संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 711 of 4582

Abhanga 711

This abhang names the Tuka-is-nothing register:

When being big doesn't suit me; let me be the dust of santas' feet — and you have to recognize this register
When no svarūpa-recognition, no vivēka, no ātmā-anātmā — and you accept this image
When Tuka is nothing — just falling-at-feet — and you receive this final position

The verse

नाहीं साजत हो मोठा । मज अळंकार खोटा ॥१॥ असें तुमचा रजरेण । संतां पायींची वाहाण ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं स्वरूपीं ओळखी । भक्तिभाव करीं देखीं ॥२॥ नाहीं शून्याकारीं । क्षर ओळखी अक्षरीं ॥३॥ नाहीं विवेक या ठायीं । आत्मा अनात्मा काई ॥४॥ कांहीं नव्हें तुका । पांयां पडने हें ऐका ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: No — sājata — being mōṭhā (doesn't suit me) — for-me — aḷankāra-khōṭā. Let-me-be — Your raja-rēṇa — santām-pāya-vāhāṇa. No svarūpa-ōḷakhī — bhakti-bhāva-karī-dēkhī. No śūnyākāra — kṣara-akṣara-ōḷakhī. No vivēka here — ātmā-anātmā — what? Tuka — kāhīm navhē — listen, this is just pāyām paḍanē.

मराठी: मोठा-होणं माझ्यासाठी साजत नाही — माझ्यावर अळंकार खोटा. असो — तुमचा रज-रेण — संतांच्या पायींची वाहाण. स्वरूपीं ओळख नाही — भक्ति-भाव-करीं-पाहीं. शून्याकारीं नाही — क्षर-अक्षरीं ओळख. विवेक या ठायीं नाही — आत्मा-अनात्मा काय?. Tuka कांहींच नाही — पांयां-पडणं हें ऐका.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
नाहीं साजत हो मोठा "no — sājata — mōṭhā (big)"
मज अळंकार खोटा "for-me — aḷankāra — khōṭā (fake)"
असें तुमचा रजरेण "let-me-be — Your raja-rēṇa"
संतां पायींची वाहाण "santām-pāya — vāhāṇa"
नाहीं स्वरूपीं ओळखी "no — svarūpa — ōḷakhī"
भक्तिभाव करीं देखीं "bhakti-bhāva — karī dēkhī"
नाहीं शून्याकारीं "no — śūnyākāra"
क्षर ओळखी अक्षरीं "kṣara — akṣara — ōḷakhī"
नाहीं विवेक या ठायीं "no — vivēka — here"
आत्मा अनात्मा काई "ātmā-anātmā — what?"
कांहीं नव्हें तुका "Tuka — kāhīm navhē"
पांयां पडने हें ऐका "pāyām paḍanē — listen — this"

What it means

A don't-suit-big-be-Your-dust-no-svarūpa-no-vivēka-just-pāya-paḍa abhang. Tuka-is-nothing register. Five claims:

  1. मोठा साजत-नाही — अळंकार-खोटा — रज-रेण असो — संत-वाहाण. Don't-suit-big-be-dust-claim. Being mōṭhā (big) doesn't sājata (suit / become)me; the aḷankāra (ornament) is khōṭā (fake / false) on me; let me be Your raja-rēṇa (dust-particle, mote-of-dust); the vāhāṇa (slipper) of santas' feet. Don't-fit-bigness-be-Your-dust-mote-or-the-slipper-at-santas-feet. (The santām pāyīmcī vāhāṇa — being-the-slipper-of-santas-feet — is one of the humblest positions in Vārkarī vocabulary.)

  2. स्वरूपीं ओळख नाही — भक्ति-भाव करीं-पाहीं. No-svarūpa-but-bhakti-bhāva-claim. No ōḷakhī (recognition) in svarūpa (true-form); (I just) do bhakti-bhāva and see. I-don't-know-svarūpa-just-do-bhakti-bhāva.

  3. शून्याकारीं-नाही — क्षर-अक्षरीं ओळख. No-śūnyākāra-just-kṣara-akṣara-claim. No (recognition) in śūnyākāra (śūnya-form, void-form); (I have) recognition only in kṣara (the perishable) through akṣara (the imperishable). I-don't-know-the-void; I-only-know-perishable-through-imperishable*.

  4. विवेक नाही — आत्मा-अनात्मा काय? No-vivēka-no-ātmā-anātmā-claim. No vivēka (discrimination) here; what (do I know of) ātmā-anātmā (self-and-not-self)?. I-don't-know-vivēka-or-ātmā-anātmā.

  5. Tuka कांहीं नव्हे — पांयां पडणं हें ऐका. Tuka-is-nothing-just-pāya-paḍa-claim. Tuka is kāhīm navhē (nothing); listen, this is just pāyām paḍanē (falling-at-feet). Tuka-is-nothing-just-pāya-paḍa. (The bhakta's only-action is pāya-paḍa* — falling-at-feet — and that's all.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Tuka-is-nothing register:

  1. Bigness doesn't suit me; let me be Your dust-mote, the slipper of santas' feet. Don't-fit-bigness.

  2. No svarūpa-recognition; just bhakti-bhāva. Just-bhakti-bhāva.

  3. No śūnyākāra; just kṣara-through-akṣara. Just-perishable-through-imperishable.

  4. No vivēka; no ātmā-anātmā. No-vivēka.

  5. Tuka is nothing — just falling-at-feet. Just-pāya-paḍa.

For today: the bhakta refuses bigness, refuses ornaments-on-himself; asks to be just raja-rēṇa — dust-mote — the vāhāṇa of santas' feet; doesn't claim svarūpa-knowledge, śūnyākāra-knowledge, vivēka, or ātmā-anātmā knowledge; just falls-at-feet — that's all.

This abhang is Tukaram's Tuka-is-nothing-just-pāya-paḍa register — one of the most-radical anti-philosophical-bhakti statements. Compare 0703 anti-form-religion-only-niraseanāst-of-āśā (Tuka's mudra); same anti-formal but here applied to philosophical knowledge (svarūpa, śūnyākāra, vivēka, ātmā-anātmā — all rejected) leaving only pāya-paḍa. The santām pāyīmcī vāhāṇa image is the most-humble position.

मराठी: ही ओवी Tuka-is-nothing register नाव सांगते:

  1. मोठा साजत-नाही; रज-रेण असो; संत-वाहाण. Don't-fit-bigness.

  2. Svarūpa-ओळख नाही; भक्ति-भाव-च. Just-bhakti-bhāva.

  3. शून्याकार नाही; क्षर-अक्षर-ओळख. Just-perishable-through-imperishable.

  4. विवेक नाही; आत्मा-अनात्मा काय?. No-vivēka.

  5. Tuka कांहीं-नव्हे; पांयां-पडणं हें ऐका. Just-pāya-paḍa.

आज: Bhakta bigness-refuse, ornaments-on-himself-refuse; फक्त raja-rēṇa — dust-mote — santas च्या-vāhāṇa विनवतो; Svarūpa-knowledge, śūnyākāra, vivēka, ātmā-anātmā-knowledge claim नाही; फक्त pāya-paḍa — एवढं च.

Tukaram च-Tuka-is-nothing-just-pāya-paḍa-register — Most-radical anti-philosophical-bhakti statements पैकी एक. 0703 anti-form-religion-only-niraseanāst-of-āśā (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच anti-formal पण इथे philosophical knowledge (svarūpa, śūnyākāra, vivēka, ātmā-anātmā — सर्व rejected) leaving only pāya-paḍa. Santām pāyīmcī vāhāṇa image most-humble position.

Where this applies

Sant-sang / Sant-pūjā Bhakti

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