संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1728 of 4582

Abhanga 1728

For today: blessed is Pundalika — he did very well — brought the divine-treasure to Paṇḍharī; what is not attainable by piles of tapas, he showed to all the people of the world; the supreme tīrtha, kṣetra, and Deva — the śāstras have selected this bhāva; Viṣṇu-pada at Gayā, Rāma-dhāma at Kāśī — all are gathered near Viṭhobā's feet; Tuka says — by just seeing the temple-finial, mokṣa — instant destruction of ahankāra.

When you'd extol Pundalika + Paṇḍharī as supreme-tīrtha — Pundalika-brought-treasure; not-by-tapas; all-tīrthas-at-Viṭhobā-feet; mokṣa-by-kaḷasa-darśana

The verse

धन्य पुंडलिका बहु बरें केलें । निधान आणिलें पंढरिये ॥१॥ न पवीजे केल्या तपांचिया रासी । तें जनलोकांसी दाखविलें ॥ध्रु.॥ सर्वोत्तम तीर्थ क्षेत्र आणि देव । शास्त्रांनी हा भाव निवडिला ॥२॥ विष्णुपद गया रामधाम काशी । अवघीं पायांपाशीं विठोबाच्या ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे मोक्ष देखिल्या कळस । तात्काळ या नास अहंकाराचा ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: Blessed Pundalika — very well done — brought the nidhāna to Paṇḍharī. Not attainable by tapas-piles — that he showed to people-of-the-world. Supreme tīrtha-kṣetra-and-Deva — śāstras selected this bhāva. Viṣṇu-pada Gayā, Rāma-dhāma Kāśī — all are near Viṭhobā's feet. Tuka says: mokṣa — seeing the kaḷasa — instant destruction of ahankāra.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
धन्य पुंडलिका बहु बरें केलें "blessed Pundalikavery well done"
निधान आणिलें पंढरिये "nidhāna (treasure) — brought to Paṇḍharī"
न पवीजे केल्या तपांचिया रासी "not attainableby tapas-piles"
तें जनलोकांसी दाखविलें "thatto people-of-worldshowed"
सर्वोत्तम तीर्थ क्षेत्र आणि देव "supreme tīrtha-kṣetra-and-Deva"
शास्त्रांनी हा भाव निवडिला "śāstrasthis bhāva selected"
विष्णुपद गया रामधाम काशी "Viṣṇu-pada GayāRāma-dhāma Kāśī"
अवघीं पायांपाशीं विठोबाच्या "allnear feetof Viṭhobā"
तुका म्हणे मोक्ष देखिल्या कळस "Tuka says — mokṣaseeing kaḷasa"
तात्काळ या नास अहंकाराचा "instantdestructionof ahankāra"

What it means

Pundalika-brought-the-treasure-to-Paṇḍharī + all-tīrthas-at-Viṭhobā's-feet abhang.

The opening: dhanya Pundalikā bahu barēm kēlēm — nidhāna āṇilēm Paṇḍhariyēblessed Pundalika, very well done — brought the treasure to Paṇḍharī. Pundalika is the foundational legendary devotee of the warkari-tradition; the legend says Pundalika's filial-devotion-to-his-parents made Viṣṇu come down to Paṇḍharpur and stand on a brick (the origin-story of Viṭṭhal-on-the-brick at Paṇḍharī). Pundalika brought the divine-treasure (nidhāna = the Lord himself) to Paṇḍharī.

The not-by-tapas: na pavījē kēlyā tapāñciyā rāsī — tēm jana-lōkāmsī dākhavilēmnot attainable by tapas-piles — that he showed to people-of-the-world. What endless-tapas couldn't attain, Pundalika simply made-publicly-visible.

The supreme-trio: sarvōttama tīrtha kṣētra āṇi Deva — śāstrāmnī hā bhāva nivaḍilāsupreme tīrtha-kṣetra-and-Deva — śāstras selected this bhāva. The śāstras selected Paṇḍharī as the supreme tīrtha + kṣetra + Deva-locus.

The all-tīrthas-here: Viṣṇu-pada Gayā Rāma-dhāma Kāśī — avaghīm pāyām-pāśīm ViṭhōbācyāViṣṇu-pada at Gayā, Rāma-dhāma at Kāśī — all near Viṭhobā's feet. Each-major-pilgrimage-locus's deity is gathered near Viṭhobā's-feet at Paṇḍharī.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē mōkṣa dēkhilyā kaḷasa — tatkāḷa yā nāsa ahankārācāTuka says: mokṣa — seeing the kaḷasa — instant destruction of ahankāra. Kaḷasa = temple-finial / peak. Just seeing the temple-peak instantly-destroys ahankāra → mokṣa-arrives.

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For someone today

For today: blessed is Pundalika — he did very well — brought the divine-treasure to Paṇḍharī; what is not attainable by piles of tapas, he showed to all the people of the world; the supreme tīrtha, kṣetra, and Deva — the śāstras have selected this bhāva; Viṣṇu-pada at Gayā, Rāma-dhāma at Kāśī — all are gathered near Viṭhobā's feet; Tuka says — by just seeing the temple-finial, mokṣa — instant destruction of ahankāra.

Where this applies

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