संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 841 of 4582

Abhanga 841

This abhang names the head-at-saints'-feet register:

When the sukha can't be told; the mouth is not enough for kīrti — and you have to recognize this register
When with longing serve; hold the jīva-thing in the jīva itself — and you accept this image
When no upamā is comparable to this lābha; the head, won't lift, placed at the saints' feet — and you receive this final image

The verse

सांगतां हें नये सुख । कीर्ती मुख न पुरे ॥१॥ आवडीनें सेवन करू । जीवींचें धरूं जीवीं च ॥ध्रु.॥ उपमा या देतां लाभा । काशा शोभा सारिखी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नुचलीं डोई । ठेविली पायीं संतांचे ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Telling — this — doesn't-come — sukha. Kīrtimukha — not — purē. With-āvaḍīsēvana — let-us-do. Jīvīcē — let-us-hold — jīvī. Upamā — to-this — lābha. Kāśāśōbhāsārikhī. Tuka says: won't-lift — ḍōī — placed — pāyīsanta.

मराठी: सांगतां, हें सुख नये (समजत नाही) — कीर्तीला मुख पुरत नाहीं. आवडीनें सेवन करूं — जीवींचें जीवीं च धरूं. ह्या लाभा-ला उपमा देतांना — काशा (बनारस / कांती) सारिखी कोणती शोभा?. Tuka म्हणे: डोई नुचलीं — संतांच्या पायीं ठेविली.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
सांगतां हें नये सुख "telling — this — doesn't-come — sukha"
कीर्ती मुख न पुरे "kīrtimukha — not — purē"
आवडीनें सेवन करू "with-āvaḍīsēvana — let-us-do"
जीवींचें धरूं जीवीं च "jīvīcē — let-us-hold — jīvī"
उपमा या देतां लाभा "upamā — to-this — lābha"
काशा शोभा सारिखी "kāśāśōbhāsārikhī"
नुचलीं डोई "won't-lift — ḍōī"
ठेविली पायीं संतांचे "placed — pāyīsanta"

What it means

A can't-be-told-mouth-not-enough-with-longing-serve-hold-jīva-in-jīva-no-upamā-comparable-head-won't-lift-placed-at-saints'-feet abhang. Head-at-saints'-feet register. Three claims:

  1. सांगतां-नये-सुख — कीर्ती-मुख-न-पुरे — आवडीनें-सेवन — जीवींचें-जीवीं. Can't-be-told-and-with-longing-serve-claim. When (one) tells (it), this sukha doesn't (come — i.e., doesn't get-conveyed); for *kīrti (praise, the singing-of-the-glory), the mukha is not purē (enough — the mouth-can't-suffice); with āvaḍī let-us sēvana karūm (do the serving); the jīvīcē (jīva-thing) — let-us hold (it) in the jīva itself. Mouth-can't-tell; with-longing-serve; hold-the-jīva-thing-in-the-jīva. (The jīvīcē jīvīm ci dharūm image: the inner-content can't-be-spoken-out; it must-be-held in the jīva itself.)

  2. उपमा-दणं — काशा-शोभा-सारिखी. No-upamā-comparable-claim. When giving an upamā to this *lābha (gain); what śōbhā (beauty) is sārikhī (comparable) to *kāśā (Banares / kāśā as adjective: effulgent / radiant)?no comparison. No-upamā-comparable-to-this-lābha. (The upamā of kāśā-śōbhā — the radiance-of-Banares / the kāśā-radiance — is the highest-comparison in the Marathi-poet's vocabulary; even-this is hardly-comparable to the lābha of santa-bhēṭi*.)

  3. Tuka: डोई-नुचलीं — संतांच्या-पायीं-ठेविली. Head-at-saints'-feet-claim. Tuka says: the ḍōī (head) *won't-lift(it) has been placed at the pāyī of the *santas. Head-placed-at-saints'-feet. (Closing-image of complete-prostration: the head is placed at the saints' feet and won't lift — won't get-up. The head-and-feet-touch is canonical-bhakti-respect; the head won't-lift-up means the bhakta is fully prostrated*, won't rise.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the head-at-saints'-feet register:

  1. Telling can't convey this sukha; mouth not enough for kīrti. Can't-be-told.

  2. With longing, serve; hold the jīva-thing in the jīva itself. Hold-jīva-in-jīva.

  3. No upamā comparable; head won't lift, placed at the saints' feet. Head-at-feet.

For today: (this sukha of santa-bhēṭi) when-told doesn't ; the mukha is not purē for *kīrti; with āvaḍī, sēvana karūm; the jīvīcēhold (it) in the jīva* itself; no upamā, even kāśā-śōbhā, is sārikhī; the ḍōī won't lift — placed at the santas' pāyī*.

This abhang is Tukaram's can't-be-told-and-head-at-saints'-feet registerone of the most-tender santa-bhēṭi-result-statements. Compare 0840 fortunate-journey-and-toil-came-to-fruit (Tuka's mudra); same santa-bhēṭi-celebration but here organized around can't-be-told and head-at-saints'-feet. The nucalī ḍōī ṭhēvilī pāyīm santāñcē (the head won't lift — placed at the saints' feet) is the precise complete-prostration image*.

मराठी: ही ओवी head-at-saints'-feet register नाव सांगते:

  1. सांगतां-नये-सुख; मुख-पुरें-नाहीं. Can't-be-told.

  2. आवडीनें-सेवन; जीवीं-धरूं. Hold-jīva-in-jīva.

  3. उपमा-कोण; डोई-संतांच्या-पायीं. Head-at-feet.

आज: Santa-bhēṭi-चं sukha सांगता नाहीं; mukha kīrti-ला purē नाहीं; Āvaḍī-नं sēvana karūm; jīvīcē jīvī-त-च dharūm; Upamā, kāśā-śōbhā सुद्धा, sārikhī नाहीं; Ḍōī nucalīsanta-च्या pāyī ठेविली.

Tukaram च-can't-be-told-and-head-at-saints'-feet-registerMost-tender santa-bhēṭi-result-statements पैकी एक. 0840 fortunate-journey-and-toil-came-to-fruit (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच santa-bhēṭi-celebration पण इथे can't-be-told आणि head-at-saints'-feet च्या मार्गाने. Nucalī ḍōī ṭhēvilī pāyīm santāñcē precise complete-prostration image.

Where this applies

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