Abhanga 2254
For today: master's-task, guru-bhakti — father's-word, service-to-husband — these are Viṣṇu's mahā-pūjā — no other anubhāva; truth in speech — grief at others' grief; Tuka says — strength of niścaya — that itself is the fruit.
The verse
स्वामिकाज गुरुभक्ति । पितृवचन सेवा पति ॥१॥ हे चि विष्णूची महापूजा । अनुभाव नाहीं दुजा ॥ध्रु.॥ सत्य बोले मुखें । दुखवे आणिकांच्या दुःखें ॥२॥ निश्चयाचें बळ । तुका म्हणे तें च फळ ॥३॥
Literal translation
The master's-task, guru-bhakti — father's-word, service-to-husband. These are Viṣṇu's mahā-pūjā — there is no other anubhāva. Speaks truth with the mouth — grieves at others' duḥkha. The strength of niścaya — Tuka says — that itself is the fruit.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| स्वामिकाज गुरुभक्ति | "the master's-task, guru-bhakti" |
| पितृवचन सेवा पति | "father's-word, service-to-husband" |
| हे चि विष्णूची महापूजा | "these are Viṣṇu's mahā-pūjā" |
| अनुभाव नाहीं दुजा | "there is no other anubhāva" |
| सत्य बोले मुखें | "speaks truth with the mouth" |
| दुखवे आणिकांच्या दुःखें | "grieves at others' duḥkha" |
| निश्चयाचें बळ | "the strength of niścaya" |
| तुका म्हणे तें च फळ | "Tuka says — that itself is the fruit" |
What it means
Defining Viṣṇu's-mahā-pūjā as loka-dharma-discharge + niścaya-is-the-fruit abhang.
The definition of mahā-pūjā: svāmi-kāja guru-bhakti — pitṛ-vachana sēvā-pati — hē chi Viṣṇūcī mahā-pūjā — anubhāva nāhīm dujā — the master's-task, guru-bhakti — father's-word, service-to-husband — these are Viṣṇu's mahā-pūjā — there is no other anubhāva. The four-fold-loka-dharma: - svāmi-kāja = task-of-the-master/employer - guru-bhakti = devotion-to-the-guru - pitṛ-vachana = the-father's-word (= obeying-the-father) - sēvā-pati = service-to-the-husband (for-a-woman)
Tukārām's striking-claim: these social-dharma-discharges themselves are-Viṣṇu's mahā-pūjā; there's-no-other anubhāva (essential-experience/practice). A non-renunciate position — discharge-of-loka-dharma is-itself-bhakti.
The truth and others-grief: satya bōlē mukhē — dukhavē āṇikāñchyā duḥkhē — speaks truth with the mouth — grieves at others' duḥkha. Speaks-truth from-the-mouth; grieves at-others'-duḥkha. Two more virtues — satya-speech and compassion (others'-suffering-felt-as-one's-own).
The closing — niścaya is the fruit: niścayāchē baḷa — Tukā mhaṇē tē cha phaḷa — the strength of niścaya — Tuka says — that itself is the fruit. The strength-of-niścaya (firm-resolve) — that itself-is-the-fruit (= the achievement-is-not-an-external-reward but-the-firm-resolve-itself).
A notable ethical-abhang — Tukārām defines the highest-pūjā as the patient-discharge of-everyday-relational-duties, with truth-and-compassion as additional-virtues. The fruit-is-the-niścaya itself (no other reward sought).
[T]
For someone today
For today: master's-task, guru-bhakti — father's-word, service-to-husband — these are Viṣṇu's mahā-pūjā — no other anubhāva; truth in speech — grief at others' grief; Tuka says — strength of niścaya — that itself is the fruit.
Where this applies
- When you wonder whether ordinary work and family duties count as spiritual practice at all.
- When you are tempted to speak a comfortable lie instead of the plain truth.
- When someone near you is grieving and you feel their pain as if it were your own.
- When you keep a difficult promise or duty and notice the quiet strength it leaves behind, even without any outside reward.