Abhanga 1513
For today: Brahma-formed-ones' actions are themselves Brahma-form, happening samkalpa-less; when colored-stone is placed, the crystal-jewel appears that color but itself stays nirāḷā; in many languages they call the child, but its prabōdha is at the mother's place; my namana to the knowers, falling at their feet moment-by-moment.
The verse
ब्रम्हरूपाचीं कर्में ब्रम्हरूप । विरहित संकल्प होती जाती ॥१॥ ठेविलिया दिसे रंगाऐसी शिळा । उपाधि निराळा स्फटिक मणि ॥ध्रु.॥ नानाभाषामतें आळविती बाळा । प्रबोध तो मूळा जननीठायीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माझें नमन जाणतियां । लागतसें पायां वेळोवेळां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Brahma-rūpa's karmas are Brahma-rūpa — virahita samkalpa, happen and pass. When placed, the śiḷā appears ranga-like — the upādhi is nirāḷa, the sphaṭika-maṇi. In nānā-bhāṣā-matē they call the bāḷa — prabōdha at the root, at jananī's ṭhāya. Tuka says: my namana to jāṇatīs — I fall at their pāyā vēḷō-vēḷām.
मराठी: ब्रम्ह-रूपाचीं — कर्में — ब्रम्ह-रूप; — विरहित — संकल्प — होती — जाती. ठेविलिया — दिसे — रंगा-ऐसी — शिळा; — उपाधि — निराळा — स्फटिक — मणि. नाना-भाषा-मतें — आळविती — बाळा; — प्रबोध — तो — मूळा — जननी-ठायीं. Tukā म्हणे — माझें — नमन — जाणतियां; — लागतसें — पायां — वेळो-वेळां.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ब्रम्हरूपाचीं कर्में ब्रम्हरूप | "of Brahma-rūpas — karmas (are themselves) — Brahma-rūpa" |
| विरहित संकल्प होती जाती | "virahita (= without) — samkalpa; — they happen-and-pass (hōtī jātī)" |
| ठेविलिया दिसे रंगाऐसी शिळा | "(when) placed (ṭhēviliyā) — appears — like the ranga (color) — the śiḷā (stone-block)" |
| उपाधि निराळा स्फटिक मणि | "the upādhi (= adjunct) — nirāḷā (separate); — sphaṭika-maṇi (= crystal-jewel)" |
| नानाभाषामतें आळविती बाळा | "in nānā (many) — bhāṣā-matē (languages-and-opinions) — they call (āḷavitī) — bāḷa" |
| प्रबोध तो मूळा जननीठायीं | "prabōdha (= awakening / awareness) — that — at the root — at the jananī (mother)'s ṭhāya" |
| तुका म्हणे माझें नमन जाणतियां | "Tuka says — my namana — to the jāṇatīs" |
| लागतसें पायां वेळोवेळां | "I fall (lāgatasēm) — at (their) pāya — vēḷō-vēḷām (moment-by-moment)" |
What it means
Brahma-form's-actions-samkalpa-less abhang. The opening: brahma-rūpāñcīm karmēm Brahma-rūpa — virahita samkalpa hōtī jātī — thekarmas ofBrahma-rūpas (= those who have becomeBrahman-formed) — are themselvesBrahma-rūpa; —without samkalpa— theyhappen-and-pass. (= the jīvan-mukta's actions are not personally-resolved; they happen-and-pass. Classical-formula: actions of the realized are un-bound.)
The crystal-image: ṭhēviliyā disē ranga-aisī śiḷā — upādhi nirāḷā sphaṭika-maṇi — (when) placed — appears —like the color— theśiḷā(stone-block); — theupādhi(= adjunct) isnirāḷa; — thesphaṭika-maṇi(= crystal-jewel). The crystal-jewel image: when a colored-stone is placed under a crystal, the crystal appears that color — but the crystal-itself remains separate. (Foundational Vedānta-image; cf. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya — sphaṭika as upādhi-illustration. The jīvan-mukta's body-actions appear colored by upādhi (body, mind), but the realized one stays nirāḷa.)
The mother-child image: nānā-bhāṣā-matēm āḷavitī bāḷā — prabōdha tō mūḷā jananī-ṭhāyīm — inmany languages and opinions— they call (= name / address) — thebāḷa(child); —prabōdha(= awakening / consciousness-of-being) —at the root— at thejananī(mother)'sṭhāya(place). Beautiful image: people-call-the-child by various names in various languages; — but the child's deep-awareness is at the mother's place. (= the jīvan-mukta is called by many names by many viewpoints; but his prabōdha is in the mother / source.)
The closing-namana: namana jāṇatiyām — lāgatasēm pāyām vēḷō-vēḷām — mynamana— to thejāṇatīs (= knowing-ones); — I fall at (their)pāya—moment-by-moment. Tuka prostrates moment-by-moment to those who know. (= the jāṇatīs are those-who-have-realized brahma-rūpa; Tuka takes refuge in them.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: Brahma-formed-ones' actions are themselves Brahma-form, happening samkalpa-less; when colored-stone is placed, the crystal-jewel appears that color but itself stays nirāḷā; in many languages they call the child, but its prabōdha is at the mother's place; my namana to the knowers, falling at their feet moment-by-moment.
Where this applies
- When you're praised or blamed for a role you're playing and start to feel it defines who you really are
- When you're juggling many identities as parent, worker, and friend and worry about losing yourself in the mix
- When you act generously or do your duty and then let go instead of clinging to the outcome
- When you meet someone deeply grounded and wonder what keeps them so unaffected by circumstances