संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 893 of 4582

Abhanga 893

English: Pantha — walk — ṭhāya — pāvijē.

When the path must be walked to reach the place; hearing reports is useless — and you have to recognize this register
When by good-form, I fall at (your) feet; bhāva isn't the way-to-go — and you accept this image
When the virgin-mother's anubhava can't be told — and you allow this image

The verse

चालावा पंथ तो पाविजे त्या ठाया । ऐकिल्या वांयां वारता त्या ॥१॥ ऐका जी वोजे पडतसें पायां । भावाचि तें जायावाट नव्हे ॥ध्रु.॥ व्याली कुमारीचा अनुभवें अनुभव । सांगतां तो भाव येत नाहीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे येथें पाहिजे आरालें । बिंबीं निवळलें तरि भासे ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Pantha — walk — ṭhāya — pāvijē. Aikilyā — vārtā — vāyām. Vōjē — pāyā. Bhāva — jāyāvāṭa — none. Vyālī kumārī — anubhava — bhāva — none-told. Tuka says: ārāla — bimba — bhāsē.

मराठी: पंथ चालावा — तो ठाया पाविजे — ऐकिल्या वांयां वार्ता त्या. ऐका जी, वोजे (शिष्टाचार-नं) पायां पडतसें — भाव-च तो जाया-वाट नव्हे. व्याली-कुमारीच्या अनुभवांचा अनुभव — सांगतां तो भाव येत नाहीं. Tuka म्हणे: येथें पाहिजे आरालें (निर्मळ आरसा) — बिंबीं निवळलें तरि भासे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
चालावा पंथ तो पाविजे त्या ठाया "pantha — pāvijē — ṭhāya"
ऐकिल्या वांयां वारता त्या "aikilyā — vāyām — vārtā"
ऐका जी वोजे पडतसें पायां "listen — vōjē — pāyā"
भावाचि तें जायावाट नव्हे "bhāva — jāyāvāṭa — none"
व्याली कुमारीचा अनुभवें अनुभव "vyālī kumārī — anubhava"
सांगतां तो भाव येत नाहीं "telling — bhāva — none"
येथें पाहिजे आरालें "ārāla"
बिंबीं निवळलें तरि भासे "bimba — settled — appears"

What it means

A path-must-be-walked-to-reach-the-place-hearing-useless-by-vōjē-I-fall-at-feet-bhāva-isn't-the-way-virgin-mother's-anubhava-can't-be-told-here-clear-mirror-needed-only-then-appears-in-the-bimba abhang. Must-walk-the-path register. Three claims:

  1. पंथ-चालावा-ठाया-पाविजे — ऐकिल्या-वांयां — वोजे-पायां-पडतसें — भाव-जाया-वाट-नव्हे. Path-walked-claim. The pantha must be cālāvā — that ṭhāya is pāvijē; aikilyā vārtā are vāyām; listen, by vōjē (proper-form, courtesy), I fall at (your) pāyā; the bhāva itself is not the jāyāvāṭa. Walk-the-path; hearing-doesn't-suffice; bhāva is not the path-itself. (Subtle distinction: even bhāva (intent / sentiment) doesn't itself carry — the path must be walked.)

  2. व्याली-कुमारीचा-अनुभव — सांगतां-येत-नाहीं. Virgin-mother's-anubhava-untellable-claim. (As) the anubhava of the experiences of a vyālī kumārī (an impossibility); when sāngatām, that bhāva doesn't *yēta. Inexpressible-experience. (The vyālī kumārī image: a virgin-who-has-given-birth — a paradox / impossibility — is the figure for what cannot be expressed. The bhakti-anubhava is similarly of a kind that resists telling.)

  3. Tuka: आरालें — बिंबीं-निवळलें-भासे. Clear-mirror-only-then-appears-claim. Tuka says: here, an ārāla (a clear / polished mirror) is needed; only-then it bhāsē (appears) settled in the bimba (the mirror-image). Need-clear-mirror; only-then-the-image-settles-and-appears. (Closing-image: a cleared mirror is needed — the unsteady-mirror won't show the bimba (image). Only when settled can it appear*.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the must-walk-the-path register:

  1. Path must be walked; hearing reports is useless; bhāva itself isn't the way. Walk-not-just-bhāva.

  2. Virgin-mother's anubhava can't be told. Untellable.

  3. Here a clear mirror is needed; only then the bimba appears. Clear-mirror.

For today: the pantha must be cālāvā to pāvijē the ṭhāya; aikilyā vārtā are *vāyām; by vōjē, I fall at (your) pāyā; the bhāva itself is not the jāyāvāṭa; the anubhava of the vyālī kumārī — when sāngatām, the bhāva doesn't yēta; here, ārāla is needed; only-then it bhāsē settled in the bimba.

This abhang is Tukaram's must-walk-the-path-and-clear-mirror-only-then register — one of the most-precise sādhana-and-anubhava statements. Compare 0889 saying-isn't-doing-must-actually-eat (Tuka's mudra); same resolve-vs-act distinction but here organized through vyālī-kumārī-anubhava and clear-mirror. The bimbī nivaḷalē tari bhāsē (only then it appears settled in the bimba) is the precise clear-mirror image*.

मराठी: ही ओवी must-walk-the-path register नाव सांगते:

  1. पंथ-चालावा; भाव-वाट-नव्हे. Walk-not-just-bhāva.

  2. व्याली-कुमारीचा-अनुभव. Untellable.

  3. आरालें; बिंबी-भासे. Clear-mirror.

आज: Pantha चालावा — ṭhāya pāvijē; Aikilyā vārtā vāyām; Vōjē pāyā; bhāva-jāyāvāṭa नव्हे; Vyālī kumārī-चा anubhava — sāngatām bhāva येत नाहीं; Ārāla पाहिजे; bimba nivaḷalē तरि bhāsē.

Tukaram च-must-walk-the-path-and-clear-mirror-only-then-register — Most-precise sādhana-and-anubhava statements पैकी एक. 0889 saying-isn't-doing-must-actually-eat (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच resolve-vs-act distinction पण इथे vyālī-kumārī-anubhava आणि clear-mirror च्या मार्गाने. Bimbī nivaḷalē tari bhāsē precise clear-mirror image.

Where this applies

Bhakti Mother / Family bond must-walk-the-path

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