संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1543 of 4582

Abhanga 1543

For today: Hari-bhakta arises only when many-births'-samcita is strong-and-much, with compassion in mind; Hari calls himself dāsa of his own dāsas — those who follow by speech-body-mind; the bhakta has compassion in mind and sees all as Hari, while Hari watches behind him; Hari is adamantine-cage for refugees — those who have followed have missed rebirth.

When you'd see how Hari-bhakta arises — cumulative many-births' samcita; Hari is dāsa of his dāsas; bhakta sees all as Hari; Hari is adamantine-cage

The verse

बहुतां जन्मींचें संचित । सबळ होय जरि बहुत । तरि चि होय हरिभक्त । कृपावंत मानसीं ॥१॥ म्हणवी म्हणियारा तयांचा । दास आपुल्या दासांचा । अनुसरले वाचा । काया मनें विठ्ठलीं ॥ध्रु.॥ असे भूतदया मानसीं । अवघा देखे हृषीकेशी । जीवें न विसंबे तयासी । मागें मागें हिंडतसे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे निर्विकार । शरणागतां वज्रपंजर । जे जे अनुसरले नर । तयां जन्म चुकलें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Many-janmas' samcita — sabaḷa, when bahuta — only then, Hari-bhakta — kṛpāvanta in mānasa. Hari calls himself mhaṇiyārā of them — dāsa of his own dāsas — who have anusaralē by vācā-kāyā-mana to Viṭhṭhala. There is bhūta-dayā in mānasa — sees all as Hṛṣīkēśī — by jīva, doesn't take-eyes-off — wanders behind, behind. Tuka says: nirvikāra — vajra-pañjara to śaraṇāgatas — those naras who have anusaralē — to them, janma is cukalēm.

मराठी: बहुतां — जन्मींचें — संचित; — सबळ — होय — जरि — बहुत; — तरि — चि — होय — हरि-भक्त; — कृपावंत — मानसीं. म्हणवी — म्हणियारा — तयांचा; — दास — आपुल्या — दासांचा; — अनुसरले — वाचा; — काया — मनें — विठ्ठलीं. असे — भूत-दया — मानसीं; — अवघा — देखे — हृषीकेशी; — जीवें — न — विसंबे — तयासी; — मागें — मागें — हिंडतसे. Tukā म्हणे — निर्विकार; — शरणागतां — वज्र-पंजर; — जे — जे — अनुसरले — नर; — तयां — जन्म — चुकलें.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
बहुतां जन्मींचें संचित "samcita — of many-janmas"
सबळ होय जरि बहुत "strong — when (one becomes) — much"
तरि चि होय हरिभक्त "only then (tarī chi) — does (one) become — Hari-bhakta"
कृपावंत मानसीं "kṛpāvanta (compassionate) — in (the) mānasa"
म्हणवी म्हणियारा तयांचा "calls (mhaṇavī) — mhaṇiyārā (= called-by-name) — of them"
दास आपुल्या दासांचा "dāsa — of his own — dāsas"
अनुसरले वाचा कायामनें विठ्ठलीं "those who haveanusaralē (followed) — by vācā, kāyā, mana — to Viṭhṭhala"
असे भूतदया मानसीं "is — bhūta-dayā — in mānasa"
अवघा देखे हृषीकेशी "allsees — as Hṛṣīkēśī"
जीवें न विसंबे तयासी "by jīva — does not take-eyes-off — that one"
मागें मागें हिंडतसे "behind, behindwanders (hiṇḍatasē)"
तुका म्हणे निर्विकार "Tuka says — nirvikāra"
शरणागतां वज्रपंजर "to śaraṇāgatas — vajra-pañjara (= adamantine-cage)"
जे जे अनुसरले नर "those naras — who have anusaralē"
तयां जन्म चुकलें "to them — janmamissed (cukalēm)"

What it means

Many-births'-samcita-becomes-Hari-bhakta abhang. The opening: bahutām janmīñcēm samcita — sabaḷa hōya jarī bahuta — tarī chi hōya Hari-bhakta — kṛpāvanta mānasīmthe samcita — of many janmas — when strong, when muchonly then (tarī chi) — does (one) — become Hari-bhaktakṛpāvanta in mānasa. It takes the cumulative-samcita-merit of many births to become a true Hari-bhakta with compassionate-mind. (Striking-acknowledgement: bhakti-arising is rare and demands great cumulative-merit.)

The Hari-as-servant: mhaṇavī mhaṇiyārā tayāmcā — dāsa āpulyā dāsāñcā — anusaralē vācā — kāyā manēm Viṭhṭhalīm(Hari) — calls — mhaṇiyārā (called-by-name) of them; — (he is) — dāsa of his own dāsas; — those who have anusaralē (= followed-completely) — by vācā, kāyā, mana — to Viṭhṭhala. Hari is the dāsa of his own dāsas — those who have followed by speech-body-mind. (Compare 1495's Hari-as-bhakta's-debtor — same theme.)

The bhakta's-sight: asē bhūta-dayā mānasīm — avaghā dēkhē Hṛṣīkēśī — jīvēm na visambē tayāsī — māgēm māgēm hiṇḍatasēbhūta-dayā in mānasa; — sees all — as Hṛṣīkēśī; — by jīvadoesn't-take-eyes-off — that one; — wandersbehind, behind. Such a bhakta has compassion in his mind, sees all as Hari; and Hari (the experiencer-watcher) doesn't take his eyes off such a bhakta — wanders behind him. (Compare 1503's jēm-jēm-bhēṭē-mī-aisēm — same all-as-Hari sight; here paired with Hari watching the bhakta back.)

The closing-image: nirvikāra — śaraṇāgatām vajra-pañjara — jē jē anusaralē nara — tayām janma cukalēm(Hari is) nirvikāra; — vajra-pañjara (= adamantine-cage) — to śaraṇāgatas; — those naras who have anusaralē; — to them — janmamissed. Hari is unaffected; an adamantine-cage for refugees; rebirth has been missed-by them. (Striking-image: Hari as protective-adamantine-cage; cf. 1492's vajra-pāśīm-Kāḷē — adamantine-noose of Time; here the inverse — Hari himself is adamantine-cage of protection*.)

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For someone today

For today: Hari-bhakta arises only when many-births'-samcita is strong-and-much, with compassion in mind; Hari calls himself dāsa of his own dāsas — those who follow by speech-body-mind; the bhakta has compassion in mind and sees all as Hari, while Hari watches behind him; Hari is adamantine-cage for refugees — those who have followed have missed rebirth.

Where this applies

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