संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 694 of 4582

Abhanga 694

When no other praises You; even Śēṣa's tongues are cut — and you have to recognize this register
When You take rūpa-nāma by Your iccha and become as the bhāva is — and you accept this image
When only if You show — only then are You known — and you receive this final acknowledgement

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

English: 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:

  1. 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; no duja (other) in the tribhuvana. Only-You-can-praise-You*.

  2. 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.)

  3. 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 take rūpa-nāma (form-and-name) by Your own iccha (will); You become bhāva-taisā (as-the-bhāva-is) — for that kāraṇa (cause / purpose). Nirguṇa-takes-rūpa-by-iccha-and-becomes-as-the-bhakta's-bhāva-is.

  4. 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

This abhang names the no-praiser-equal-and-known-only-if-shown register:

  1. No one-who-praises-You-equals-You; even Śēṣa's tongues are cut. No-praiser-equal.

  2. Avyakta-Nirguṇa; You take rūpa-nāma by iccha; become as the bhāva is. Nirguṇa-becomes-saguṇa-by-iccha.

  3. Only if You show — only then are You known. Known-only-if-shown.

For today: no other can praise You — even Śēṣa's thousand-tongues are cut; You are Avyakta-Nirguṇa but take rūpa-nāma by Your own iccha; You become as-the-bhakta's-bhāva-is; You are known only-if-You-choose-to-show.

This abhang is Tukaram's no-praiser-equal-and-known-only-if-shown register — one of the most-precise nirguṇa-saguṇa statements. Compare 0693 Veda-can't-stūti (Tuka's mudra); same praise-impossibility but here with the Śēṣa-tongues-cut warrant and the iccha-takes-rūpa claim. The bhāva-taisā-hōsi (You become as the bhāva is) is one of the most-precise bhakti-saguṇa formulations.

मराठी: ही ओवी no-praiser-equal-and-known-only-if-shown register नाव सांगते:

  1. तुज-वर्णी कोणी नाही; Śēṣa-च्या-जिह्वा-चिरल्या. No-praiser-equal.

  2. Avyakta-Nirguṇa; rūpa-nāma स्व-इच्छेने; भाव-तसा होसि. Nirguṇa-becomes-saguṇa-by-iccha.

  3. दाखविसि-तरीच कळों-येसी. Known-only-if-shown.

आज: कोणी-praise-न-करु-शकत — Śēṣa-च्या-thousand-tongues-cut; तूं Avyakta-Nirguṇa पण rūpa-nāma स्व-iccha-ने घेसि; Bhakta-च्या-bhāva-तसा होसि; Choose-to-show-केलं तरीच known.

Tukaram च-no-praiser-equal-and-known-only-if-shown-register — Most-precise nirguṇa-saguṇa statements पैकी एक. 0693 Veda-can't-stūti (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच praise-impossibility पण इथे Śēṣa-tongues-cut warrant आणि iccha-takes-rūpa claim सोबत. Bhāva-taisā-hōsi (You become as bhāva is) most-precise bhakti-saguṇa formulations पैकी एक.

Where this applies

Name Bhakti

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