Abhanga 1065

Real devotion is proven by wholehearted, committed effort, not by talk, the way a true warrior faces forward instead of fleeing.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A in-the-people-the-warrior-is-the-leader-of-the-line-for-the-stomach-some-are-any-old-way-one-step-ahead-of-others-they-retreat-those-who-flee-are-cut-blow-on-the-back-they-call-him-broken-warrior-body-front-courage-gets-the-honor-the-body-that-becomes-the-raid-that-warrior-strikes-all-devours-everything-not-by-speech-the-vow-of-effort-reaches-fulfillment abhang. Kamāī-paṇa-reaches-siddhi register. Five claims:

1. प्रजी-पाईक-नायक — पोट-जैशीं-तैशीं. Some-fight-for-stomach-claim. In theprajā, the pāīka is the nāyaka of the vōḷī;for-pōṭa (stomach), some are jaiśīm-taiśīm (any-old-way).

2. आगळ-पाऊल — पळती-तोडिजे. Fleeing-cut-claim. Oneāgaḷē pāūla (foot-step ahead)—āṇikāmsi,paḷatī māghārī (others retreat back); those who flee gettōḍijē (cut).

3. पाठी-घाय-फटमर — धडा-अंग-शूर-मान. Body-front-honor-claim. Blow on thepāṭhī, they call him phaṭamara (broken-warrior, the disgrace-name for one struck on the back-while-fleeing); dhaḍā anga (body-front) śūra gets the māna.

4. दरवडा-देह — मारी-सकळीक-हरी. Body-becomes-raid-claim. Thedēhathat becomesdaravaḍā (raid / plunder)— thatpāīka;strikes sakaḷīka, sarva harī (devours everything).

5. Tuka: बोल-नव्हे — कमाई-पण-सिद्धी. Vow-of-effort-reaches-siddhi-claim. Tuka says: not bybōlācē kāraṇa (cause-of-speech); kamāī'spaṇa(vow-of-effort) reachessiddhi.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram paints the picture of a battlefield to talk about real spiritual effort. Among common soldiers, the one who leads the line is doing it half-heartedly, just to survive, like everyone else scraping by for their next meal. But the one who steps forward, ahead of the rest, while others turn and flee, is the one who gets cut down chasing them, or gets called a coward if struck fleeing from behind. Real honor goes to the one who faces forward and fights with his whole body committed, like a raider who holds nothing back. Tuka's point: this isn't decided by talk. It is decided by the sincerity and completeness of the effort itself, which alone reaches fulfillment.

मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज युद्धभूमीचे रूपक वापरून खऱ्या साधनेबद्दल बोलतात. सामान्य शिपायांमध्ये जो पुढारी असतो, तोही पोटासाठी कसाबसाच लढत असतो, इतरांसारखाच. पण जो इतरांच्या पुढे एक पाऊल टाकतो, आणि इतर मागे पळत असताना तोच पळणाऱ्यांना कापतो, किंवा पाठीवर घाव बसला तर त्याला भ्याड म्हणतात. खरा मान त्यालाच मिळतो जो पुढे तोंड करून, संपूर्ण शरीराने, राखीव न ठेवता लढतो. तुका म्हणतात, हे केवळ बोलण्याने ठरत नाही; प्रामाणिक आणि पूर्ण प्रयत्नच सिद्धीला पोहोचतो.

Where this applies

• Stomach-fighters. Pōṭa-sāṭīm.
• Fleeing-cut. Tōḍijē.
• Body-front-honor. Phaṭamara.
• Becomes-raid. Daravaḍā.
• Vow-reaches-siddhi. Kamāī-paṇa.

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