संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1355 of 4582

Abhanga 1355

For today: channel your best śaktis toward the suffering; the uttama-kāraṇa yields both fruit and resolution; alpa-samtōṣī finds in the right direction; sahaja sangama is uttama.

When you'd direct your best — toward the ārta (suffering) — channel the best śaktis; alpa-samtōṣī finds the right-direction; sahaja sangama is uttama

The verse

आर्तभूतांप्रति । उत्तम योजाव्या त्या शक्ति ॥१॥ फळ आणि समाधान । तेथें उत्तम कारण ॥ध्रु.॥ अल्पें तो संतोषी । स्थळीं सांपडे उदेसीं ॥२॥ सहज संगम । तुका म्हणे तो उत्तम ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Toward the ārta-bhūtas — channel the uttama śaktis. Phala and samādhāna — there is the uttama kāraṇa. The alpa-samtōṣī — at the place — finds (it) in the right-direction. Sahaja sangama — Tuka says — that is uttama.

मराठी: आर्त-भूतांप्रति — त्या उत्तम शक्ति योजाव्या. फळ आणि समाधान — तिथेंच उत्तम कारण. अल्पें तो संतोषी — स्थळीं सांपडे — उदेसीं. सहज संगम — Tukā म्हणे — तो उत्तम.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
आर्तभूतांप्रति "toward the ārta (suffering) bhūtas"
उत्तम योजाव्या त्या शक्ति "channel — the uttama (best) — those śaktis"
फळ आणि समाधान "(where there is) phaḷa and samādhāna"
तेथें उत्तम कारण "there — is the uttama kāraṇa"
अल्पें तो संतोषी "the alpa-samtōṣī (one satisfied with little)"
स्थळीं सांपडे उदेसीं "at the place (sthaḷīm) — finds (sāmpaḍē) — in the right-direction (udēsa)"
सहज संगम तुका म्हणे तो उत्तम "sahaja sangama — Tuka says — that is uttama"

What it means

Channel-best-śaktis-toward-suffering abhang. The opening: ārta-bhūtāmprati — uttama yōjāvyā tyā śaktitoward the ārta (suffering / longing) bhūtas — channel the uttama (best) of (your) śaktis. The bhakta's best powers should not be displayed for show; they should be channeled toward those who are ārta (afflicted, longing).

The principle: phaḷa āṇi samādhāna — tēthē uttama kāraṇa(where there is) phaḷa (fruit) and samādhāna (resolution / satisfaction) — there is the uttama (best) kāraṇa. The test of a kāraṇa (cause / endeavor): does it produce both phaḷa and samādhāna? Not just fruit, not just satisfaction, but both.

The character-image: alpē tō samtōṣī — sthaḷīm sāmpaḍē udēsīmthe alpa-tō-samtōṣī (the content-with-little) — at the place — finds (it) in the right udēsa (direction). The one who's content with little doesn't seek-many-places; he finds the right thing in the one place, in the right direction.

The closing: sahaja samgama — Tukā mhaṇē tō uttamathe sahaja sangama (= natural / easy meeting) — Tuka says — that is uttama. The natural-meeting (without forcing, without contrivance) is the best* meeting. (= forced-sangama isn't the best; sahaja-sangama is.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: channel your best śaktis toward the suffering; the uttama-kāraṇa yields both fruit and resolution; alpa-samtōṣī finds in the right direction; sahaja sangama is uttama.

Where this applies

Related verses