संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1771 of 4582

Abhanga 1771

For today: no questioning — the order was firmly given — for us, there is no other recourse now; the master is strong, removes everything — what worry need we do?; the generator of buddhi, the pervader of the universe — what is not in one aspect of his?; Tuka says — even if I appear to be the obstacle-remover, isn't the sattā still in his hand?.

When you'd express don't-question-master-removes-everything-sattā-in-his-hand — ājñā-ēkasarē; baḷivanta-sarva-nivāritā; buddhīcā-janitā-viśvācā-vyāpaka; sattā-nāhīm-hātīm

The verse

नये पुसों आज्ञा केली एकसरें । आम्हांसी दुसरें आतां नाहीं ॥१॥ ज्याचें तो बळिवंत सर्व निवारिता । आम्हां काय चिंता करणें लागें ॥ध्रु.॥ बुद्धीचा जनिता विश्वाचा व्यापक । काय नाहीं एक अंगीं तया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मज होईंल वारिता । तरी काय सत्ता नाहीं हातीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: No questioning — the order was firmly given — for us, there is no other recourse now. The master, the strong one, removes everything — what worry need we do? The generator of buddhi, the pervader of the universe — what is not in one aspect of his? Tuka says: if I become the obstacle-remover, isn't the sattā still in his hand?.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
नये पुसों आज्ञा केली एकसरें "not to be askedthe order was givenfirmly / once-for-all"
आम्हांसी दुसरें आतां नाहीं "for usanothernow(there is) no"
ज्याचें तो बळिवंत सर्व निवारिता "his (the master)the strong oneremoves everything"
आम्हां काय चिंता करणें लागें "for uswhatworryshould-be-done"
बुद्धीचा जनिता विश्वाचा व्यापक "the generator of buddhithe pervader of the universe"
काय नाहीं एक अंगीं तया "what is not(in) one aspectof his"
तुका म्हणे मज होईंल वारिता "Tuka says — if Ibecome the obstacle-remover (vāritā)"
तरी काय सत्ता नाहीं हातीं "thenwhatthe sattāisn't in (his) hand"

What it means

Master-is-the-doer-not-me abhang. A companion to 1770 (true-sevaka-discipline) — now articulating the theological-basis for that discipline.

The opening: nayē pusōm ājñā kēlī ēkasarē — āmhāmsī dusarē ātām nāhīmno questioning — the order was firmly given — for us, there is no other recourse now. Ēkasarē = at-one-go, firmly, decisively. The order is final; the alternative-paths are closed.

The strong-master-line: jyācēm tō baḷivanta sarva nivāritā — āmhām kāya cintā karaṇēm lāgēthe master is strong, removes everything — what worry should we do?. Baḷivanta = the strong-one; sarva nivāritā = the all-obstacle-remover. The master removes-all-obstacles; the sevaka has nothing-to-worry-about. (= no anxiety-of-the-sevaka.)

The vyāpaka-line: buddhīcā janitā viśvācā vyāpaka — kāya nāhīm ēka angīm tayāthe generator of buddhi, the pervader of the universe — what is not in his one aspect?. Janitā = generator, father, source; vyāpaka = pervader. The Lord is the source-of-all-buddhi (= intellect) and the pervader-of-the-cosmos; there is nothing that is not in one-aspect of his. (= omnipotence-and-omnipresence-of-the-master.)

The closing self-question: Tukā mhaṇē maja hō'īla vāritā — tarī kāya sattā nāhīm hātīmTuka says: if I become the obstacle-remover, isn't the sattā still in his hand?. Vāritā = the obstacle-remover, defender. Even if I (Tuka) appear-to-be the protector / problem-solver — isn't the actual-sattā (= sovereign-power) still in the master's hand? (= all-apparent-agency-by-the-sevaka is actually-the-master's-sattā-flowing-through-the-sevaka.)

The implicit-message: the bhakta-sevaka acts but is not the agent; Viṭhṭhal is the strong-master who is doing-the-work-through-Tuka. Pairs theologically with the Viṭhṭhal-speaks-through-Tuka of 1768-1769 — Viṭhṭhal-acts-through-Tuka completes the picture.

[T]

For someone today

For today: no questioning — the order was firmly given — for us, there is no other recourse now; the master is strong, removes everything — what worry need we do?; the generator of buddhi, the pervader of the universe — what is not in one aspect of his?; Tuka says — even if I appear to be the obstacle-remover, isn't the sattā still in his hand?.

Where this applies

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