संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 931 of 4582

Abhanga 931

Real good fortune is not wealth or family but nearness to saints, and that nearness is worth making a lifelong inheritance you give yourself to completely.

When wherever you go, the forehead goes along — but the lābha is special by santa-sanga — and you have to recognize this register
When if past-puṇya is favorable, no obstacle-root sprouts there — and you accept this image
When bhāgya is not wealth, sons, wife — but close vāsa at santas' feet — and you allow this image

The verse

जेथें जावें तेथें कपाळ सरिसें । लाभ तो विशेषें संतसंगें ॥१॥ पूर्व पुण्यें जरि होतीं सानुकूळ । अंतरायमूळ नुपजे तेथें ॥ध्रु.॥ भाग्य तरी नव्हे धन पुत्र दारा । निकट वास बरा संतांपायीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हे चि करावी मिरासी । बळी संतांपाशीं द्यावा जीव ॥३॥

Literal translation

Kapāḷasarisē. Lābhasanta-sanga. Pūrva-puṇyasānukūḷa. Antarāya-mūḷanupajē. Bhāgyadhana-putra-dārā — none. Nikaṭa vāsasantāñ-pāyī. Tuka says: mirāsībaḷijīva.

मराठी: जेथें जावें तेथें कपाळ सरिसें (बरोबर) — लाभ तो विशेषें संत-संगें. पूर्व-पुण्यें जरि सानुकूळ होतीं — अंतराय-मूळ तेथें न-उपजे. भाग्य तरी धन-पुत्र-दारा नव्हे — निकट वास बरा संतां-पायीं. Tuka म्हणे: हे-च मिरासी करावी — बळी संतां-पाशीं जीव द्यावा.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
जेथें जावें तेथें कपाळ सरिसें "wherever — kapāḷasarisē"
लाभ तो विशेषें संतसंगें "lābhaviśēṣēsanta-sanga"
पूर्व पुण्यें जरि होतीं सानुकूळ "pūrva-puṇyasānukūḷa"
अंतरायमूळ नुपजे तेथें "antarāya-mūḷanupajē"
भाग्य तरी नव्हे धन पुत्र दारा "bhāgyadhana-putra-dārā — none"
निकट वास बरा संतांपायीं "nikaṭa vāsasantāñ-pāyī"
हे चि करावी मिरासी "mirāsī"
बळी संतांपाशीं द्यावा जीव "baḷijīva"

What it means

A wherever-you-go-forehead-goes-along-special-lābha-by-santa-sanga-if-past-puṇya-favorable-no-obstacle-root-sprouts-bhāgya-not-wealth-sons-wife-but-close-vāsa-at-santas-feet-make-this-our-mirāsī-give-jīva-as-baḷi-at-santas-side abhang. Give-jīva-as-baḷi-at-santas'-feet register. Three claims:

  1. कपाळ-सरिसें — लाभ-संत-संगें-विशेषें — पूर्व-पुण्य-सानुकूळ — अंतराय-न-उपजे. Forehead-goes-but-santa-sanga-special-claim. Wherever,kapāḷagoes along; butlābhais special bysanta-sanga; ifpūrva-puṇyaissānukūḷa, antarāya-mūḷa doesn't upajē. Past-fate-goes-with-but-santa-sanga-overrides-with-pūrva-puṇya.

  2. भाग्य-धन-पुत्र-दारा-नव्हे — निकट-वास-संतां-पायीं. Real-bhāgya-claim. Bhāgya is not dhana-putra-dārā; thenikaṭa vāsaat thesantāñ-pāyīisbarā. Real-fortune-is-close-residence-at-saints'-feet.

  3. Tuka: मिरासी-करावी — बळी-संतांपाशीं-जीव. Make-mirāsī-give-jīva-claim. Tuka says: make thismirāsī; give thejīvaasbaḷiat thesantām-pāśī. Make-it-heritable; offer-the-jīva-as-bali. (The baḷi image: like the animal-sacrifice offered to a deity, give the jīva itself as offering at the saints' side.)

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For someone today

Tukaram says your fate follows you wherever you go, but the real gain in life comes specifically from keeping company with saints. When past merit is favorable, that company keeps obstacles from ever taking root in you. True good fortune is not wealth, children, or a spouse, but simply staying close to the feet of saints. Tukaram says make this closeness your permanent inheritance, something you pass on, and be willing to give your very life at the saints' side.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की माणसाचे नशीब त्याच्या पाठीशी सगळीकडे असते, पण खरा फायदा मात्र संतांच्या संगतीतूनच मिळतो. मागील पुण्य अनुकूल असेल तर या संगतीत कोणतीही अडचण मुळातच उगवत नाही. खरे भाग्य म्हणजे धन, मुलगा किंवा पत्नी नव्हे, तर संतांच्या पायांशी जवळ राहणे हेच खरे भाग्य आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात हीच जवळीक आपली कायमची मिरासी करावी आणि संतांपाशी आपला जीवही अर्पण करण्याची तयारी ठेवावी.

Where this applies

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