संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1282 of 4582

Abhanga 1282

For today: the bhakta-king has all in the spiritual register and bare-langōṭī in the physical — both true at once; neither uṇa nor purṇa applies.

When the bhakta is paradoxically the king of three worlds with no bhākarī or langōṭī — having all and nothing simultaneously

The verse

रिद्धीसिद्धी दासी कामधेनु घरीं । परि नाहीं भाकरी भक्षावया ॥१॥ लोडें वालिस्तें पलंग सुपति । परि नाहीं लंगोटी नेसावया ॥ध्रु.॥ पुसाल तरि आम्हां वैकुंठींचा वास । परि नाहीं राह्यास ठाव कोठें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही राजे त्रैलोक्याचे । परि नाहीं कोणाचें उणे पुरें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Riddhī-siddhī are dāsī, kāmadhēnu is in the house — but there is no bhākarī to eat. Lōḍē, vālistē, palanga, supatī — but no langōṭī to wear. If you ask — our dwelling is Vaikuṇṭha — but no place to live. Tuka says: we are kings of the three worlds — but for no one is anything lacking or filled.

मराठी: रिद्धी-सिद्धी दासी, कामधेनु घरांत — पण भक्षायला भाकरी नाहीं. लोड, वालिस्तें, पलंग, सुपति — पण नेसायला लंगोटी नाहीं. विचारलें तर — आमचा वास वैकुंठांत — पण रहायला कुठें ठाव-च नाहीं. Tukā म्हणे — आम्ही त्रैलोक्याचे राजे — पण कोणाचें उणें-पुरें (काही-च) नाहीं.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
रिद्धीसिद्धी दासी कामधेनु घरीं "Riddhī-siddhī are (my) dāsī, kāmadhēnu (is) in (my) house"
परि नाहीं भाकरी भक्षावया "but there is no bhākarī (chapati) to eat"
लोडें वालिस्तें पलंग सुपति "lōḍē (pillows), vālistē (mattress-cushions), palanga (bed), supatī (fine cot)"
परि नाहीं लंगोटी नेसावया "but no langōṭī (loincloth) to wear"
पुसाल तरि आम्हां वैकुंठींचा वास "if you ask — our vāsa (dwelling) is Vaikuṇṭha"
परि नाहीं राह्यास ठाव कोठें "but no ṭhāva (place) to live"
आम्ही राजे त्रैलोक्याचे "we are rājē (kings) of the trailōkya (three worlds)"
परि नाहीं कोणाचें उणे पुरें "but for no one is anything uṇē (lacking) or purē (filled)"

What it means

Paradox-bhakta abhang. Four parallel paradoxes, each with the structure X is X (in fullness) — but Y is missing (in physical reality):

Spiritual fullness Physical absence
Riddhī-siddhī as my dāsī, kāmadhēnu in my house No bhākarī to eat
Pillows, mattresses, bed, fine cot (the wealthy household furniture) No langōṭī to wear
Vaikuṇṭha is my dwelling No physical place to live
Kings of the three worlds Nothing lacking or filled for anyone

The closing line nāhīm kōṇācē uṇē purē is finely ambiguous: nothing lacks (uṇē) or fills (purē) — meaning neither uṇa nor pūrti applies — the categories themselves don't apply to the bhakta-king.

This is the warkari paradox: the bhakta who has Hari has everything in the spiritual register and nothing in the physical register, simultaneously. Both descriptions are true; neither cancels the other.

The middle verse with lōḍē, vālistē, palanga, supatī (specific household-furniture inventory) shows Tuka's village-merchant ear for the categories of householder wealth — and the bare langōṭī absence underneath.

[T]

For someone today

For today: the bhakta-king has all in the spiritual register and bare-langōṭī in the physical — both true at once; neither uṇa nor purṇa applies.

Where this applies

Related verses