संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 691 of 4582

Abhanga 691

English: Who has reached its pāra (far-shore) by searching?

When no-far-shore by searching; even Vedas get stuck — and you have to recognize this register
When the cosmos is in a fruit's worm; many trees uncountable — and you accept this image
When cling to santas' hem; the bhakta cannot survive measuring — and you receive this final-direction

The verse

कोण त्याचा पार पावला धुंडितां । पुढें विचारितां विश्वंभरा ॥१॥ अणुरेणु सूक्ष्मस्थूळा पार नाहीं । श्रुती नेती त्या ही खुंटलिया ॥ध्रु.॥ फळांत कीटक येवढें आकाश । ऐसीं तरुवरास अनेक किती ॥२॥ दाविलें अनंतें अर्जुनासि पोटीं । आणीक त्या सृष्टी कृष्णलोक ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे लागा संतांचिये कासे । ठाव घेतां कैसे वांचा जीवें ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: Who has reached its pāra (far-shore) by searching? — even Viśvambhara, considered further. No pāra even for aṇu-rēṇu-sūkṣma-sthūḷā — even Śruti's neti get khuṇṭaliyā (stuck). In a phaḷa (fruit), in a kīṭaka (worm) — that-much ākāśa — such, taru-vara — many — how many? Ananta showed Arjuna in His pōṭa (belly) — and-other sṛṣṭi, Kṛṣṇa-lōka. Tuka says: cling to santāmciyē kāsē — taking ṭhāva (measure) — how do you survive with jīva?

मराठी: कोण ह्याचा पार धुंडित पावला? — पुढें विचारतां विश्वंभरा. अणु-रेणु-सूक्ष्म-स्थूळ — पार नाही — श्रुती-नेति-नेति सुद्धा खुंटली. फळांत कीटक — एवढं आकाश — अशी तरुवरें अनेक — किती?. अनंतेंसी अर्जुनास पोटी दाखविलं — आणि त्या सृष्टी, कृष्ण-लोक. Tuka म्हणे: संतांच्या कासेला लागा — ठाव-घेतां कसा जीवें वांचा?.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
कोण त्याचा पार पावला धुंडितां "who — pāra — reached — searching"
पुढें विचारितां विश्वंभरा "considering further — Viśvambhara"
अणुरेणु सूक्ष्मस्थूळा पार नाहीं "aṇu-rēṇu-sūkṣma-sthūḷāpāra — none"
श्रुती नेती त्या ही खुंटलिया "śrutī's netikhuṇṭaliyā (stuck)"
फळांत कीटक येवढें आकाश "in phaḷakīṭaka — that-much ākāśa"
ऐसीं तरुवरास अनेक किती "such — taru-vara — many — how many?"
दाविलें अनंतें अर्जुनासि पोटीं "Ananta — showed — Arjunapōṭa (belly)"
आणीक त्या सृष्टी कृष्णलोक "and-other — sṛṣṭiKṛṣṇa-lōka"
लागा संतांचिये कासे "cling — santāmciyē kāsē (santas' hem)"
ठाव घेतां कैसे वांचा जीवें "ṭhāva taking — how — vāncā (alive) — jīvē"

What it means

A cosmological-vastness-no-far-shore-aṇu-rēṇu-fruit-worm-cosmos-Anantā-shows-Arjuna-cling-to-santas abhang. Cosmological-vastness register. Four claims:

  1. पार धुंडित कोण? — विश्वंभर पुढें-विचारतां. No-pāra-by-searching-claim. Who has reached the pāra (far-shore) by searching?; (consider) even Viśvambhara (the universe-supporter). No-one-reaches-the-far-shore-even-of-Viśvambhara.

  2. अणु-रेणु-सूक्ष्म-स्थूळ — पार नाही — श्रुती-नेति खुंटलि. No-pāra-Vedas-stuck-claim. Even for aṇu-rēṇu-sūkṣma-sthūḷā (the four-fold scale: atom-particle-subtle-gross); no pāra; even the Śruti's neti-neti (the Upaniṣadic "not-this-not-this" formula) get khuṇṭaliyā (stuck, halted). Even-the-Vedas-stuck; no-far-shore-from-aṇu-to-sthūla*.

  3. फळांत कीटक — एवढं आकाश — तरुवर अनेक — किती? — अनंतेंसी अर्जुनास पोटी — आणि कृष्ण-लोक. Cosmological-fractal-claim. In a fruit (phaḷa), in a worm (kīṭaka) — that-much ākāśa (sky / space); (in such) taru-vara (great-trees) — many — how many uncountable!; Ananta showed Arjuna in His belly (= the Bhagavad-gītā 11 viśva-rūpa-darśana — Arjuna seeing-all-cosmoses-in-Kṛṣṇa's-form); and other-such sṛṣṭi, including Kṛṣṇa-lōka. Cosmological-fractal: in-a-fruit's-worm-is-a-cosmos; trees-uncountable; Arjuna-saw-all-cosmoses-in-Kṛṣṇa's-belly. (This is the anantatā of the cosmos — Bhagavad-gītā's viśva-rūpa applied with the fruit-worm-cosmos image.)

  4. Tuka: संतांच्या-कासेला लागा — ठाव-घेतां कसा वांचा? Cling-to-santas-and-don't-survive-measuring-claim. Tuka says: cling to santāmciyē kāsē (the hem of the santas' garment); (if you try to) ṭhāva-ghētām (take-the-measure / fathom-it-yourself)how do you (the bhakta) survive (vāncā) with (your) jīva?. The bhakta-cannot-survive-fathoming-cosmos; cling-to-santas-instead. (The practical-resolution: don't try to fathom the infinite; cling to the santāmciyē kāsa — the santas' garment-hem.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the cosmological-vastness-and-cling-to-santas register:

  1. Even Viśvambhara has no pāra; even Vedas' neti get stuck. No-pāra-anywhere.

  2. In a fruit-worm — a cosmos; trees uncountable; Anantā showed Arjuna all-cosmoses-in-belly. Cosmological-fractal.

  3. Cling to santas' hem; you can't survive measuring-yourself. Cling-and-don't-měasure.

For today: the cosmos is so vast that the aṇu-rēṇu-sūkṣma-sthūla scale has no pāra; even the Vedas' neti-neti get-stuck; fruit-worm-cosmos and Anantā's-showing-Arjuna are warrants; the bhakta should not try to měasure — but cling to the santas' hem.

This abhang is Tukaram's cosmological-vastness-and-cling-to-santas registerone of the most-precise vastness-and-resolution combinations. Compare 0691 (this abhang itself) builds on the viśva-rūpa-darśana of Bhagavad-gītā 11. The santāmciyē-kāsē image is one of Tukaram's most-tactile cling-images: cling to the very-hem of the santas' garment.

मराठी: ही ओवी cosmological-vastness-and-cling-to-santas register नाव सांगते:

  1. Viśvambhara पार नाही; Veda-नेति खुंटली. No-pāra-anywhere.

  2. फळांत-कीटक-cosmos; तरुवर uncountable; Anantā ने Arjuna ला पोटीं cosmoses दाखविले. Cosmological-fractal.

  3. संतांच्या-कासेला लागा; ठाव-घेतां वांचत नाही. Cling-and-don't-měasure.

आज: Cosmos इतकं vast की aṇu-rēṇu-sūkṣma-sthūla scale-ला pāra नाही; Veda-च-neti-neti खुंटली; Fruit-worm-cosmos आणि Anantā-Arjuna warrants; Bhakta měasure try करूं नये — पण santāmciyē-kāsē cling.

Tukaram च-cosmological-vastness-and-cling-to-santas-registerMost-precise vastness-and-resolution combinations पैकी एक. 0691 (हें-च-abhang) viśva-rūpa-darśana of Bhagavad-gītā 11-वर built. Santāmciyē-kāsē image Tukaram च्या most-tactile cling-images पैकी एक — संतांच्या-वस्त्राच्या-very-hem-ला-cling.

Where this applies

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