संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1304 of 4582

Abhanga 1304

For today: true speech is sākṣatva-witnessed, mixed with Nārāyaṇa; no groping needed when you sow with bhāva; the storehouse isn't yours.

When the vāṇī speaks sākṣatvēsīm — Nārāyaṇīm miśrita — there's no need to grope; the storehouse is the dātya's

The verse

वदे साक्षत्वेंसीं वाणी । नारायणीं मिश्रित ॥१॥ न लगे कांहीं चाचपावें । जातों भावें पेरीत ॥ध्रु.॥ भांडार त्या दातियाचें । मी कैचें ये ठायीं ॥२॥ सादावीत गेला तुका । येथें एकाएकीं तो ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: (The) vāṇī speaks with sākṣatvē — mixed with Nārāyaṇa. No groping is needed — I go sowing with bhāva. The storehouse is the dātya's — what am I in this place? Tuka went sādāvīta — here, suddenly, alone.

मराठी: वाणी साक्षत्वेंसीं वदते — नारायणांत मिश्रित. कांहीं चाच-पाव (अडखळणें) लागत नाहीं — जातों भावें पेरीत. भांडार त्या दात्याचेंच — मी ये ठायीं काय? Tukā सादावीत गेला — येथें एकाएकीं तो.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
वदे साक्षत्वेंसीं वाणी "(the) vāṇī speaks with sākṣatvē (witnessing-quality)"
नारायणीं मिश्रित "(it is) miśrita (mixed) — with Nārāyaṇa"
न लगे कांहीं चाचपावें "no cāca-pāva (groping-foot / stumbling) is needed"
जातों भावें पेरीत "(I) go — bhāvē-pērīta (sowing with bhāva)"
भांडार त्या दातियाचें "the bhāṇḍāra (storehouse) — is the dātya's (giver's)"
मी कैचें ये ठायीं "what am I (kaimcē) — in this place (yē ṭhāyīm)?"
सादावीत गेला तुका "Tuka went sādāvīta (preserving / extending)"
येथें एकाएकीं तो "here — suddenly — alone (ēkā-ēkīm)"

What it means

Speech-as-witnessed abhang. The opening claim is theologically precise: vadē sākṣatvēsīm vāṇī — Nārāyaṇīm miśritathe vāṇī speaks with the quality of sākṣat (= directly-witnessed) — mixed with Nārāyaṇa. Sākṣatva (the state-of-being-witnessed) means Nārāyaṇa is the witness of every word; the vāṇī isn't Tuka's-own-fabrication.

The corollary: na lagē kāmhīm cāca-pāvē — jātō bhāvē pērītano cāca-pāva (groping-with-foot, stumbling) is needed — (I) go sowing with bhāva. Cāca-pāva is the verb of someone walking carefully through unfamiliar terrain (groping with the feet for safe spots). When the speech is sākṣatva-witnessed, no such caution is needed; one goes bhāvē pērītasowing with bhāva — confidently broadcasting like a farmer scattering seed.

The middle insight: bhāṇḍāra tyā dātiyācē — mī kaimcē yē ṭhāyīmthe storehouse is the dātya's; what am I in this place? The supply (of speech, of teaching) is from the dātya (giver = Hari); Tuka is just the channel. Mī kaimcēwhat am I (here)? — radical denial of authorship.

The closing — sādāvīta gēlā Tukā — yēthē ēkā-ēkīm tōTuka went sādāvīta (preserving / extending) — here, suddenly, alone (ēkā-ēkīm). Sādāvīta is from sādhūto make-good, to bring-to-success. Tuka brought-to-completion (sādāvīta) what was given — alone, without preparation.

[T]

For someone today

For today: true speech is sākṣatva-witnessed, mixed with Nārāyaṇa; no groping needed when you sow with bhāva; the storehouse isn't yours.

Where this applies

Related verses