संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 688 of 4582

Abhanga 688

You are the instrument, not the doer; the one who fills you, values you, and moves you deserves the credit, not you.

When I am only the measure — the dhaṇī fills and empties — and you have to recognize this register
When the country runs by sikā; an empty thing has no value — and you accept this image
When the sūtra-string is in His hand; His is the greatness — and you receive this final image

The verse

माप म्हणे मी मवितें । भरी धणी ठेवी रितें ॥१॥ देवा अभिमान नको । माझेठायीं देऊं सकों ॥ध्रु.॥ देशी चाले सिका । रितें कोण लेखी रंका ॥२॥ हातीं सूत्रदोरी । तुका म्हणे त्याची थोरी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Māpa says: I measure — dhaṇī fills, leaves-empty. Deva, no abhimāna — don't put it in my-place. In dēśa, the sikā runs — an empty-thing — who values, the ranka? In (His) hand — sūtra-dōrī — Tuka says: His is the thōrī.

मराठी: माप म्हणे: मी मविते — धणी भरतो, रितें ठेवतो. देवा, abhimāna नको — माझ्या-ठायी देऊं सकूं नकोस. देशी सिका चाले — रितें कोण लेखी, रंक?. हातीं सूत्र-दोरी — Tuka म्हणे: त्याची थोरी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
माप म्हणे मी मवितें "māpa — says — I measure"
भरी धणी ठेवी रितें "dhaṇī — fills — leaves-empty"
देवा अभिमान नको "deva — abhimāna — nakō"
माझेठायीं देऊं सकों "in my-place — don't put"
देशी चाले सिका "dēśī — sikā — runs"
रितें कोण लेखी रंका "empty — who values, ranka"
हातीं सूत्रदोरी "in (His) hand — sūtra-dōrī"
तुका म्हणे त्याची थोरी "Tuka — His — thōrī"

What it means

A māpa-mvitē-dhaṇī-fills-and-empties-sikā-runs-country-sūtra-dōrī-in-hand abhang. Měrchant-and-puppet metaphor register. Three claims:

  1. माप म्हणे मी मवितें — धणी-भरतो-रितें-ठेवतो — abhimāna नको — माझ्या-ठायी-देऊं-सकूं-नकोस. Měasure-doesn't-do-but-the-dhaṇī-does-claim. Themāpa(measuring-vessel) says: I measure; (but really) thedhaṇī(owner / shopkeeper) fills it, thedhaṇīleaves it empty; deva, noabhimāna(claim-of-self-doing) — don't put it in my-place (don't let-me-think I'm-the-doer). The měasure is just the means; the dhaṇī fills-and-empties; the bhakta is just-the-měasure.

  2. देशी-सिका — रितें-कोण-लेखी-रंक. Sikā-runs-country-empty-not-valued-claim. In thedēśa(country), thesikā(royal-stamp / currency-stamp) runs (= what is stamped-by-the-king is currency); an empty-thing (without-the-stamp) — who values it? — theranka(poor-person — even the poor doesn't value an unstamped-coin). Without-Your-stamp, the bhakta is unvalued; with-Your-stamp, the bhakta is currency. (The sikā image: a coin gets value from the king's-stamp, not from-the-metal; the bhakta gets value from-the-deva's-stamp.)

  3. हातीं सूत्र-दोरी — Tuka: त्याची थोरी. Sūtra-string-in-His-hand-claim. In (His) hand — thesūtra-dōrī(puppet-thread, the controlling-string); Tuka says: His is thethōrī(greatness). The string-is-in-His-hand; the greatness-is-His. (The puppet-image: I'm-the-puppet, He-holds-the-string; therefore the greatness-of-the-action is His, not mine.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram gives us three quick pictures of doing without claiming credit. A measuring bowl doesn't fill itself; the shopkeeper fills it and empties it, so why should the bowl feel proud? A coin is only worth something because the king has stamped it, not because of the metal itself. And a puppet moves only because a hand above holds the string. Whatever good you do, remember whose hand is really guiding you, and let go of the pride that says 'I did this.'

मराठी: तुकाराम इथे कर्तेपणाचा अभिमान सोडण्यासाठी तीन साध्या प्रतिमा देतात. माप स्वतः भरत नाही, धणीच ते भरतो आणि रिकामे करतो, मग मापाने अभिमान का बाळगावा? नाणे मौल्यवान असते ते राजाच्या शिक्क्यामुळे, धातूमुळे नाही. आणि बाहुले हलते कारण दोरी वरच्या हातात असते. तुम्ही जे काही चांगले करता, ते खरोखर कोणाच्या हातून घडते आहे हे लक्षात ठेवा आणि 'मी केले' हा अहंकार सोडून द्या.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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