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
English: 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.
[T]
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
- Grow-the-true-wealth-the-world-hopes-for.* Pikavāvē-dhana-jana-āsa.
- No-diminishment-while-spending.* Puḍhē-urē-khaṇḍaṇa-na.
- Deep-and-moist-seed-yields-nija.* Khōlī-ōlī-bīja-nija.
- Master-is-Viṭhṭhal-three-letters.* Dhanī-Viṭhṭhal-akṣarī-tinhī.