Abhanga 660

English: Body — storehouse of duḥkha — treasury of rōga — resting-place of durgandhī — nothing as impure as the body.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A śarīra-as-storehouse-of-duḥkha-and-vessel-of-para-Brahma-paradox-and-Tuka-says-rush-Hari-bhajan abhang. The structure holds two voices in tension — body-as-vessel-of-suffering AND body-as-vessel-of-attainment — across five paradox-stanzas, then resolves into the don't-overpamper-don't-mortify discipline.

1. Body — storehouse of duḥkha; treasury of rōga; resting-place of durgandhī. Negative-list-1: kōṭhāra of duḥkha, bhāṇḍāra of rōga, thāra of durgandhī; nothing as apavitra as the body. Body-as-suffering-disease-foulness-storehouse.

2. Body — superlative-good; cluster of sukha; sādhya achieved by body; para-Brahma attained by body. Positive-list-1: body is utama-cāngalē; cluster (ghōmsulē) of sukha; by body sādhya is achieved; by body para-Brahma was-attained. Body-as-vessel-of-sādhya-and-para-Brahma.

3. Body — aḷē of viṭāḷa; māyā-mōha-pāśa-jāḷa; patana from body's mūḷa; kāḷa pervades. Negative-list-2: aḷē (festering / ulcer) of viṭāḷa (impurity); māyā-mōha-pāśa-jāḷa (the net of māyā-attachment-noose); patana (fall) is from-the-body's-root; the body is pervaded by kāḷa (time / darkness). Body-as-māyā-net-and-fall-source*.

4. Body — sakaḷa-śuddha; nidha-of-nidhi; bhava-bandha breaks; deva dwelling-middle enjoys. Positive-list-2: body — sakaḷa-śuddha (entirely-pure); the nidha (treasure) of nidhīm (treasures); by body, bhava-bandha (the bondage of becoming) breaks; the deva dwelling-in-the-middle enjoys the body. Body-as-treasure-of-treasures-and-deva's-dwelling*.

5. Body — avidyā-construction; avaguṇa-cooking; much bādhā; not-one good-quality. Negative-list-3: avidyā-bāṇdhā (the body is avidyā's-construction); avaguṇa-rāṇdhā (the cooking-place of avaguṇa); much bādhā (affliction); not-even-one good-quality. Body-as-avidyā-construct-and-avaguṇa-cooking.

6. Don't give body duḥkha-bhoga; don't give sukha; don't make tyāga; neither bad nor good — Tuka says: rush into Hari-bhajan. The closing-discipline: don't give the body duḥkha-bhoga (the experience of duḥkha); don't give it sukha either, don't make tyāga (renunciation); neither bad nor good (= the body is in itself neither good nor bad — both lists are true at-the-same-time); Tuka says: rush into Hari-bhajan. Don't-pamper-don't-mortify; the only discipline is Hari-bhajan. (This is a remarkable middle-path-resolution: the body is both duḥkha-kōṭhāra AND para-Brahma-vessel, so the right relation is neither-pampering-nor-mortification — direct Hari-bhajan.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the body-paradox-and-rush-into-Hari-bhajan register:

1. Body — storehouse-of-duḥkha-rōga-durgandhī. Negative-list-1. No good-light view of body alone.

2. Body — vessel-of-sukha-sādhya-para-Brahma. Positive-list-1. No bad-light view of body alone.

3. Body — māyā-net-and-fall-source. Negative-list-2.

4. Body — treasure-of-treasures, deva's-dwelling. Positive-list-2.

5. Body — avidyā-construct-and-avaguṇa-cooking. Negative-list-3.

6. Don't pamper, don't mortify; rush into Hari-bhajan. Discipline. Both views are true simultaneously; the right relation is neither-pampering-nor-mortification — direct Hari-bhajan.

For today: the body is both duḥkha-kōṭhāra and para-Brahma-vessel; don't pamper-it (don't give sukha), don't mortify-it (don't give duḥkha or do tyāga); rush into Hari-bhajan.

This abhang is Tukaram's body-paradox-and-Hari-bhajan-resolution register — one of the most-precise body-views. Compare 0651 don't-waste-nara-deha; same body-as-precious-vessel but here approached through the dialectic-of-paradox. The closing vēga karī Hari-bhajanīm (rush-into-Hari-bhajan) is the resolution — the body is whatever-it-is, but the discipline is direct devotion.

मराठी: ही ओवी body-paradox-and-rush-into-Hari-bhajan register नाव सांगते:

1. शरीर — duḥkha-rōga-durgandhī-storehouse. Negative-list-1.

2. शरीर — sukha-sādhya-para-Brahma-vessel. Positive-list-1.

3. शरीर — māyā-net-and-fall-source. Negative-list-2.

4. शरीर — nidha-of-nidhi, deva-dwelling. Positive-list-2.

5. शरीर — avidyā-construct, avaguṇa-cooking. Negative-list-3.

6. Pamper करूं नका, mortify करूं नका; Hari-bhajan मध्ये वेग. Discipline. दोन्ही views simultaneously true; right-relation neither-pampering-nor-mortification — direct Hari-bhajan.

आज: शरीर — दोन्ही — duḥkha-kōṭhāra आणि para-Brahma-vessel; Pamper न-करा (sukha-न-द्या), mortify न-करा (duḥkha-न-द्या, tyāga-न-करा); Hari-bhajan मध्ये वेग.

Tukaram च-body-paradox-and-Hari-bhajan-resolution-register — Most-precise body-views पैकी एक. 0651 don't-waste-nara-deha compare; तीच body-as-precious-vessel पण इथे dialectic-of-paradox च्या मार्गाने. Closing vēga karī Hari-bhajanīm (rush-into-Hari-bhajan) resolution — body whatever-असू-दे पण discipline direct-devotion.

Where this applies

• Duḥkha-kōṭhāra. Negative.
• Sukha-ghōmsulē — *para-Brahma.* Positive.
• Avidyā-bāṇdhā — *avaguṇa-rāṇdhā.* Negative.
• Don't-pamper-don't-mortify.* Discipline.
• Vēga karī Hari-bhajanīm.** Resolution.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2467
• Abhanga 4481
• Abhanga 4482
• Abhanga 4497