Abhanga 1685
What matters in devotion is a wholehearted, humble sincerity, not knowledge, status, or eloquence.
The verse
काय माझी संत पाहाती जाणीव । सर्व माझा भावत्यांचे पायीं ॥१॥ कारण सरतें करा पांडुरंगीं । भूषणाची जगीं काय चाड ॥ध्रु.॥ बोबडा उत्तरीं म्हणें हरिहरि । आणीक भीकारी नेणें दुजें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तुम्ही विठ्ठलाचे दास । करितों मी आस उच्छिष्टाची॥३॥
Literal translation
What do my saints examine of knowing? — all my bhāva is at their feet. Make the cause work in Pāṇḍuranga — of ornament in the world, what longing? In stuttering uttara says "Hari-Hari" — another beggar doesn't know the second. Tuka says: you, Viṭhṭhal's-dāsas — I make my longing for ucchiṣṭa.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय माझी संत पाहाती जाणीव | "what — my — saints — examine — jāṇīva" |
| सर्व माझा भावत्यांचे पायीं | "all — my bhāva — at their feet" |
| कारण सरतें करा पांडुरंगीं | "the cause — make work — in Pāṇḍuranga" |
| भूषणाची जगीं काय चाड | "of ornament — in world — what longing" |
| बोबडा उत्तरीं म्हणें हरिहरि | "in stuttering uttara — says — Hari-Hari" |
| आणीक भीकारी नेणें दुजें | "another beggar — doesn't know — second" |
| तुका म्हणे तुम्ही विठ्ठलाचे दास | "Tuka says — you — Viṭhṭhal's-dāsas" |
| करितों मी आस उच्छिष्टाची | "I make — longing — for ucchiṣṭa" |
What it means
Saints-don't-test-my-knowing + longing-for-saints'-ucchiṣṭa abhang.
The saint-question: kāya mājhī samta pāhātī jāṇīva — sarva mājhā bhāva tyāñcē pāyīm — what do my saints examine of knowing? — all my bhāva is at their feet. Saints don't test my jāṇīva (knowing); my bhāva is wholly at their feet — that is enough.
The cause-work: kāraṇa saratēm karā Pāṇḍurangīm — bhūṣaṇācī jagīm kāya cāḍa — make the cause work in Pāṇḍuranga — of ornament in world, what longing? Saratēm karā = cause-it-to-flow-through, make-it-prevail. Make my cause prevail in Pāṇḍuranga; what use of ornaments in the world?
The stuttering-beggar: bōbaḍā uttarīm mhaṇē Hari-Hari — āṇīka bhīkārī nēṇē dujē — in stuttering uttara says "Hari-Hari" — another beggar doesn't know the second. The beggar-image of bhakta: standing-in-stuttering-speech saying only "Hari-Hari"; the (other) beggars know only one-thing — there's no second-knowledge.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē tumhī Viṭhṭhalācē dāsa — karitōm mī āsa ucchiṣṭācī — Tuka says: you, Viṭhṭhal's-dāsas — I make my longing for ucchiṣṭa. To the Viṭhṭhal-dāsas — I beg-for-ucchiṣṭa (= leftover-food, ritually-impure-leftovers). (Compare 1663's vaiṣṇavām caraṇīm jōḍā + sēvīna ucchiṣṭa lōḷēna angaṇīm.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: what do my saints examine of my knowledge? — all my bhāva lies at their feet; make my cause work in Pāṇḍuranga — what longing for ornaments in the world?; in stuttering speech I say only "Hari, Hari" — another beggar doesn't know any second thing; Tuka says — you, Viṭhṭhal's servants — I make my longing for your leftover food.
मराठी: आजसाठी: माझे संत माझ्या ज्ञानाची परीक्षा कशाला घेतील? — माझा सगळा भाव त्यांच्या चरणी आहे; माझे कारण पांडुरंगाकडे सफल कर — जगातल्या दागिन्यांची काय हव? बोबड्या बोलात मी फक्त 'हरी, हरी' म्हणतो — दुसरा भिकारी दुसरं काही जाणत नाही; तुका म्हणतो — तुम्ही विठ्ठलाचे दास — मी फक्त तुमच्या उष्ट्या अन्नाची आस धरतो.
Where this applies
- When you feel you must prove your intelligence or credentials before you're taken seriously
- When you're drawn to outward status and decoration instead of quiet sincerity
- When you only know how to keep repeating one simple, humble expression of faith
- When you'd rather take the smallest, humblest place near people you admire than demand recognition