संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 804 of 4582

Abhanga 804

Since God is beyond mind and words, love and simple devotion, not ritual or intellect, are the only means by which the infinite can be reached.

When sva-rūpa is beyond mana-vāca; bhakti is the only māpa — and you have to recognize this register
When we offer sēvā by bhōḷē-bhāva — accept it, Kēśava — and you receive this final petition

The verse

मनवाचातीत तुझें हें स्वरूप । म्हणोनियां माप भक्ति केलें ॥१॥ भक्तीचिया मापें मोजितों अनंता । इतरानें तत्वता न मोजवे ॥ध्रु.॥ योग याग तपें देहाचिया योगें । ज्ञानाचिया लागें न सांपडेसी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही भोळ्या भावें सेवा । घ्यावी जी केशवा करितों ऐसी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Mana-vāca-tīta — Your — sva-rūpa — therefore — māpabhakti. Bhakti-māpa — measure — Ananta — other — tatvatā — not — measure. Yoga-yāga-tapadeha-yōgajñāna-lāga — not — caught. Tuka says: bhōḷē-bhāvasēvā — accept — Kēśava — do — like-this.

मराठी: मन-वाचा-तीत तुझें हें स्व-रूप — म्हणोनियां माप भक्ति केलें. भक्तीच्या मापें मोजितों Ananta — इतरानें तत्वता न मोजवे. Yoga-yāga-तप — देहाच्या-योगें — ज्ञानाच्या-लागें — न-सांपडेसि. Tuka म्हणे: आम्ही भोळ्या भावें सेवा — घ्यावी जी, Kēśava, करितों ऐसी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
मनवाचातीत तुझें हें स्वरूप "mana-vāca-tīta — Your sva-rūpa"
म्हणोनियां माप भक्ति केलें "therefore — māpabhakti"
भक्तीचिया मापें मोजितों अनंता "bhakti-māpa — measure — Ananta"
इतरानें तत्वता न मोजवे "other — tatvatā — not measure"
योग याग तपें देहाचिया योगें "yoga-yāga-tapadeha-yōga"
ज्ञानाचिया लागें न सांपडेसी "jñāna-lāga — not caught"
भोळ्या भावें सेवा "bhōḷē-bhāvasēvā"
घ्यावी जी केशवा करितों ऐसी "accept — Kēśava — do — like-this"

What it means

A sva-rūpa-beyond-mana-vāca-bhakti-only-māpa-yoga-jñāna-can't-catch-bhōḷē-bhāva-sēvā-accept abhang. Bhakti-only-measures-Ananta register. Three claims:

  1. मन-वाचा-तीत-Your-sva-rūpa — माप-भक्ति-केलें — भक्ति-मापें-Ananta-मोजितों — इतर-तत्वता-न-मोजवे. Bhakti-only-māpa-claim. Yoursva-rūpaisbeyond mana-vāca; therefore — bhakti is the (only)māpa; withbhakti'smāpa, I measureAnanta (the Endless);by other (means), tatvatā (truly) it cannot-be-measured.Mana-vāca-can't-reach; only-bhakti-measure-Ananta.

  2. Yoga-yāga-तप — देह-योग — ज्ञान-लाग — न-सांपडेसि. Yoga-jñāna-can't-catch-claim. Yoga-yāga-tapa — by deha's yōga (bodily-yoga);by jñāna's lāga (chase, pursuit);You are not caught (sāmpaḍēsi).Yoga-yāga-jñāna-fail.

  3. Tuka: भोळ्या-भावें-सेवा — घ्यावी, Kēśava — करितों-ऐसी. Bhōḷē-bhāva-sēvā-accept-claim. Tuka says: we (offer)sēvābybhōḷē-bhāva(simple-mind, naïve-feeling); accept it,Kēśava; we do it like-this. Bhōḷē-bhāva-sēvā-accept.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram says God's true form is beyond the reach of the mind and beyond the reach of words, so love, not intellect, is the only instrument capable of measuring the infinite. Rituals, yoga, austerities, and even deep philosophical knowledge cannot catch hold of God through effort of the body or the mind. What works instead is simple, unguarded devotion: Tukaram says he and others like him offer their service with a plain, trusting heart, and asks God to accept it just as it is. You do not need to be a scholar or an ascetic to reach the divine; a sincere, uncomplicated love will do what cleverness cannot.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की परमेश्वराचे खरे स्वरूप मन आणि वाणीच्या पलीकडचे आहे, त्यामुळे बुद्धी नव्हे तर भक्ती हेच एकमेव साधन आहे ज्याने त्या अनंताला मोजता येते. योग, यज्ञ, तप किंवा नुसते ज्ञान यांच्या साह्याने शरीराच्या किंवा बुद्धीच्या प्रयत्नाने परमेश्वराला पकडता येत नाही. त्याऐवजी साधी, निर्व्याज भक्तीच काम करते. तुकाराम म्हणतात की आम्ही भोळ्या भावाने सेवा करतो आणि केशवाला विनंती करतो की ती जशी आहे तशी स्वीकार करावी. परमेश्वरापर्यंत पोहोचण्यासाठी विद्वान किंवा तपस्वी असण्याची गरज नाही; प्रामाणिक आणि साधे प्रेम पुरेसे आहे.

Where this applies

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