संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1443 of 4582

Abhanga 1443

For today: mokṣa isn't difficult — it's already in our waist-bundle; the festivities of bhakti will come, no wonder in their fulfilling; what's given was already his to begin with — count it welfare and take pleasure; give me samsāra peacefully, but make a station for my love.

When you'd see mokṣa as already-given — mokṣa is open at our gānṭha; bhakti-festivities are coming; give samsāra peacefully but make station for love

The verse

मोक्षाचें आम्हांसी नाहीं अवघड । तो असे उघाड गांठोळीस ॥१॥ भक्तीचे सोहळे होतील जीवासी । नवल तेविशीं पुरवितां ॥ध्रु.॥ ज्याचें त्यासी देणें कोण तें उचित । मानूनियां हित घेतों सुख ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सुखें देई संवसार । आवडीसी थार करीं माझे ॥३॥ ॥१२॥

Literal translation

English: Mokṣa is not avaghaḍa for us — it is ughāḍa at the gānṭha. Bhakti-sōhaḷē will happen to the jīva — what navala in fulfilling them? Giving what is one's own is ucita — counting (it as) hita, I take sukha. Tuka says: peacefully give samsāra — for my āvaḍī, make station, of mine.

मराठी: मोक्षाचें — आम्हांसी — नाहीं — अवघड; — तो — असे — उघाड — गांठोळीस. भक्तीचे — सोहळे — होतील — जीवासी; — नवल — तेविशीं — पुरवितां. ज्याचें — त्यासी — देणें — कोण — तें — उचित; — मानूनियां — हित — घेतों — सुख. Tukā म्हणे — सुखें — देई — संवसार; — आवडीसी — थार — करीं — माझे. ॥१२॥

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
मोक्षाचें आम्हांसी नाहीं अवघड "of mokṣa — to us — there is no — avaghaḍa (difficult)"
तो असे उघाड गांठोळीस "it — is — ughāḍa (open) — at the gānṭhōḷī (= the bundle / waist-knot)"
भक्तीचे सोहळे होतील जीवासी "of bhaktisōhaḷē (festivities) — will happen — to the jīva"
नवल तेविशीं पुरवितां "what navala (wonder) — in fulfilling them (puravitām)?"
ज्याचें त्यासी देणें कोण तें उचित "what is one's own (jyācēm tyāsī) — giving — that is — ucita (fitting)"
मानूनियां हित घेतों सुख "counting (mānūniyām) (it as) hita (welfare) — I take (ghētōm) — sukha"
तुका म्हणे सुखें देई संवसार "Tuka says — sukhēm (peacefully) — give — samsāra"
आवडीसी थार करीं माझे "for (my) āvaḍī (love) — make (karīm) — thāra (station / station-place) — of mine"
॥१२॥ (sub-series marker = end of 12-abhang sub-series)

What it means

Mokṣa-is-open-at-our-waist-knot abhang. The opening: mōkṣācēm āmhāmsī nāhīm avaghaḍa — tō asē ughāḍa gānṭhōḷīsaof mokṣa — to us — there is no avaghaḍa (difficult); — it is — ughāḍa (open) — at the gānṭhōḷī (= the waist-bundle/knot). The gānṭhōḷī — the gānṭha at the waist of the cloth where one carries small things (money, keepsakes); — mokṣa is open in our waist-knot (= we carry mokṣa in our waist-bundle). Striking casual-domestic image for the cosmic-prize. (Compare 1397's navhē aisē kāhīm nāhīm avaghaḍa — there is nothing impossible; here applied to mokṣa specifically.)

The festivity-promise: bhaktīcē sōhaḷē hōtīla jīvāsī — navala tēviśīm puravitāmthe sōhaḷē (festivities) of bhakti — will happen — to the jīva; — what navala (wonder) — in fulfilling them? The bhakta isn't asking for mokṣa-as-cessation; he's asking for bhakti-festivities-as-positive-gift. Hari can fulfill these without astonishment (= it's nothing-special for him).

The exchange-principle: jyācēm tyāsī dēṇē kōṇa tēm ucita — mānūniyām hita ghētōm sukhagiving (back) what (already) belongs to one — that is ucita (fitting); — counting (it as) hita (welfare) — I take sukha. (= what Hari gives is what was already his; — the transaction is fitting; — I count it as my welfare and take pleasure in it. Compare 1406's pityācēm-dhana-putrā — father's wealth-son.)

The closing prayer: sukhēm dē'ī samvasāra — āvaḍīsī thāra karīm mājhēpeacefully — give — samsāra; — for (my) āvaḍī (love) — make a thāra (station / seat) — of mine. Don't take samsāra away — give it peacefully; just make a station for my love. (Pairs with 1420's ālā-bhāgāsī-tō-karīm-vēvasāva-parī-rāhō-bhāva-tujhyā-pāyīm — same gṛhastha-bhakti formula; cf. 1420's āvaḍīsī thāra dē'ī pāyīm — give āvaḍī station at the feet — direct verbal echo.)

The ॥१२॥ marker at the end: this abhang closes a 12-abhang sub-series. Going back, that means the sub-series likely runs 1432–1443 (12 abhangs) — a coherent block on bhakti-discrimination, anti-fake-spirituality, and bhakti-as-easy-path. (Adds another data point to Pattern P5 — sub-series clusters.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: mokṣa isn't difficult — it's already in our waist-bundle; the festivities of bhakti will come, no wonder in their fulfilling; what's given was already his to begin with — count it welfare and take pleasure; give me samsāra peacefully, but make a station for my love.

Where this applies

Related verses