संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1310 of 4582

Abhanga 1310

For today: kinfolk are dīpikā-lamps — useful in the night; when Viśvambhara's recognition comes, the small-flames naturally extinguish.

When kinfolk look kṣullaka — that's because Viśvambhara's recognition has come; the sun-risen, the dīpika is naturally extinguished

The verse

तों च हीं क्षुल्लकें सखीं सहोदरें । नाहीं विश्वंभरें वोळखी तों ॥१॥ नारायण विश्वंभर विश्वपिता । प्रमाण तो होतां सकळ मिथ्या ॥ध्रु.॥ रवि नुगवे तों दीपिकाचें काज । प्रकाशें तें तेज सहज लोपे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देहसंबंध संचितें । कारण निरुतें नारायणीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: (Only) until then are these kṣullaka — sakhā, sahōdara — until Viśvambhara's vōḷakhī (comes). Nārāyaṇa, Viśvambhara, Viśva-pitā — when this becomes the pramāṇa, all (else) is mithyā. Until the sun rises, the dīpika has its work — (when light comes), that flame is naturally extinguished. Tuka says: deha-sambandhas (come) by samcita — the (true) cause is firmly in Nārāyaṇa.

मराठी: तों-च — हीं — क्षुल्लकें — सखें-सहोदरें — विश्वंभराची ओळख होईपर्यंत. नारायण विश्वंभर विश्व-पिता — हें-च प्रमाण होतां — सकळ मिथ्या. रवि न-उगवे तोंवर — दीपिकेचें काज — प्रकाश आला तर — तें तेज सहज-च लोपतें. Tukā म्हणे — देह-संबंध संचितानें — कारण-तर निरुतें (खऱ्या-चें) — नारायणींच.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
तों च हीं क्षुल्लकें सखीं सहोदरें "(only) until then are these kṣullaka (petty) — sakhā (friends), sahōdara (siblings)"
नाहीं विश्वंभरें वोळखी तों "until Viśvambhara's vōḷakhī (recognition) (comes)"
नारायण विश्वंभर विश्वपिता "Nārāyaṇa, Viśvambhara, Viśva-pitā (universe-father)"
प्रमाण तो होतां सकळ मिथ्या "when (this) becomes the pramāṇa (standard) — all (else) is mithyā"
रवि नुगवे तों दीपिकाचें काज "until the ravi (sun) rises (nugavē = na-uga = doesn't rise) — (only) then has the dīpika (lamp) its work"
प्रकाशें तें तेज सहज लोपे "(when light comes) — that tēja (flame) is naturally (sahaja) extinguished"
देहसंबंध संचितें "deha-sambandhas are (caused) by samcita"
कारण निरुतें नारायणीं "the (true) cause — is firmly (nirutē) in Nārāyaṇa"

What it means

Sun-and-lamp abhang. The image is exquisite and precise: ravi nugavē tōm dīpikācē kāja — prakāśē tē tēja sahaja lōpēuntil the sun rises, the dīpika has its work; (when light comes), that flame naturally extinguishes.

The application: human relations (sakhā, sahōdara — friends, siblings) are dīpikā-flames — useful in the night-of-samsāra. They are kṣullaka (petty, small-flame). When Viśvambhara (= Hari, the universe-sustainer) is recognized — the sun has risen — and these small-flames are naturally extinguished. They were never the true light; they were temporary.

The doctrinal closing: deha-sambandha samcitē — kāraṇa nirutē Nārāyaṇīmdeha-sambandhas (= relations through the body) come by samcita; (but) the (real) cause is firmly in Nārāyaṇa. Phenomenally, family is by samcita-karma; ontologically, every relation traces back to Nārāyaṇa.

This abhang is gentler than 1288 (despise the deha-sambandhas) — here, the relations aren't despised but naturally outshone when the sun rises. Both teachings hold.

[T]

For someone today

For today: kinfolk are dīpikā-lamps — useful in the night; when Viśvambhara's recognition comes, the small-flames naturally extinguish.

Where this applies

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