संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1096 of 4582

Abhanga 1096

Inside every person a Rāma-Rāvaṇa battle plays out between the true Self and the ego, and once the senses defending the ego are overcome, the only way through is wholehearted surrender to Rāma and a clean break with the ego's old company.

When yonder Rāma has come; tell Rāvaṇa, why sleeping — and you have to recognize this register
When Lankā has become Rāma's messenger; pervaded everywhere — and you accept this image
When bodyguard killed; śaraṇāgata or yuddha — and you allow this image

The verse

पैल आला राम रावणासी सांगती । काय निदसुरा निजलासी भूपति ॥१॥ अवघें लंकेमाजी जाले रामाचे दूत । व्यापिलें सर्वत्र बाहेरी भीतरी आंत ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघे अंगलग तुझे वधियेले वीर । होईं शरणागत किंवा युद्धासी सादर ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ऐक्या भावें रामेसी भेटी । करूनि घेईं आतां संवंघेसी तुटी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Pailasāngatīnida-suṇā bhū-pati. Lankē-mājīRāma-dūtasarva-tra. Anga-lagavadhiyēlēśaraṇāgata-or-yuddha. Tuka says: aikya bhāvabhēṭisam-vangatuṭi.

मराठी: पैल आला Rāma — Rāvaṇाला सांगती — काय निद-सुरा निजलासि, भू-पति? अवघें Lankē-मांजी झाले Rāmाचे दूत — सर्व-त्र, बाहेरी, भीतरी, आंत व्यापिलें. अवघे तुझे अंग-लग वीर वधियेले — हो शरणागत, किंवा युद्धास सादर. Tuka म्हणे: ऐक्या भावें Rāmेसी भेटी करूनि घेईं — आतां सं-वंगे-सी तुटी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
पैल आला राम रावणासी सांगती "pailasāngatī"
काय निदसुरा निजलासी भूपति "nida-suṇābhū-pati"
अवघें लंकेमाजी जाले रामाचे दूत "Lankē-mājī Rāma-dūta"
व्यापिलें सर्वत्र बाहेरी भीतरी आंत "sarva-tra bāhērī-bhītarī-āmta"
अवघे अंगलग तुझे वधियेले वीर "anga-laga vadhiyēlē"
होईं शरणागत किंवा युद्धासी सादर "śaraṇāgata-or-yuddha"
ऐक्या भावें रामेसी भेटी "aikya bhāvabhēṭi"
करूनि घेईं आतां संवंघेसी तुटी "sam-vangatuṭi"

What it means

Rāmacaritra abhanga 7. The dialogue-with-Rāvaṇa abhang. Inner-allegory: Rāvaṇa = ego, Rāma = Self, Lankā = body, bodyguard-warriors = the senses/passions. Four claims:

  1. पैल-Rāma — निद-सुरा-भूपति. Yonder-Rāma-claim. YonderRāma has come — they tell Rāvaṇa;what nida-suṇā (deep-sleeping) are you sleeping, bhū-pati?

  2. Lankē-मांजी — Rāma-दूत — सर्व-त्र-व्यापिले. Pervaded-everywhere-claim. Avaghē Lankē-mājī has become Rāma's dūta;pervaded sarva-tra bāhērī-bhītarī-āmta. (Outside, inside, and within — completely.)

  3. अंग-लग-वधिले — शरणागत-or-युद्ध. Refuge-or-war-claim. All youranga-laga (bodyguard-warriors, attendants) have been killed;become śaraṇāgata or sādar for yuddha. (Surrender or fight.)

  4. Tuka: ऐक्य-भाव-Rāma-भेटी — सं-वंग-तुटी. Tuṭi-with-companion-claim. Tuka says: byaikya bhāva, get bhēṭi with Rāma;make tuṭi (break) with the sam-vanga (companion = the ego's company / Rāvaṇa's-own-side) now.

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For someone today

This verse tells the Rāma-Rāvaṇa story as an inner drama: Rāvaṇa stands for the ego, Rāma for the true Self, Lankā for the body, and Rāvaṇa's warriors for the senses and passions that guard it. Rāma has already arrived, and the whole of Lankā, outside and inside and everywhere, has quietly gone over to his side, but the ego king is still asleep, unaware. Once the senses that defended the ego have been overcome, only two choices remain: surrender, or keep fighting a battle that cannot be won. Tukārām says the way through is to meet Rāma with a wholehearted, unified love and finally break with the old company that ego used to keep.

मराठी: हा अभंग राम-रावण कथेला आतल्या नाट्यासारखा मांडतो: रावण म्हणजे अहंकार, राम म्हणजे खरा आत्मा, लंका म्हणजे शरीर, आणि रावणाचे योद्धे म्हणजे शरीराचे रक्षण करणाऱ्या इंद्रिये आणि वासना. राम आधीच येऊन पोहोचला आहे, आणि संपूर्ण लंका, बाहेर-आत सर्वत्र, शांतपणे त्याच्या बाजूला गेली आहे, पण अहंकाररूपी राजा अजूनही गाढ झोपेत आहे, त्याला याची जाणीवही नाही. अहंकाराचे रक्षण करणारे योद्धे पराभूत झाल्यावर फक्त दोनच पर्याय उरतात: शरण जाणे, किंवा जिंकण्याची शक्यता नसलेली लढाई चालू ठेवणे. तुकाराम म्हणतात, यातून बाहेर पडण्याचा मार्ग म्हणजे संपूर्ण एकनिष्ठ भावाने रामाला भेटणे आणि अहंकाराची जुनी संगत आताच तोडून टाकणे.

Where this applies

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