Abhanga 1758
Honor, comfort, wealth, dry knowledge, and even spiritual powers are worthless without a real, felt connection to the divine; only that direct presence truly satisfies.
The verse
लोकमान देहसुख । संपत्तिउपभोग अनेक । विटंबना दुःख । तुझिये भेटीवांचूनि ॥१॥ तरी मज ये भेट ये भेट । काय ठाकलासी नीट । थोर पुण्यें वीट । तुज दैवेंचि लाधली ॥ध्रु.॥ काय ब्रम्हज्ञान करूं कोरडें । रितें मावेचें मापाडें । भेटीविण कुडें । तुझिये अवघें मज वाटे ॥२॥ आत्मस्थितीचा विचार । काय करूं हा उद्धार। न देखतां धीर । चतुर्भुज मज नाहीं ॥३॥ रिद्धीसिद्धी काय करूं । अथवा अगम्य विचारू । भेटीविण भारु । तुझिये वाटे मज यांचा ॥४॥ तुजवांचूनि कांहीं व्हावें । ऐसें नको माझिया जीवें । तुका म्हणे द्यावें । दरुषण पायांचें ॥५॥
Literal translation
People-honor, body-sukha, sampatti-enjoyments many — all viṭambanā-duḥkha — without your bhēṭī. Come meet me, come meet me — what stuck-fast you are? — great puṇya, the brick — by fortune attained for you. What use dry Brahma-jñāna — empty māyā-measure-vessel — without bhēṭī, all your (things) seem false to me. Ātma-sthiti-vicāra — what use this uplift — not seeing the catur-bhuja, no dhīra to me. Ṛddhi-siddhi what use — or unfathomable vicāra — without bhēṭī, the burden of these is on me. Without you, something should be — not so to my soul — Tuka says — give darśana of feet.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| लोकमान देहसुख ... विटंबना दुःख | "people-honor, body-sukha — all viṭambanā-duḥkha" |
| तुझिये भेटीवांचूनि | "without your bhēṭī" |
| काय ब्रम्हज्ञान करूं कोरडें | "what use — dry Brahma-jñāna" |
| रितें मावेचें मापाडें | "empty māyā-measure-vessel" |
| आत्मस्थितीचा विचार | "ātma-sthiti-vicāra" |
| काय करूं हा उद्धार | "what use — this uplift" |
| न देखतां धीर । चतुर्भुज मज नाहीं | "not seeing — catur-bhuja — no dhīra to me" |
| रिद्धीसिद्धी काय करूं | "ṛddhi-siddhi what use" |
| भेटीविण भारु | "without bhēṭī, the burden" |
| तुजवांचूनि कांहीं व्हावें । ऐसें नको माझिया जीवें | "without you something should be — not so to my soul" |
| तुका म्हणे द्यावें । दरुषण पायांचें | "Tuka says — give darśana of feet" |
What it means
Anti-everything-without-darśana abhang. A 5-verse cascade rejecting all-attainments-without-darśana.
The rejected-list (each what use without bhēṭī?):
- people-honor, body-sukha, sampatti-bhōga — all viṭambanā-duḥkha.
- dry Brahma-jñāna — empty māyā-measure-vessel.
- ātma-sthiti-vicāra, the uddhāra — no dhīra without seeing the catur-bhuja-form.
- ṛddhi-siddhi, agamya-vicāra — burden without bhēṭī.
The closing-petition: give darśana of feet. Only-darśana suffices; everything-else without-darśana is burden.
Note on radical-claim: Brahma-jñāna is dismissed as dry, empty māyā-measure-vessel; ātma-sthiti-vicāra and ṛddhi-siddhi equally dismissed. This is the strong-bhakti-over-jñāna position — characteristic of Tukaram.
[T]
For someone today
For today: people's respect, bodily comfort, and every kind of wealth — without your presence, all of it is just mockery and sorrow. Come meet me, come meet me — why have you stayed so distant, when it was only great merit and good fortune that brought me even this far? What use is dry knowledge of Brahman, an empty measuring cup of illusion — without meeting you, everything feels false to me. What use is understanding my own true nature, or any so-called upliftment, if I never see your form — I have no patience left for that; and what use are yogic powers or unfathomable philosophies, since without your presence they are only a burden to me. Let nothing exist for me apart from you — that is what my soul wants; Tuka says: just give me the sight of your feet.
मराठी: आजसाठी: लोकांचा मान, देहसुख, आणि नाना प्रकारची संपत्ती — तुझ्या भेटीशिवाय हे सगळे केवळ फसवणूक आणि दुःखच आहे. मला भेट, मला भेट — तू इतका दूर का राहिलास? केवळ मोठ्या पुण्याईनेच मला इतकेही भाग्य लाभले आहे. कोरडे ब्रह्मज्ञान काय कामाचे — मायेचे रिकामे माप? तुझ्या भेटीशिवाय तुझे सगळे मला खोटे वाटते. स्वतःच्या खऱ्या स्वरूपाचा विचार करून, किंवा कसलाही उद्धार होऊन काय उपयोग, जर तुझे रूप मला दिसतच नाही — त्याला माझ्याजवळ धीर उरलेला नाही; आणि ऋद्धी-सिद्धी किंवा अगम्य विचारांचा काय उपयोग, कारण तुझ्या भेटीशिवाय ते फक्त माझ्यावर ओझे आहेत. तुझ्याशिवाय माझ्यासाठी काहीही असू नये — हीच माझ्या जिवाची इच्छा आहे; तुका म्हणतो: फक्त तुझ्या पायांचे दर्शन दे.
Where this applies
- When you've achieved success, status, or comfort but still feel something essential missing
- When you've studied a lot of philosophy or theory but it feels dry and disconnected from real experience
- When you're chasing spiritual techniques or powers instead of genuine connection
- When you find yourself impatient, wanting direct closeness rather than abstract ideas about the divine