोड = नाम; दयाळ = अवघा-धर्म; भला = no-toil-for-dāsa. Auspicious-list.
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Lakṣmī ला उदार; कळिकाळा-विरुद्ध जुंझार; गुण-राशी catura; एकच knower. Power-list.
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Ancient पण cowherd; लीळा अकळ्य; charm strange-captivates. Eternal-cowherd-list.
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Timid (bhāva-bound); leftovers loves; Kubjā-rata; cowardly-to-pāpa. Lower-paradox-list. Low-roles out-of-love; eats-leftovers, heals-Kubjā, fears-bhakta-च्या-pāpa-वर.
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Plays, acts; jīva मध्ये hidden; grasp केलं तर fit नाही. Cosmic-play-list.
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Very-high आणि very-low; Tuka साच बोलिलों, अहाच-पूजा-नाही. Both-extremes-stamp.
आज: Pāṇḍuranga one-sided quality नाही — paradox-list आहे; He is pūrṇa-kāma आणि leftovers-eats, junjhāra आणि gāṇḍhyā-bhāva-bound, unca आणि nīca; Bhakta साच-बोलतो, अहाच-पूजा करत नाही.
Tukaram च-list-of-paradoxes-of-Pāṇḍuranga-register — Most-vivid catalogues पैकी एक. 0594 saint-priority-over-mūrti compare; तीच praise-frame पण इथे praise-itself paradox-मधून. Kubjā-rata आणि ucchiṣṭa-prīti God-as-low-by-love च्या bold instances.
Where this applies
- Pūrṇa-kāma — *His nāma.* Auspicious-quality.
- Junjhāra — *kaḷikāḷa.* Power-quality.
- Junāṭa — *gōvaḷīm-gōvaḷā.* Eternal-cowherd.
- Ucchiṣṭa-prīti — *Kubjā-rata.* Low-paradox.
- Unca and nīca — both. Both-extremes.