Abhanga 2095
True devotion is not harsh self-punishing austerity but selfless self-giving that lifts up the weak and asks nothing back.
The verse
अवघे चुकविले सायास । तप रासी जीवा नास ॥१॥ जीव देऊनियां बळी । अवघीं तारिलीं दुर्बळीं । केला भूमंडळीं । माजी थोर पवाडा ॥ध्रु.॥ कांहीं न मगे याची गती । लुटवितो जगा हातीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भक्तराजा । कोण वर्णी पार तुझा ॥३॥
Literal translation
All effort avoided — tapas-piles — destruction-for-jīva. Offering jīva as bali — saved all the durbaḷa — on the earth-sphere — made a great deed. Doesn't ask anything his return — lets the world plunder by hand. Tuka says: bhakta-rāja — who describes your pāra (limit)?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अवघे चुकविले सायास | "all effort avoided" |
| तप रासी जीवा नास | "tapas-piles — destruction-for-jīva" |
| जीव देऊनियां बळी | "offering jīva as bali" |
| अवघीं तारिलीं दुर्बळीं | "saved all the durbaḷa" |
| केला भूमंडळीं | "on the earth-sphere" |
| माजी थोर पवाडा | "made a great deed" |
| कांहीं न मगे याची गती | "doesn't ask anything his return" |
| लुटवितो जगा हातीं | "lets the world plunder by hand" |
| तुका म्हणे भक्तराजा | "Tuka says — bhakta-rāja" |
| कोण वर्णी पार तुझा | "who describes your pāra (limit)" |
What it means
Avoid-all-effort-offer-jīva-as-bali + bhakta-rāja-limitless abhang.
The opening — effort-avoided: avaghē chukavilē sāyāsa — tapa rāsi jīvā nāsa — all effort avoided — tapas-piles — destruction-for-jīva. The bhakta-rāja avoided-all-effort and-tapas-piles (which lead-to jīva-destruction) — the saints' way bypasses tapas-attrition.
THE SAINT'S GIFT (the extended dhruva): jīva dē'ūniyām baḷī — avaghīm tārilīm durbaḷīm — kēlā bhū-maṇḍaḷīm — mājī thōra pavāḍā — offering jīva as bali — saved all the durbaḷa — on the earth-sphere — made a great deed. The saint offered-his-own-jīva-as-bali (sacrifice) and-thereby saved-all-the-durbaḷa; made-a-great-deed (pavāḍā) on-the-earth. The Vārkarī-saint-as-sacrificer-for-the-weak.
The world-plundered: kāhīm na magē yāchī gatī — luṭavitō jagā hātīm — doesn't ask anything his return — lets the world plunder by hand. The saint doesn't-ask-his-due; lets-the-world plunder-him-by-hand.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē bhakta-rājā — kōṇa varṇī pāra tujhā — Tuka says: bhakta-rāja — who describes your pāra (limit)?. Who-can-describe the bhakta-rāja's-limit?.
[T]
For someone today
For today: all effort avoided — tapas-piles — destruction for jīva; offering jīva as bali — saved all the durbaḷa — on the earth-sphere — made a great deed; doesn't ask anything his return — lets the world plunder by hand; Tuka says — bhakta-rāja — who describes your pāra?
Where this applies
- When you push yourself through harsh self-denial thinking it proves your devotion
- When you help someone weaker than you and secretly expect gratitude or repayment
- When you give generously and people seem to take advantage, and you wonder if it is still worth it
- When you are looking for a model of quiet selfless service instead of showy religious effort