Abhanga 827
Seeing the divine in every being does not mean giving up discernment: real teaching still separates truth from error, and straying off the disciplined path leads only to thorns.
The verse
भूतीं भगवंत । हा तों जाणतों संकेत ॥१॥ भारी मोकलितों वाण । ज्याचा त्यासी कळे गुण ॥ध्रु.॥ करावा उपदेश । निवडोनि तरि दोष ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे वाटे । चुकतां आडरानें कांटे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bhūta — Bhagavanta. This — I-know — sankēta. Heavily — release — vāṇa. Of-whose — to-him — knows — guṇa. Give — upadēśa — distinguishing — dōṣa. Tuka says: on-vāṭa — straying — āḍa-rāna — kāṇṭē.
मराठी: भूतांत भगवंत आहे — हा संकेत मी जाणतों. भारी (खूप) वाण मोकलित आहें — ज्याचा त्याला त्या-त्या-गुण समजतो. उपदेश करावा — पण दोष निवडोनि. Tuka म्हणे: वाटेनं चालताना — चुकलं तर आड-रानांत काटे.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| भूतीं भगवंत | "bhūta — Bhagavanta" |
| हा तों जाणतों संकेत | "this — I-know — sankēta" |
| भारी मोकलितों वाण | "heavily — release — vāṇa (goods)" |
| ज्याचा त्यासी कळे गुण | "of-whose — to-him — knows — guṇa" |
| करावा उपदेश | "should-give — upadēśa" |
| निवडोनि तरि दोष | "distinguishing — yet — dōṣa" |
| वाटे | "on-vāṭa (path)" |
| चुकतां आडरानें कांटे | "(if-)stray — āḍa-rāna — kāṇṭē (thorns)" |
What it means
A bhagavanta-in-all-bhūtas-sankēta-known-vāṇa-released-each-knows-quality-give-upadeśa-distinguishing-doṣa-stray-off-path-thorns abhang. Sankēta-known-and-distinguishing-judgment register. Three claims:
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भूतीं-भगवंत — संकेत-जाणतों — वाण-भारी-मोकलितों — ज्याचा-त्यासी-कळे-गुण. Bhagavanta-in-all-bhūtas-and-each-knows-own-quality-claim. Bhagavanta (the divine) is in (all) bhūtas—this, indeed, I know as a sankēta (the recognized-signal of the tradition);heavily, I let-loose the vāṇa (= the vāṇa-of-words / merchandise — Tuka the grocer's image);each one knows the guṇa (quality) of his-own (= each receiver knows what fits-his-share).Bhagavanta-everywhere-and-each-discerns-his-own-quality.
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उपदेश-करावा — पण-निवडोनि-दोष. Give-upadeśa-distinguishing-doṣa-claim. One should giveupadēśa; yet (do so)nivaḍōni(distinguishing) thedōṣa(fault, error). Teach, but distinguish the fault — don't approve everything. (Tuka's careful judgment: bhagavanta-in-all-bhūtas does not mean non-discrimination; the upadēśa must still distinguish guṇa from dōṣa.)
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Tuka: वाटेनं — चुकलं-तर-आड-रानांत-कांटे. Stray-off-path-thorns-warning-claim. Tuka says: on thevāṭa; if (one)chukatām (strays, errs), the āḍa-rāna (off-path wilderness) (has) kāṇṭē (thorns).Stray-off-path-and-the-wilderness-of-thorns-awaits. (Closing-warning: deviation-from-the-path leads-to-thorns.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram teaches that the divine lives in every being, but that truth is not an excuse to stop using your judgment. He compares himself to a merchant releasing a heavy load of goods; his words and teaching are given freely, yet it is up to each listener to recognize what is genuinely useful for them. Teaching and guidance should still tell truth from error, because accepting everything without discernment is not the same thing as seeing God everywhere. If you wander off the marked path in the name of open-mindedness, Tuka warns, you will end up in wild ground full of thorns.
मराठी: तुकाराम सांगतात की परमेश्वर प्रत्येक जिवामध्ये वसतो, पण हे सत्य आपला विवेक सोडण्याचं कारण होऊ शकत नाही. ते स्वतःला व्यापाऱ्यासारखं मानतात, भरभरून माल म्हणजे शब्द व उपदेश देतात, पण प्रत्येकानं आपापल्या कुवतीनुसार त्यातलं सार ओळखायचं असतं. उपदेश देताना चूक आणि बरोबर यातला फरक करणं आवश्यक आहे; सर्वकाही निमूटपणे स्वीकारणं म्हणजे सर्वत्र ईश्वर पाहणं नव्हे. वाटेवरून चुकून आडरानात गेलात, तर तिथे काटेच काटे सापडतात, असा तुकोबांचा इशारा आहे.
Where this applies
- Sankēta known. Tradition-signal.
- Each knows quality. Self-discernment.
- Distinguish doṣa. Careful-teaching.
- Stray = thorns. Warning.