Abhanga 694
God cannot be captured by effort or praise alone, and is truly known only when God chooses, on his own will, to be shown.
The verse
तुज वर्णी ऐसा तुज विण नाहीं । दुजा कोणी तीहीं त्रिभुवनीं ॥१॥ सहस्रमुखें शेष सिणला बापुडा । चिरलिया धडा जिव्हा त्याच्या ॥ध्रु.॥ अव्यक्त अलक्षा अपारा अनंता । निर्गुणा सचिद नारायणा ॥२॥ रूप नाम घेसी आपुल्या स्वइच्छा । होसी भाव तैसा त्याकारणें ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे जरी दाविसी आपणा । तरि च नारायणा कळों येसी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Tuja varṇī aisā (such-praiser-of-You) — tujavīṇa (without-You) — there is none — no duja in tribhuvana. Sahasra-mukha Śēṣa — siṇalā bāpuḍā — his jihvā — ciraliyā (cut into pieces). Avyakta-alakṣa-apāra-ananta-nirguṇa-saccida-Nārāyaṇā. Rūpa-nāma — You take — by Your sva-iccha — become bhāva taisā — for that kāraṇa. Tuka says: only if You show āpaṇā — only then — Nārāyaṇa — kaḷōm-yēsī.
मराठी: तुज-वर्णी असा तुज-विण नाही — दुजा कोणी तीही त्रिभुवनी. सहस्र-मुखी Śēṣa सिणला बापुडा — त्याच्या जिह्वा चिरल्या. अव्यक्त-अलक्ष्य-अपार-अनंत — निर्गुण-सत्-चिद्-Nārāyaṇa. रूप-नाम घेसि आपल्या स्व-इच्छेने — भाव तसा होसी त्याकारणें. Tuka म्हणे: जर आपण-दाखविसि — तरीच Nārāyaṇa कळों येसी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तुज वर्णी ऐसा तुज विण नाहीं | "tuja varṇī such — without-You — none" |
| दुजा कोणी तीहीं त्रिभुवनीं | "duja — none — tribhuvana" |
| सहस्रमुखें शेष सिणला बापुडा | "sahasra-mukha — Śēṣa — siṇalā (tired) — bāpuḍā (poor)" |
| चिरलिया धडा जिव्हा त्याच्या | "his jihvā — ciraliyā (cut)" |
| अव्यक्त अलक्षा अपारा अनंता | "avyakta-alakṣa-apāra-ananta" |
| निर्गुणा सचिद नारायणा | "nirguṇa-saccida-Nārāyaṇa" |
| रूप नाम घेसी आपुल्या स्वइच्छा | "rūpa-nāma — take — by sva-iccha" |
| होसी भाव तैसा त्याकारणें | "bhāva — become — for that purpose" |
| जरी दाविसी आपणा | "if — You-show — āpaṇā (Yourself)" |
| तरि च नारायणा कळों येसी | "only-then — Nārāyaṇa — kaḷōm-yēsī (You-are-known)" |
What it means
A no-other-praises-You-Śēṣa-tongues-cut-You-take-rūpa-by-iccha-known-only-if-You-show abhang. Praise-impossibility-with-Śēṣa-warrant register. Four claims:
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तुज-वर्णी असा तुज-विण नाही — त्रिभुवनी दुजा नाही. Only-You-can-praise-You-claim. Such-one-who-praises-You —tujavīṇa(without-You) — there is none; noduja(other) in thetribhuvana.Only-You-can-praise-You.
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सहस्र-मुख-Śēṣa सिणला बापुडा — जिह्वा चिरल्या. Śēṣa-tongues-cut-claim. Sahasra-mukha Śēṣa (the thousand-mouthed Śēṣa-Nāga, the cosmic serpent who is also said to be Bali's-praiser of Viṣṇu);the poor-fellow has-tired (siṇalā bāpuḍā);his jihvā (tongues) — ciraliyā (cut into pieces) — they have been worn-out / cut-up by the effort of praising.Even-Śēṣa's-thousand-tongues-can't-finish-and-have-been-cut. (A vivid mythological warrant: even the cosmic serpent with thousand tongues couldn't manage; the tongues are now cut.)
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Avyakta-alakṣya-apāra-ananta — Nirguṇa-saccida-Nārāyaṇa — रूप-नाम स्व-इच्छेने — भाव-तसा. Nirguṇa-becomes-saguṇa-by-iccha-claim. Avyakta (un-manifest), alakṣa (un-marked), apāra (shoreless), ananta (endless);Nirguṇa(qualityless),saccida(sat-cit),Nārāyaṇa; You takerūpa-nāma(form-and-name) by Your owniccha(will); You becomebhāva-taisā(as-the-bhāva-is) — for thatkāraṇa(cause / purpose). Nirguṇa-takes-rūpa-by-iccha-and-becomes-as-the-bhakta's-bhāva-is.
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Tuka: जर आपण दाखविसि — तरीच Nārāyaṇa कळों येसी. You-known-only-if-You-show-claim. Tuka says: only if You show-āpaṇā(Yourself); only then —Nārāyaṇa— You-are-known (kaḷōm-yēsī). You-are-known-only-if-You-choose-to-be.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram says no one but God can truly praise God, not even Shesha the cosmic serpent with a thousand mouths, whose tongues have worn themselves out and been cut trying. God is beyond form, beyond marks, without limit, without qualities, yet chooses out of pure will to take on a name and a shape anyway, becoming whatever the devotee's own heart and feeling call for. Tukaram's final point is that God is known only when God chooses to be shown, not because a person's effort or cleverness forced it open. This is a lesson in humility before mystery: some things reveal themselves on their own terms, and your job is to stay open and ready, not to demand or force understanding.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की परमेश्वराची खरी स्तुती परमेश्वराशिवाय कोणीही करू शकत नाही, अगदी सहस्रमुखी शेषनागालाही नाही, ज्याच्या जिभा प्रयत्न करून-करून थकून तुटल्या. परमेश्वर रूपातीत, खुणेच्या पलीकडे, अमर्याद आणि निर्गुण आहे, तरीही स्वतःच्या इच्छेने रूप आणि नाव धारण करतो, आणि भक्ताच्या भावाप्रमाणे तसा होतो. तुकारामांचा शेवटचा मुद्दा असा की परमेश्वर तेव्हाच कळतो जेव्हा तो स्वतः प्रकट होण्याचं ठरवतो, माणसाच्या प्रयत्नाने किंवा हुशारीने नव्हे. हा धडा गूढतेसमोर नम्रता शिकवतो — काही गोष्टी स्वतःच्या वेळी उघड होतात, आपलं काम फक्त खुलं आणि तयार राहणं आहे, हट्टाने उलगडून घेणं नाही.
Where this applies
- No praiser equals You. Praise-limit.
- Śēṣa-tongues-cut. Mythological-warrant.
- Rūpa-by-iccha. Saguṇa-rule.
- Known-only-if-shown. Grace-required.