संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 926 of 4582

Abhanga 926

You don't need elaborate rituals or the right supplies to turn toward the divine. Tukaram says he would gladly perform a proper ceremonial worship, but he has none of the materials for it, so instead he simply hands over his whole burden. What is truly good or auspicious is not something he has to figure out himself; that discernment belongs to the generous giver, and he can let go of that responsibility entirely. In the end, the deepest offering isn't incense or flowers but his very self, his body and his feelings, given over completely.

When I'd do yathā-vidhi pūjā but no provisions — and you have to recognize this register
When my whole bhāra — You, the dātāra, drive forward — and you accept this image
When the mangaḷa, You know, Nārāyaṇā — and you allow this image

The verse

यथाविधि पूजा करी । सामोग्री तोंवरि हे नाहीं ॥१॥ आतां माझा सर्व भार । तूं दातार चालविसी ॥ध्रु.॥ मंगळ तें तुम्ही जाणां । नारायणा काय तें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे समर्पिला । तुज विठ्ठला देहभाव ॥३॥

Literal translation

Yathā-vidhi pūjāsāmōgrī — none. Sarva bhāradātāracālavisi. Mangaḷa — Nārāyaṇā — know. Tuka says: samarpilā — Viṭṭhalā — dēha-bhāva.

मराठी: यथा-विधि पूजा करीन — पण त्यासाठीं सामोग्री हे नाहीं. आतां माझा सर्व भार — तूं, दातार, चालविसि. मंगळ ते तुम्हीं जाणां — Nārāyaṇā, काय ते?. Tuka म्हणे: समर्पिला — तुज, Viṭṭhalā, देह-भाव.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
यथाविधि पूजा करी "yathā-vidhi pūjā"
सामोग्री तोंवरि हे नाहीं "sāmōgrī — none"
आतां माझा सर्व भार "sarva bhāra"
तूं दातार चालविसी "dātāracālavisi"
मंगळ तें तुम्ही जाणां "mangaḷa — You — know"
नारायणा काय तें "Nārāyaṇā"
समर्पिला "samarpilā"
तुज विठ्ठला देहभाव "Viṭṭhalā — dēha-bhāva"

What it means

A would-do-yathā-vidhi-pūjā-but-no-provisions-my-whole-bhāra-You-the-dātāra-drive-forward-the-mangaḷa-You-know-Nārāyaṇā-I-have-offered-up-deha-bhāva-to-Viṭṭhalā abhang. Simple-surrender-since-no-provisions register. Three claims:

  1. यथा-विधि-पूजा-करीं — सामोग्री-नाहीं — सर्व-भार-दातार-चालविसि. No-provisions-You-drive-claim. I would doyathā-vidhi pūjā; but I have nosāmōgrī; my wholebhāra— You,dātāra,cālavisi. Without-formal-provisions-You-take-the-burden.

  2. मंगळ-तुम्ही-जाणां — Nārāyaṇā. You-know-the-mangaḷa-claim. Themangaḷa, You know; Nārāyaṇā. You-know-what-the-good-is.

  3. Tuka: समर्पिला — Viṭṭhalा-देह-भाव. Offered-deha-bhāva-claim. Tuka says: I havesamarpilāmydēha-bhāva to-You-Viṭṭhalā. Body-feeling-offered-up. (Closing-act of-offering: even-without-formal-provisions, the bhakta has offered-up-his-deha-bhāva — his very-body-and-its-feelings — and that is the real yathā-vidhi-pūjā.)

[T]

For someone today

You don't need elaborate rituals or the right supplies to turn toward the divine. Tukaram says he would gladly perform a proper ceremonial worship, but he has none of the materials for it, so instead he simply hands over his whole burden. What is truly good or auspicious is not something he has to figure out himself; that discernment belongs to the generous giver, and he can let go of that responsibility entirely. In the end, the deepest offering isn't incense or flowers but his very self, his body and his feelings, given over completely.

मराठी: देवाकडे वळण्यासाठी तुम्हाला भव्य विधी किंवा योग्य साधनसामग्रीची गरज नसते. तुकाराम म्हणतात, ते आनंदाने यथाविधी पूजा करतील, पण त्यासाठी लागणारी सामग्री त्यांच्याकडे नाही, म्हणून ते फक्त आपला सगळा भार सोपवून टाकतात. काय खरोखर शुभ आहे हे त्यांना स्वतः ठरवायचं नसतं, ते ठरवण्याचं काम त्या दातार परमेश्वराचं आहे, आणि ती जबाबदारी ते पूर्णपणे सोडून देतात. शेवटी, सर्वात खोल अर्पण म्हणजे उदबत्ती किंवा फुलं नव्हे, तर त्यांचं स्वतःचं अस्तित्व, त्यांचा देह आणि भाव, पूर्णपणे समर्पित केलेला.

Where this applies

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