Abhanga 1883
For today: grow the wealth that the world hopes for; remains ahead while eating and giving — no diminishment, even when measured; if the seed falls deep and moist — only then the nija comes-into-hand; Tuka says — the dhanī — Viṭhṭhal — these three letters.
The verse
पिकवावें धन । ज्याची आस करी जन ॥१॥ पुढें उरे खातां देतां । नव्हे खंडण मवितां ॥ध्रु.॥ खोलीं पडे ओली बीज । तरीं च हातीं लागे निज ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे धनी । विठ्ठल अक्षरी हीं तिन्ही ॥३॥
Literal translation
Grow the wealth — that the world hopes for. Remains ahead — while eating-and-giving — no diminishment, even when measured. If the seed falls deep-and-moist — only then the nija comes-into-hand. Tuka says: the dhanī — Viṭhṭhal — these three letters.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पिकवावें धन | "grow the wealth" |
| ज्याची आस करी जन | "that the world hopes for" |
| पुढें उरे खातां देतां | "remains ahead — while eating-and-giving" |
| नव्हे खंडण मवितां | "no diminishment — even when measured" |
| खोलीं पडे ओली बीज | "if the seed falls — deep-and-moist" |
| तरीं च हातीं लागे निज | "only then — the nija (true-self) — comes-into-hand" |
| तुका म्हणे धनी | "Tuka says — the dhanī (master)" |
| विठ्ठल अक्षरी हीं तिन्ही | "Viṭhṭhal — these three letters (akṣarī)" |
What it means
Grow-the-Viṭhṭhal-three-letter-wealth abhang. Part of Śivājī-cluster (1877-1890).
The opening: pikavāvē dhana — jyācī āsa karī jana — grow the wealth — that the world hopes for. Pikavāvē = to ripen, to grow. Grow the wealth-the-world-truly-hopes-for (= not-the-material-wealth, but-the-Name-wealth).
The inexhaustibility: puḍhē urē khātām dētām — navhē khaṇḍaṇa mavitām — remains ahead — while eating-and-giving — no diminishment, even when measured. The Name-wealth grows-while-being-spent: eating-and-giving don't-reduce-it; measuring-doesn't-diminish-it. (= anti-material-wealth-property: material-wealth diminishes-with-spending; Name-wealth multiplies.)
The seed-image: khōlīm paḍē ōlī bīja — tarīm chi hātīm lāgē nija — if the seed falls deep-and-moist — only then the nija comes-into-hand. Khōlī = deep; ōlī = moist; nija = true-self / one's-own-essence. Only-when-the-seed-(of-Name)-falls-deep-and-moist (= deeply-internalized + moistened-by-bhāva), does-the-true-self-come-into-hand.
The closing-revelation: Tukā mhaṇē dhanī — Viṭhṭhala akṣarī hīm tinhī — Tuka says: the dhanī — Viṭhṭhal — these three letters. Akṣarī = letters / syllables. The master (dhanī) is Viṭhṭhal — these three letters: Vi-ṭha-la. (= the true-wealth is the three-letter-Name itself.)
In the Śivājī-context: while-Śivājī-offers-physical-wealth (canopy, horse, clerk), Tuka declares the only-wealth-worth-growing is the three-letter Name Vi-ṭha-la.
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For someone today
For today: grow the wealth that the world hopes for; remains ahead while eating and giving — no diminishment, even when measured; if the seed falls deep and moist — only then the nija comes-into-hand; Tuka says — the dhanī — Viṭhṭhal — these three letters.
Where this applies
- When you notice your savings or possessions shrink every time you spend or share them
- When you're chasing a kind of wealth that never feels like it's enough
- When you practice something spiritual only on the surface and wonder why it isn't changing you
- When you're deciding where to invest your deepest hope, in things or in the Name