संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 698 of 4582

Abhanga 698

English: Yōgī, fixing-lakṣa, see ābhāsa — that, we see, dṛṣṭi-puḍhē.

When yōgīs strain for ābhāsa but bhaktas see direct — and you have to recognize this register
When He pervades and yet stands separate; nirvikāra in all hearts — and you accept this image
When the un-aware awoke for bhakta's sukha by His own kautuka — and you receive this final image

The verse

लक्षूनियां योगी पाहाती आभास । तें दिसे आम्हांस दृष्टीपुढें ॥१॥ कर दोनी कटी राहिलासे उभा । सांवळी हे प्रभा अंगकांती ॥ध्रु.॥ व्यापूनि वेगळें राहिलेंसे दुरी । सकळां अंतरीं निर्विकार ॥२॥ रूप नाहीं रेखा नाम ही जयासी । आपुला मानसीं शिव ध्याय ॥३॥ अंत नाहीं पार वर्णा नाहीं थार । कुळ याति शिर हस्त पाद ॥४॥ अचेत चेतलें भक्ताचिया सुखें । आपुल्या कौतुकें तुका म्हणे ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Yōgī, fixing-lakṣa, see ābhāsa — that, we see, dṛṣṭi-puḍhē. Two kara at kaṭi — He stands — sāmvaḷī this prabhā, anga-kānti. Vyāpūni vēgaḷē — stands far — in all antara, nirvikāra. No rūpa-rēkhā-nāma — Śiva — in his manas — dhyāya. No anta-pāra-varṇa-thāra — no kula-jāti-śira-hasta-pāda. Acetat cetalē — for bhakta's sukha — by His own kautuka — Tuka says.

मराठी: योगी लक्ष करून आभास पाहतात — तें आम्हांला दृष्टि-पुढें दिसते. दोन कर कटीवर — उभा — सांवळी प्रभा, अंग-कांती. व्यापून-वेगळे — दूर — सकळ-अंतरीं — निर्विकार. रूप-रेखा-नाम नाही — Śiva स्वतःच्या मानसीं ध्याय. अंत-पार-वर्णा-थार नाही — कुळ-जाती-शिर-हस्त-पाद नाही. Acetat cetalē — bhakta-च्या-सुखासाठी — आपुल्या कौतुकें Tuka म्हणे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
लक्षूनियां योगी पाहाती आभास "lakṣa — yōgī — see ābhāsa"
तें दिसे आम्हांस दृष्टीपुढें "that — we see — dṛṣṭi-puḍhē"
कर दोनी कटी राहिलासे उभा "two kara at kaṭi — stands"
सांवळी हे प्रभा अंगकांती "sāmvaḷī — prabhā — anga-kānti"
व्यापूनि वेगळें राहिलेंसे दुरी "vyāpūni vēgaḷē — far"
सकळां अंतरीं निर्विकार "all antara — nirvikāra"
रूप नाहीं रेखा नाम ही जयासी "no rūpa-rēkhā-nāma"
आपुला मानसीं शिव ध्याय "Śiva — manas — dhyāya"
अंत नाहीं पार वर्णा नाहीं थार "no anta-pāra-varṇa-thāra"
कुळ याति शिर हस्त पाद "no kula-jāti-śira-hasta-pāda"
अचेत चेतलें भक्ताचिया सुखें "acetat cetalē — for bhakta-sukha"
आपुल्या कौतुकें तुका म्हणे "by His own kautuka — Tuka says"

What it means

A yōgī-strain-for-ābhāsa-we-see-direct-Pandharī-pose-Śiva-dhyāya-acetat-awoke abhang. Saguṇa-bhakti-vs-yogic-ābhāsa register. Five claims:

  1. Yōgī आभास पाहतात — आम्ही दृष्टी-पुढे. Yōgī-vs-bhakta-claim. The yōgī, fixing-lakṣa (attention), see (only) ābhāsa (a hint, a glimpse, a flash); that — we (bhaktas) see — dṛṣṭi-puḍhē (directly before our gaze). Bhaktas-see-direct-what-yōgīs-only-glimpse*.

  2. दोन कर कटीवर — सांवळी प्रभा. Pandharī-pose-claim. Two kara at the kaṭi — He stands; sāmvaḷī this prabhā, anga-kānti (body-glow). Pandharī-pose-with-sāmvaḷī-glow*.

  3. व्यापून-वेगळें — दूर — सकळ-अंतरीं — निर्विकार — रूप-रेखा-नाम नाही — Śiva-himself-dhyāya — अंत-पार-वर्णा-थार नाही — कुळ-जाती-शिर-हस्त-पाद नाही. Pervading-and-separate-claim. He pervades and yet remains separate, far; in all antara — nirvikāra; no rūpa-rēkhā-nāma; Śiva himself dhyāya Him in his manas (= even Śiva meditates this form); no anta-pāra-varṇa-thāra (no end, shore, varṇa, fixity); no kula-jāti-śira-hasta-pāda (no clan, caste, head, hand, foot). Pervading-yet-separate; nirguṇa-and-saguṇa-both.

  4. Acetat cetalē — bhakta-सुख — आपुल्या-कौतुकें. Acetat-awoke-for-bhakta-claim. The acetat (the un-aware, the un-conscious — the absolute) — *cetalē (woke-up, became-aware); for the bhakta's sukha; by His own kautuka (joyful-play). The-absolute-takes-on-awareness-as-saguṇa-for-bhakta's-sukha; out-of-His-own-joy. (This is one of the most-precise nirguṇa-becomes-saguṇa formulations.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the saguṇa-bhakti-vs-yogic-ābhāsa register:

  1. Yōgīs strain for ābhāsa; bhaktas see direct. Bhakta-sees-direct.

  2. Pandharī-pose: two-hands-at-hip, sāmvaḷī. Pose.

  3. Pervading and separate; nirvikāra; no name-form-line; even Śiva meditates Him. Pervading-yet-separate.

  4. The acetat awoke — for bhakta's sukha — by His own kautuka. Acetat-awoke.

For today: what the yōgī-with-effort gets-only-as-glimpse, the bhakta sees direct; the acetat (un-aware) awoke into the Pandharī-pose for the bhakta's sukha — by His own kautuka; He pervades and remains separate; even Śiva meditates Him.

This abhang is Tukaram's bhakta-sees-direct-and-acetat-awoke-for-bhakta-sukha register — one of the most-precise saguṇa-bhakti vindications. Compare 0694 no-praiser-equal-rūpa-by-iccha; same nirguṇa-takes-saguṇa logic but here organized through the yōgī-vs-bhakta contrast and the acetat-awoke-for-bhakta-by-kautuka claim. The acetat-cetalē phrasing is one of Tukaram's most-philosophically-precise lines.

मराठी: ही ओवी saguṇa-bhakti-vs-yogic-ābhāsa register नाव सांगते:

  1. Yōgī आभास, bhakta-direct. Bhakta-sees-direct.

  2. दोन-हात कटीवर, sāmvaḷī. Pose.

  3. Pervading-and-separate; nirvikāra; rūpa-रेखा-नाम-नाही; Śiva-स्वतः-dhyāya. Pervading-yet-separate.

  4. Acetat-cetalē — bhakta-सुख-साठी — आपुल्या-कौतुकें. Acetat-awoke.

आज: Yōgī effort-ने-आभास मिळवतो; bhakta direct पाहतो; Acetat (un-aware) Pandharī-pose-त-cetalē bhakta-च्या-सुखासाठी — His-own-kautuka-ने; Pervades-and-separate; Śiva-च dhyāya.

Tukaram च-bhakta-sees-direct-and-acetat-awoke-for-bhakta-sukha-register — Most-precise saguṇa-bhakti vindications पैकी एक. 0694 no-praiser-equal-rūpa-by-iccha compare; तीच nirguṇa-takes-saguṇa logic पण इथे yōgī-vs-bhakta contrast आणि acetat-awoke-for-bhakta-by-kautuka claim च्या मार्गाने. Acetat-cetalē phrasing Tukaram च्या most-philosophically-precise lines पैकी एक.

Where this applies

Name Bhakti

Related verses