Abhanga 1057

Only someone who has staked their life on a path and lived it through hardship truly enjoys its rewards; knowing the teaching makes you wise, but doing it makes you the one who benefits.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A the-warrior's-pleasure-is-known-to-the-warrior-alone-therefore-he-has-made-his-life-the-stake-incoming-bullets-and-arrows-he-endured-the-dense-barrage-boundless-rain-pouring-above-when-battle-falls-must-stand-before-the-master-then-the-decoration-shows-its-glory-the-warriors-have-enjoyed-boundless-pleasure-pure-and-steady-inside-and-out-by-these-marks-of-the-doctrine-the-knower-is-wise-the-doer-is-the-enjoyer abhang. Knower-is-śāhāṇa-doer-is-bhōgī register. Continuation of the paika-prakaraṇa from 1056. Five claims:

1. पाईकी-सुख-पाईक-ठाव — जीव-साटी. Life-staked-claim. Pāikī's sukha is known to the pāika alone;therefore (he) has made (his) jīva the sāṭī (stake).

2. गोळी-बाण-भडमार — अपार-वृष्टी. Endured-barrage-claim. Incominggōḷī-bāṇa, (he) sāhilē the bhaḍa-māra (dense barrage); apāra vrṣṭi (rain) varī (above).

3. स्वामी-पुढें-भांडण — मंडन-शोभा. Stand-before-master-claim. Whenbhāṇḍaṇafalls — must stand before thesvāmī;then the maṇḍana (decoration, ornament) shows śōbhā.

4. पाईक-अपार-सुख — शुद्ध-धीर-अंतर्-बाह. Pure-and-steady-inside-and-out-claim. Pāikas have enjoyed apāra sukha;śuddha and dhīrabothantar-bāhī.

5. Tuka: सिद्धांत-खुणा — जाणे-शाहाणा — करी-भोगी. Knower-doer-claim. Tuka says: by thesesiddhānta-khuṇā (marks of the doctrine); the knower isśāhāṇa (wise), the doer is thebhōgī (enjoyer). (Knowing makes wise; doing alone enjoys.)

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For someone today

Tukaram continues his image of the devoted warrior servant: only someone who has actually staked their life on this path knows what its happiness feels like, because they have endured real hardship, like arrows and a downpour of attacks, to get there. When trouble comes, you have to stand firm before your master, and that is when your true character finally shows its worth. Tukaram makes a sharp distinction here: knowing the teaching makes you wise, but only actually living it lets you enjoy its rewards. Understanding a truth and practicing it are not the same thing, and only practice gives you the real experience.

मराठी: तुकाराम समर्पित सेवक-योद्ध्याची प्रतिमा पुढे नेतात: ज्याने खरोखर आपला जीव या मार्गावर पणाला लावला आहे त्यालाच त्याचे सुख कसे असते हे कळते, कारण तिथवर पोहोचण्यासाठी त्याने बाणांचा आणि हल्ल्यांच्या वर्षावासारखा खरा त्रास सोसलेला असतो. संकट आले की स्वामीसमोर ठाम उभे राहावे लागते, आणि तेव्हाच खरे चारित्र्य आपली किंमत दाखवते. तुकाराम इथे स्पष्ट फरक करतात: शिकवण जाणणे शहाणपणा देते, पण ती प्रत्यक्ष जगणेच त्याचे फळ भोगू देते. एखादे सत्य समजणे आणि ते प्रत्यक्षात आणणे यात फरक आहे, आणि फक्त कृतीच खरा अनुभव देते.

Where this applies

• Life-staked. Jīvē-sāṭī.
• Endured-barrage. Bhaḍa-māra.
• Stand-before-master. Maṇḍana.
• Pure-steady. Antar-bāhī.
• Knower-doer. Śāhāṇa-bhōgī.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is