संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2180 of 4582

Abhanga 2180

For today: head on saints' feet — sāṣṭānga-daṇḍavat; rested in consoling-words — prema-sukha grew within; body flooded by kṛpā's flow — uplifted not otherwise; Tuka says — without my sēvā — pūrva-puṇya store has served.

When you'd offer sāṣṭānga-to-saints + credit-to-pūrva-puṇya — māthā-charaṇāmvarī-sāṣṭānga-daṇḍavata; viśrāntī-sāmbhāḷa-uttarīm-prēma-sukhē; ḍaurlī-kāyā-kṛpēchyā-vōrasē-uddharalōm; na-ghaḍatām-sēvā-pūrva-puṇya-ṭhēvā

The verse

श्रीसंतांचिया माथा चरणांवरी । साष्टांग हें करीं दंडवत ॥१॥ विश्रांती पावलों सांभाळउत्तरीं । वाढलें अंतरीं प्रेमसुखें ॥ध्रु.॥ डौरली हे काया कृपेच्या वोरसें । नव्हे अनारिसें उद्धरलों ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मज न घडतां सेवा । पूर्वपुण्यठेवा वोडवला ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Head on śrī-saints' feet — I make a sāṣṭānga-daṇḍavat. I rested in their consoling-words — prema-sukha grew within. This body got flooded by the flow of kṛpā — it isn't otherwise — I was uplifted. Tuka says: without my doing sēvā — the pūrva-puṇya store has served.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
श्रीसंतांचिया माथा चरणांवरी "head on śrī-saints' feet"
साष्टांग हें करीं दंडवत "I make a sāṣṭānga-daṇḍavat"
विश्रांती पावलों सांभाळउत्तरीं "I rested in their consoling-words"
वाढलें अंतरीं प्रेमसुखें "prema-sukha grew within"
डौरली हे काया कृपेच्या वोरसें "this body got flooded by the flow of kṛpā"
नव्हे अनारिसें उद्धरलों "it isn't otherwise — I was uplifted"
तुका म्हणे मज न घडतां सेवा "Tuka says — without my doing sēvā"
पूर्वपुण्यठेवा वोडवला "the pūrva-puṇya store has served"

What it means

Sāṣṭānga-to-saints + pūrva-puṇya-store-served abhang.

The opening — sāṣṭānga: śrī-santāñchiyā māthā charaṇāmvarī — sāṣṭānga hē karīm daṇḍavatahead on śrī-saints' feet — I make a sāṣṭānga-daṇḍavat. Sāṣṭānga = full-body-prostration (head, hands, knees, chest, eyes, mind, speech, and feelings all touching ground). The full-bodied-bow at the saints' feet.

The rest-in-consoling-words: viśrāntī pāvalōm sāmbhāḷa-uttarīm — vāḍhalē antarīm prēma-sukhēI rested in their consoling-words — prema-sukha grew within. Sāmbhāḷa-uttara = consoling, sustaining word. In-the-saints'-consoling-words, the bhakta-found-rest; prema-sukha-grew within.

The kṛpā-flood image: ḍaurlī hē kāyā kṛpēchyā vōrasē — navhē anārisē uddharalōmthis body got flooded by the flow of kṛpā — it isn't otherwise — I was uplifted. Ḍaurlī = flooded, drenched. Vōrasa = flow, current. The body got-flooded by-the-flow-of-kṛpā; the uplift-(uddhāra)-was nothing-other-than-this.

The closing — pūrva-puṇya-store: Tukā mhaṇē maja na ghaḍatām sēvā — pūrva-puṇya-ṭhēvā vōḍavalāTuka says: without my doing sēvā — the pūrva-puṇya store has served. Even-without-my-sēvā, the-pūrva-puṇya (= merit-from-previous-lives) store has-borne-fruit. The bhakta credits-not-his-own-effort but-the-prior-deposit of-puṇya.

[T]

For someone today

For today: head on saints' feet — sāṣṭānga-daṇḍavat; rested in consoling-words — prema-sukha grew within; body flooded by kṛpā's flow — uplifted not otherwise; Tuka says — without my sēvā — pūrva-puṇya store has served.

Where this applies

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