Abhanga 2090
No technique, learning, austerity, or ritual conduct alone brings the vision of God; only becoming desireless in your actions does.
The verse
लय लक्षूनियां जालों म्हणती देव । तो ही नव्हे भाव सत्य जाणा ॥१॥ जालों बहुश्रुत न लगे आतां कांहीं । नको राहूं ते ही निश्चिंतीनें ॥ध्रु.॥ तपें दान काय मानिसी विश्वास । बीज फळ त्यास आहे पुढें ॥२॥ कर्म आचरण यातीचा स्वगुण । विशेष तो गुण काय तेथें ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे जरी होईंल निष्काम । तरि च होय राम देखे डोळां ॥४॥ ॥५॥
Literal translation
By laya-focus, became Deva — they say — that's not the true bhāva, know. Became bahu-śruta, nothing more needed — don't stay there too with carelessness. Tapas-dāna — what trust in them — their seed-fruit is yet ahead. Karma-conduct, jāti-sva-guṇa — what special guṇa is there? Tuka says: only if one becomes niṣkāma — then-and-only-then Rāma seen with eyes. ॥5॥
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| लय लक्षूनियां जालों म्हणती देव | "by laya-focus, became Deva — they say" |
| तो ही नव्हे भाव सत्य जाणा | "that's not the true bhāva — know" |
| जालों बहुश्रुत न लगे आतां कांहीं | "became bahu-śruta — nothing more needed" |
| नको राहूं ते ही निश्चिंतीनें | "don't stay there too with carelessness" |
| तपें दान काय मानिसी विश्वास | "tapas-dāna — what trust in them" |
| बीज फळ त्यास आहे पुढें | "their seed-fruit is yet ahead" |
| कर्म आचरण यातीचा स्वगुण | "karma-conduct, jāti-sva-guṇa" |
| विशेष तो गुण काय तेथें | "what special guṇa is there" |
| तुका म्हणे जरी होईंल निष्काम | "Tuka says — only if one becomes niṣkāma" |
| तरि च होय राम देखे डोळां | "then-and-only-then Rāma seen with eyes" |
| ॥५॥ | "colophon-5 — closes 5-abhang sub-cluster (2086-2090)" |
What it means
Not-laya-not-bahuśruta-not-tapas-only-niṣkāma-brings-Rāma abhang. CLOSES 5-ABHANG SUB-CLUSTER (2086-2090) — SYSTEMATIC REJECTION OF PATHS.
Systematic rejection of-spiritual-paths: 1. laya lakṣūniyām jālōm mhaṇatī Dēva — tō hī navhē bhāva — by laya-focus (laya-yoga, dissolution), became Deva — they say — that's not true bhāva. 2. jālōm bahu-śruta na lagē ātām kāhīm — nakō rāhūm tē hī niśchintīnē — bahu-śruta (much-learning) — careless complacency must-be-avoided. 3. tapē dāna kāya mānisī viśvāsa — bīja phaḷa tyāsa āhē puḍhē — tapas-and-dāna — their fruit is-still-ahead (not immediate-realization). 4. karma ācharaṇa yātīchā sva-guṇa — viśēṣa tō guṇa kāya tēthē — karma-conduct, jāti-sva-guṇa — no special-attainment there.
THE CONCLUSION: Tukā mhaṇē jarī hō'īla niṣkāma — tari cha hōya Rāma dēkhē ḍōḷām — Tuka says: only if one becomes niṣkāma — then-and-only-then Rāma seen with eyes. Only niṣkāma (desireless-action) brings Rāma-to-the-eyes. One of Tukārām's foundational-conclusions: desirelessness, not techniques, brings darśana.
Colophon ॥५॥ confirms 5-abhang sub-cluster (2086-2090) — the slander-condemnation + self-knowledge-prerequisite + rejection-of-paths trilogy.
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For someone today
Some claim that focusing the mind until it dissolves makes them one with God, but that isn't true devotion. Becoming widely learned doesn't mean you've arrived either, so don't grow careless once you've gathered knowledge. Austerities and charity may feel like solid investments, but their fruit is still far off, not immediate. Neither your caste nor your habitual conduct carries any special merit on its own. Tuka says: only when you become free of personal desire do you finally see Rama with your own eyes.
मराठी: काही जण म्हणतात की मन विरघळून एकाग्र केलं की देव होतो, पण तो खरा भाव नाही. खूप ज्ञान मिळवलं म्हणजे पोहोचलो असं नाही, तेव्हा ज्ञान मिळाल्यावर निष्काळजी होऊ नये. तप आणि दान यांच्यावर विसंबून राहणं योग्य नाही, कारण त्यांचं फळ अजून पुढेच आहे. जात किंवा नेहमीचं आचरण यातही काही विशेष गुण नाही. तुका म्हणतो, माणूस निष्काम झाला तरच त्याला प्रत्यक्ष डोळ्यांनी राम दिसतो.
Where this applies
- When you think mastering a technique or gathering more knowledge will automatically bring spiritual fulfillment
- When you feel proud of how much you have learned and start coasting on that pride
- When you perform generous or disciplined acts while quietly expecting a quick spiritual payoff
- When you want to know what actually matters most on a spiritual path: letting go of personal wanting, not any particular method