Abhanga 1997
Once real realization takes root like a seed, it uproots the whole tree of confusion, and what remains is simple sweetness in the Name.
The verse
जोडिलें तें आतां न सरे सारितां । जीव बळी देतां हाता आलें ॥१॥ संचित सारूनि बांधिलें धरणें । तुंबिलें जीवन आक्षय हें ॥ध्रु.॥ शीत उष्ण तेथें सुखदुःख नाहीं । अंतर सबाही एक जालें ॥२॥ बीज तो अंकुर पत्र शाखा फळें । प्राप्तबीज मुळें अवघें नासे ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे नामीं राहिलीसे गोडी । बीजाच्या परवडी होती जाती ॥४॥
Literal translation
What was joined doesn't go-away even pushing-aside — offering jīva, it came to hand. Setting aside samcita, fixed the dam — life is filled, akṣaya now. There — no cold-hot, no sukha-duḥkha — inside and outside became one. Seed — sprout, leaf, branch, fruit — when seed-attained, root and all destroyed. Tuka says: sweetness remained in the Name — the seed-paravaḍī comes-and-goes.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जोडिलें तें आतां न सरे सारितां | "what was joined — doesn't go away even pushing-aside" |
| जीव बळी देतां हाता आलें | "offering jīva — it came to hand" |
| संचित सारूनि बांधिलें धरणें | "setting aside samcita — fixed the dam" |
| तुंबिलें जीवन आक्षय हें | "life is filled — akṣaya now" |
| शीत उष्ण तेथें सुखदुःख नाहीं | "there — no cold-hot, no sukha-duḥkha" |
| अंतर सबाही एक जालें | "inside-and-outside became one" |
| बीज तो अंकुर पत्र शाखा फळें | "seed — sprout, leaf, branch, fruit" |
| प्राप्तबीज मुळें अवघें नासे | "when seed-attained — root and all destroyed" |
| तुका म्हणे नामीं राहिलीसे गोडी | "Tuka says — sweetness remained in the Name" |
| बीजाच्या परवडी होती जाती | "the seed-paravaḍī comes-and-goes" |
What it means
Seed-attained-root-destroyed-sweetness-in-Name abhang.
The opening: jōḍilē tē ātām na sarē sāritām — jīva baḷī dētām hātā ālē — what was joined doesn't go away even pushing-aside — offering jīva, it came to hand. What's-joined (the bond-with-Lord) doesn't-go-away when-pushed; came-to-hand only-by-jīva-bali (= sacrificing-the-jīva).
The dam-and-lake: samchita sārūni bāndhilē dharaṇē — tumbilē jīvana akṣaya hē — setting aside samcita — fixed the dam — life is filled, akṣaya now. Dharaṇē = dam; tumbilē = filled-up. Set-aside samcita-karma; built-the-dam; the-life-water now-filled-akṣaya (inexhaustibly).
The advaita-state: śīta uṣṇa tēthē sukha-duḥkha nāhīm — antara sabāhī ēka jālē — there — no cold-hot, no sukha-duḥkha — inside and outside became one. All-dualities collapsed; inner-outer is-one.
THE FOUNDATIONAL VEDANTA-IMAGE: bīja tō ankura patra śākhā phaḷē — prāpta-bīja muḷē avaghē nāsē — seed — sprout, leaf, branch, fruit — when seed-attained, root and all destroyed. Once-the-seed-of-realization is-attained, the-whole-tree of-samsāra (sprout-leaf-branch-fruit) — including-its-root — is destroyed. Classic image: the seed-of-knowledge cancels-the-tree-of-ignorance from-its-root.
The closing — Name's sweetness: Tukā mhaṇē Nāmīm rāhilīsē gōḍī — bījāchyā paravaḍī hōtī jātī — Tuka says: sweetness remained in the Name — the seed-paravaḍī comes-and-goes. The Name-sweetness remains; only-the-seed-banquet (= the cycle of birth-and-fruit) comes-and-goes.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what was joined doesn't go-away even pushing-aside — offering jīva, it came to hand; setting aside samcita, fixed the dam — life is filled, akṣaya now; there — no cold-hot, no sukha-duḥkha — inside and outside became one; seed — sprout, leaf, branch, fruit — when seed-attained, root and all destroyed; Tuka says — sweetness remained in the Name — the seed-paravaḍī comes-and-goes.
Where this applies
- When you keep pushing away your longing for something higher, but it keeps returning to you anyway.
- When old wounds and old debts still color every decision you make.
- When you're caught in the swings of pleasure and pain and want steadier ground instead.
- When you finally understand something deeply and it changes everything downstream, not just the surface.