Abhanga 1606
For today: those who go to Paṇḍharī — the māhāra says: I too will go to them; they have continuation in this life — that is what the māhāra says; whether bhāva is there or not — whoever sees this Paṇḍhari-rāva, bathing in the Candrabhāgā — Tuka says — any caste, whatever.
The verse
जाती पंढरीस । म्हणे जाईंन तयांस ॥१॥ तया आहे संवसार । ऐसें बोले तो माहार ॥ध्रु.॥ असो नसो भाव । जो हा देखे पंढरिराव ॥२॥ चंद्रभागे न्हाती । तुका म्हणे भलते याती ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Those who go to Paṇḍharī — the māhāra says: 'I will go to them.' To them is samsāra — thus says that māhāra. Whether bhāva be or be not — whoever sees this Paṇḍhari-rāva, bathing in Candrabhāgā — Tuka says — any caste.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जाती पंढरीस | "those who go — to Paṇḍharī" |
| म्हणे जाईंन तयांस | "says — I will go — to them" |
| तया आहे संवसार | "to them — is — samsāra (= continuation)" |
| ऐसें बोले तो माहार | "thus — says — that māhāra" |
| असो नसो भाव | "be it or be-not — bhāva" |
| जो हा देखे पंढरिराव | "whoever — sees — this Paṇḍhari-rāva" |
| चंद्रभागे न्हाती | "in (the) Candra-bhāgā — bathe" |
| तुका म्हणे भलते याती | "Tuka says — any caste-jāti" |
What it means
Post-ascension anti-caste māhāra-affirmation abhang. A startling-bold abhang following the canonical-date-stamp (1605) — Tukaram's voice asserting radical-caste-equality at Paṇḍharī.
The opening: jātī Paṇḍharīsa — mhaṇē jā'īna tayāmsa — those who go to Paṇḍharī — the māhāra says: I will go to them. Māhāra = a Dalit-caste community in Maharashtra, traditionally regarded as untouchable by the upper-caste-hierarchy. The māhāra-voice is given the direct quoted-speech — I will go (to Paṇḍharī) too.
The samsāra-grant: tayā āhē samvasāra — aisēm bōlē tō māhāra — to them is samsāra — thus says that māhāra. Samvasāra / samsāra here likely means continuation, continued-life, continued-existence-in-the-bhakta-community (or possibly full-householder-life within the bhakti-tradition). Aisēm bōlē tō māhāra — thus speaks that māhāra — the māhāra-voice asserts his own samsāra. (The māhāra is speaking-from-his-own-position, not being-spoken-about.)
The bhāva-or-no-bhāva: asō nasō bhāva — jō hā dēkhē Paṇḍhari-rāva — whether bhāva be or be-not — whoever sees this Paṇḍhari-rāva. Striking: the threshold for darśana of Paṇḍhari-rāva is so low that even the absence of bhāva is not disqualifying — the mere act of seeing counts.
The closing: Candra-bhāgē nhātī — Tukā mhaṇē bhalatē yātī — bathing in the Candrabhāgā — Tuka says — any caste-jāti (whatever-jāti). Bhalatē yātī = any-caste, of-any-kind. Bathing in Candrabhāgā (the river at Paṇḍharpur) — any caste. (= the Candrabhāgā-bath is open to all-castes; the river-purification works regardless of caste-status.)
This abhang is one of Tukaram's strongest-radical-egalitarian statements. Coming after the date-stamp of 1605, it functions as a kind of post-ascension teaching — perhaps placed editorially after the vaikuṇṭha-gamana to emphasize its enduring-message-for-the-community. The direct-quotation of the māhāra-voice is striking: instead of speaking-about-the-māhāra, Tukaram lets the māhāra speak in first-person about his own pilgrimage. (Compare 1563's trans-caste saint-genealogy with Cōkhāmēḷā the Mahar-saint.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: those who go to Paṇḍharī — the māhāra says: I too will go to them; they have continuation in this life — that is what the māhāra says; whether bhāva is there or not — whoever sees this Paṇḍhari-rāva, bathing in the Candrabhāgā — Tuka says — any caste, whatever.
Where this applies
- Māhāra-voice-says-I-will-go-to-Paṇḍharī.* Māhāra-jā'īna-Paṇḍharīsa.
- Samsāra-continuation-for-them.* Tayā-samvasāra-māhāra.
- With-or-without-bhāva-anyone-who-sees-Paṇḍhari-rāva.* Asō-nasō-bhāva-Paṇḍhari-rāva.
- Candrabhāgā-bathe-any-caste.* Candra-bhāgē-nhātī-bhalatē-yātī.