संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1326 of 4582

Abhanga 1326

For today: bhakti's pōṭa is the ratna-mine; behind the mother the children follow on one sūtra; mounted on bhāva, the bhakta makes the entire laukika into Deva.

When bhakti's pōṭa is the ratna-mine — Tuka has become bhāvārūḍha — and made Deva entirely the laukika (everyday-world)

The verse

भक्तिचिया पोटीं रत्नाचिया खाणी । बम्हींची ठेवणी सकळ वस्तु ॥१॥ माउलीचे मागें बाळकांची हरी । एका सूत्रें दोरी ओढतसे ॥ध्रु.॥ जेथील जें मागे तें रायासमोर । नाहींसें उत्तर येत नाहीं ॥२॥ सेवेचिये सत्ते धनी च सेवक । आपुलें तें एक न वंची कांहीं ॥३॥ आदिअंताठाव असे मध्यभाग । भोंवतें भासे मग उंचासनी ॥४॥ भावारूढ तुका जाला एकाएकीं । देव च लौकिकीं अवघा केला ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: In bhakti's pōṭa — ratna mines — Brahman's storehouse, all vastus. Behind the mother — the children's line — by one sūtra, the rope pulls. Whatever is wanted before the rāya — the answer 'no' doesn't come. By sevā's authority, the dhani is the sevaka — of one's own, denies nothing. Ādi-anta-ṭhāva and the middle exist — all-around-shows the high-seat. Tuka has become bhāvārūḍha all-at-once — has made Deva entirely the laukika.

मराठी: भक्तीच्या पोटीं — रत्नांच्या खाणी — ब्रह्माची ठेवणी — सकळ वस्तु. मा-उलीच्या मागें — बाळकांची हरी — एका सूत्रें — दोरी ओढते. जेथील जें मागें — तें रायासमोर — "नाहीं" असें उत्तर येत नाहीं. सेवेच्या सत्तेनें — धनी-च सेवक — आपुलें तें एक — काहीं वंचत नाहीं. आदि-अंत-ठाव — मध्य-भाग — आहे — भोंवतें भासतें — मग उंचासनी. भावारूढ — Tukā झाला — एकाएकीं — देव-च — लौकिकीं — अवघा केला.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
भक्तिचिया पोटीं रत्नाचिया खाणी "in bhakti's pōṭa — ratna (jewel) mines"
बम्हींची ठेवणी सकळ वस्तु "Brahman's ṭhēvaṇī (storehouse) — all vastus"
माउलीचे मागें बाळकांची हरी "behind the mother — the children's harī (line / queue)"
एका सूत्रें दोरी ओढतसे "by one sūtra — the dōrī (rope) pulls"
जेथील जें मागे तें रायासमोर "whatever is wanted — before the rāya (king)"
नाहींसें उत्तर येत नाहीं "the answer 'nāhīm' (no) doesn't come"
सेवेचिये सत्ते धनी च सेवक "by the authority of sevā — the dhani is the sevaka"
आपुलें तें एक न वंची कांहीं "(of) one's own — denies (vañcī) nothing"
आदिअंताठाव असे मध्यभाग "ādi-anta-ṭhāva — and the middle-part — exist"
भोंवतें भासे मग उंचासनी "all-around-shows — then the high-seat"
भावारूढ तुका जाला एकाएकीं "Tuka has become bhāvārūḍha (mounted-on-bhāva) — all-at-once"
देव च लौकिकीं अवघा केला "has made Deva — entirely (avaghā) — the laukika (everyday-world)"

What it means

Bhakti-treasury and Tuka mounted-on-bhāva abhang. The opening: bhakti-cīyā pōṭīm ratnāciyā khāṇī — Brahmīncī ṭhēvaṇī sakaḷa vastuin bhakti's pōṭa, the ratna (jewel) mines — Brahman's storehouse, all *vastus. Bhakti is not a means to Brahman; bhakti's pōṭa is itself the storehouse of Brahman.

The middle image: mā'ulīcē māgē bāḷakāncī harī — ēkā sūtrē dōrī ōḍhatasēbehind the mother, the children's harī (line / file) — by one sūtra, the rope pulls. The mother walks; behind her, the children form a harī (chain), all pulled by one rope. The mother (= Hari) leads; the bhakta-children follow naturally on a single sūtra.

Jēthīla jēm māgē — tē rāyāsamōra — nāhīmsē uttara yēta nāhīmwhatever is wanted, before the rāya — the answer 'no' doesn't come. From the king (= Hari), no refusal-answer is heard; whatever is requested is given.

Sēvēciyē sattē dhanī chi sēvaka — āpulēm tē ēka na vañcī kāmhīmby sevā's authority, the dhani (master) is the sevaka — of one's own, denies nothing. The remarkable inversion: by sevā's authority, the dhani himself becomes the sevaka. The bhakta's serving-the-master makes the master serve the bhakta.

The closing: bhāvārūḍha Tukā jālā ēkā-ēkīm — Deva chi laukikīm avaghā kēlāTuka has become bhāvārūḍha (mounted-on-bhāva, riding-on-bhāva) all-at-once — has made (the) Deva entirely the laukika. Bhāvārūḍhabhāva-mounted — Tuka has climbed onto bhāva and now rides it. By riding bhāva, Tuka has made the entire laukika (everyday-world) into Deva*. The world is now nothing but Deva for him.

[T]

For someone today

For today: bhakti's pōṭa is the ratna-mine; behind the mother the children follow on one sūtra; mounted on bhāva, the bhakta makes the entire laukika into Deva.

Where this applies

Related verses