Abhanga 1237
For today: the saints are above even Hari's worship; tīrthas wash their feet to become pure; dwell at their feet in nikaṭa-vāsa.
The verse
संतांचें सुख जालें या देवा । म्हणऊनि सेवा करी त्यांची ॥१॥ तेथें माझा काय कोण तो विचार । वर्णावया पार महिमा त्यांचा ॥ध्रु.॥ निर्गुण आकार जाला गुणवंत । घाली दंडवत पूजोनियां ॥२॥ तीर्थे त्यांची इच्छा करिती नित्यकाळ । व्हावया निर्मळ आपणांसी ॥३॥ अष्टमा सिद्धींचा कोण आला पाड । वागों नेदी आड कोणी तया ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे ते बिळया शिरोमणी । राहिलों चरणीं निकटवासें ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Saints' sukha was attained by this Deva — therefore he serves them. What is my standing to describe their mahimā? The nirguṇa took ākāra and became guṇavanta — bows daṇḍavata, worshipping. Tīrthas desire (their feet) constantly — to become nirmaḷa themselves. Even the aṣṭa-siddhis can't match them — none can come in their way. Tuka says: they are the biḷayā śirōmaṇi — I dwell at their feet, in nikaṭa-vāsa.
मराठी: संतांचें सुख ह्या देवाला झालें — म्हणून तो त्यांची सेवा करतो. (मग) तेथें माझ्यासारख्याचा काय विचार — त्यांच्या महिम्याची सीमा वर्णावयाला? निर्गुण-च आकार घेऊन गुणवंत झाला — दंडवत घालतो, पूजितो. तीर्थें त्यांची इच्छा करतात — स्वतः निर्मळ व्हायला. अष्टमा सिद्धींचा त्यांच्याशीं कुठला पाड? — कोणाला त्यांच्या आड वागूं देत नाहींत. Tukā म्हणे — ते बिळया शिरोमणि — मी त्यांच्या चरणीं निकट-वासें राहिलों.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| संतांचें सुख जालें या देवा | "saints' sukha became (= was attained by) this Deva" |
| म्हणऊनि सेवा करी त्यांची | "therefore he serves them" |
| वर्णावया पार महिमा त्यांचा | "the boundary (pāra) of describing their mahimā" |
| निर्गुण आकार जाला गुणवंत | "the nirguṇa took ākāra (form), became guṇavanta" |
| घाली दंडवत पूजोनियां | "bows daṇḍavata (full prostration), worshipping" |
| तीर्थे त्यांची इच्छा करिती नित्यकाळ | "tīrthas desire (touching) them constantly" |
| व्हावया निर्मळ आपणांसी | "to make themselves nirmaḷa (pure)" |
| अष्टमा सिद्धींचा कोण आला पाड | "who has the pāḍa (match) of the aṣṭa-siddhis (with them)?" |
| वागों नेदी आड कोणी तया | "no one can come in their way (vāgōm nēdī āḍa)" |
| ते बिळया शिरोमणी | "they are the biḷayā śirōmaṇi (foremost-of-the-foremost)" |
| राहिलों चरणीं निकटवासें | "I dwell at their feet — in nikaṭa-vāsa (close-residence)" |
What it means
Saint-supreme abhang. Tuka's claim is theologically remarkable: Hari himself serves the saints. The nirguṇa-Brahman, who takes ākāra to become guṇavanta (Viṭṭhala), bows daṇḍavata to the saints and worships them. This reverses the usual posture: the bhakta worships Hari, but Hari worships the saints.
The cosmic-witness-list reinforces: - Tīrthas (sacred waters — Ganga, Yamuna, etc.) constantly desire to touch the saints' feet so the tīrthas themselves can become nirmaḷa (pure). Tīrthas need saints, not the reverse. - The aṣṭa-siddhis (eight yogic perfections) have no pāḍa (matching weight, comparison) with the saints' state.
The closing — biḷayā śirōmaṇi — uses the rare biḷayā (great-among-greats; literally bali-strong) to say foremost-of-the-foremost. Nikaṭa-vāsē — close-residence — Tuka has set up his life next to the saints' feet.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the saints are above even Hari's worship; tīrthas wash their feet to become pure; dwell at their feet in nikaṭa-vāsa.
Where this applies
- Hari-serves-saints.* Sēvā-karī-tyāncī.
- Nirguṇa-bows-daṇḍavata.* Ghālī-daṇḍavata.
- Tīrthas-need-them-to-become-pure.* Tīrthē-icchā-nirmaḷa-vhāvaya.
- Above-aṣṭa-siddhis.* Aṣṭamā-siddhīncā-kōṇa-pāḍa.
- Close-dwelling-at-feet.* Nikaṭa-vāsē.