Abhanga 2021
No supernatural power or achievement, not even liberation itself, compares to the value of simple devotion to God.
The verse
सोन्याचे पर्वत करवती पाषाण । अवघे रानोरान कल्पतरू ॥१॥ परि या दुर्लभ विठोबाचे पाय । तेथें हे उपाय न सरती ॥ध्रु.॥ अमृतें सागर भरवे ती गंगा । म्हणवेल उगा राहें काळा ॥२॥ भूत भविष्य कळों येईंल वर्तमान । करवती प्रसन्न रिद्धिसिद्धी ॥३॥ स्थान मान कळों येती योगमुद्रा । नेववेल वारा ब्रम्हांडासी ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे मोक्ष राहे आलीकडे । इतर बापुडें काय तेथें ॥५॥
Literal translation
One can make mountains of gold from stones — all forests, kalpa-trees. But Viṭhōbā's feet are rare — there these means don't work. Fill the ocean with amṛta — that Ganga — make Kaḷa stand still. Past-future-present can be known — ṛddhi-siddhī can be made happy. Sthāna-māna can be known — yoga-mudras — the wind can be carried to Brahmāṇḍa. Tuka says: even mokṣa stays behind — what are the other poor-things there?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सोन्याचे पर्वत करवती पाषाण | "one can make mountains of gold from stones" |
| अवघे रानोरान कल्पतरू | "all forests — kalpa-trees" |
| परि या दुर्लभ विठोबाचे पाय | "but Viṭhōbā's feet are rare" |
| तेथें हे उपाय न सरती | "there these means don't work" |
| अमृतें सागर भरवे ती गंगा | "one can fill the ocean with amṛta — that Ganga" |
| म्हणवेल उगा राहें काळा | "can make Kaḷa (death) stand still" |
| भूत भविष्य कळों येईंल वर्तमान | "past-future-present can be known" |
| करवती प्रसन्न रिद्धिसिद्धी | "ṛddhi-siddhī can be made happy" |
| स्थान मान कळों येती योगमुद्रा | "sthāna-māna can be known — yoga-mudras" |
| नेववेल वारा ब्रम्हांडासी | "the wind can be carried to Brahmāṇḍa" |
| तुका म्हणे मोक्ष राहे आलीकडे | "Tuka says — even mokṣa stays behind" |
| इतर बापुडें काय तेथें | "what are the other poor-things there" |
What it means
All-supreme-attainments-fall-short-of-Viṭhōbā's-feet + even-mokṣa-stays-behind abhang. 1-ABHANG SUB-CLUSTER (confirmed by ॥१॥ at 2022).
The opening — gold and kalpa-trees: sōnyāchē parvata karavatī pāṣāṇa — avaghē rānōrāna kalpa-tarū — make mountains of gold from stones — all forests, kalpa-trees. Even-the-greatest-alchemical-transformations are-possible.
The hinge: pari yā durlabha Viṭhōbāchē pāya — tēthē hē upāya na saratī — but Viṭhōbā's feet are rare — there these means don't work. All-these-supernatural-means-fall-short for Viṭhōbā's-feet.
The catalogue of supernatural achievements that fail: - amṛtē sāgara bharavē tī Gangā — mhaṇavēla ugā rāhē kāḷā — fill the ocean with amṛta — that Ganga — make Kaḷa stand still. - bhūta bhaviṣya kaḷōm yēīla vartamāna — karavatī prasanna ṛddhi-siddhī — past-future-present knowable; ṛddhi-siddhī happy (= the eight siddhis). - sthāna māna kaḷōm yētī yōga-mudrā — nēvavēla vārā Brahmāṇḍāsī — sthāna-māna, yoga-mudras; wind carried to Brahmāṇḍa (yogic powers).
THE CLIMACTIC CLOSING: Tukā mhaṇē mōkṣa rāhē ālīkaḍē — itara bāpuḍē kāya tēthē — Tuka says: even mokṣa stays behind — what are the other poor-things there?. Even-mokṣa stays-behind (in-front-of-Viṭhōbā's-feet); the-other-supernatural-things are-just-poor-things. One of Tukārām's most-classic bhakti-over-mokṣa statements.
[T]
For someone today
For today: one can make mountains of gold from stones — all forests, kalpa-trees; but Viṭhōbā's feet are rare — these means don't work; fill ocean with amṛta — make Kaḷa stand still; past-future-present known — ṛddhi-siddhī happy; sthāna-māna, yoga-mudras — wind to Brahmāṇḍa; Tuka says — even mokṣa stays behind — what are the other poor-things there?
Where this applies
- When you are impressed by someone's extraordinary skill, wealth, or powers and start to feel your own simple devotion is less important
- When you are chasing spiritual achievements or special experiences as proof of progress
- When you assume that liberation or enlightenment is the highest possible goal to aim for
- When you are tempted to measure your worth by dramatic accomplishments instead of quiet, steady devotion