संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 752 of 4582

Abhanga 752

God's title as saviour of the fallen only means something because the fallen exist first, much as a touchstone's fame needs iron, and a wish-tree needs a petitioner asking for something.

When if I weren't fallen, You couldn't be pāvana — and you have to recognize this register

When iron makes the parisa's fame; else stone — and you accept this image

When yācaka-bhāva makes the kalpa-taru honored — and you receive this final claim

The verse

जरी मी नव्हतों पतित । तरि तूं पावन कैंचा येथ ॥१॥ म्हणोनि माझें नाम आधीं । मग तूं पावन कृपानिधी ॥ध्रु.॥ लोहो महिमान परिसा । नाहीं तरीं दगड जैसा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे याचकभावें । कल्पतरु मान पावे ॥३॥

Literal translation

If — I — navhatōm patita — then — You — pāvana — where — here? So — my name — first — then — You — pāvana-kṛpā-nidhi. Lōhō — parisā's mahimāna — else — dagaḍa — like. Tuka says: yācaka-bhāve — kalpa-taru — māna pāvē.

मराठी: जर मी पतित नव्हतो — तर तूं पावन कैंचा येथ?. म्हणून माझं नाम आधीं — मग तूं पावन-कृपा-निधी. लोहो — परिसा-चं महिमान — नाही तर दगड-जैसा. Tuka म्हणे: याचक-भावें — कल्प-तरु मान पावे.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
जरी मी नव्हतों पतित	"if — I — navhatōm — patita"
तरि तूं पावन कैंचा येथ	"then — You — pāvana — where — here"
म्हणोनि माझें नाम आधीं	"so — my name — first"
मग तूं पावन कृपानिधी	"then — You — pāvana-kṛpā-nidhi"
लोहो महिमान परिसा	"lōhō — mahimāna — parisā"
नाहीं तरीं दगड जैसा	"else — dagaḍa jaisā"
याचकभावें कल्पतरु मान पावे	"yācaka-bhāve — kalpa-taru — māna pāvē"

What it means

A if-I-not-patita-You-not-pāvana-my-name-first-then-Yours-iron-makes-parisa's-fame-yācaka-makes-kalpa-taru-honored abhang. Theological-paradox register. Three claims:

जर मी पतित-न-होतो — तू पावन-कैंचा — माझं-नाम-आधीं — मग तू पावन-कृपा-निधी. If-I-not-patita-You-not-pāvana-claim. If I hadnotbeenpatita (fallen) — then where would Yourpāvana(saviour-of-the-fallen) status have come from?; so my name (must come) first; then You,pāvana-kṛpā-nidhi. Bhakta's-fall-creates-the-occasion-for-deva's-saving-glory; my-name-first-then-Yours. (This is one of the most-celebrated theological-paradoxes in bhakti: God's title pāvana (saviour-of-the-fallen) requires patitas to exist; the bhakta's fallen-status is prior to and enables the deva's pāvana-status.)
लोहो — परिसा-महिमान — नाहीं-तर दगड-जैसा. Iron-makes-parisa-fame-claim. Thelōhō(iron) is theparisa'smahimāna(greatness); else (without iron to turn-to-gold), (the parisa) is just like adagaḍa(stone). Iron-needed-to-show-parisa's-power.
Tuka: याचक-भावें — कल्प-तरु मान-पावे. Yācaka-makes-kalpa-taru-honored-claim. Tuka says: byyācaka-bhāve(the begging-stance of the petitioner); thekalpa-taru(wish-fulfilling-tree) gets itsmāna(honor). Yācaka-makes-the-tree's-honor; without-the-petitioner, the-tree-is-just-a-tree.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram argues that if he had never fallen, God would have no occasion to be called the saviour of the fallen — so his own name, the sinner's name, must come first, and only then can God's name as the compassionate saviour follow. It's like the touchstone: without iron to turn to gold, it is worth no more than an ordinary stone. In the same way, Tukaram says, it takes a petitioner asking with a beggar's humility to give the wish-fulfilling tree any honor at all.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात, मी जर पतित नसतो, तर तुला इथे पावन म्हणण्याचे काहीच कारण उरले नसते — म्हणून माझे नाव आधी, आणि मगच तुझे कृपानिधी, पावन हे नाव येते. हे परिसासारखे आहे — लोखंड नसेल तर परीस केवळ एक दगडासारखाच असतो. त्याचप्रमाणे, तुकाराम म्हणतात, याचकाच्या भावाने मागणी करणारा कोणीतरी असेल तरच कल्पतरूला मान मिळतो.

Where this applies

Patita-pāvana. Mutual-dependence.
Iron-parisa. Analogy.
Yācaka-kalpa-taru. Analogy.