Abhanga 2270
For today: by santa-sanga, Lord's all-time dwelling — gathered in mūrti-form; placing kāḷa outside — gave him alone inner-dwelling; those who left nothing as own — such are the excellent places; Tuka says — fragrance can't be hidden — sandalwood's place is sandalwood itself.
The verse
संतसंगें याचा वास सर्वकाळ । संचला सकळ मूर्तिमंत ॥१॥ घालूनियां काळ अवघा बाहेरी । त्यासी च अंतरीं वास दिला ॥ध्रु.॥ आपुलेसें जिंहीं नाहीं उरों दिलें । चोजवितां भलें ऐसीं स्थळें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाही झांकत परिमळ । चंदनाचें स्थळ चंदन चि ॥३॥
Literal translation
By santa-sanga, [the Lord's] dwelling is all-time — he has gathered fully, in mūrti-form. Placing kāḷa entirely outside — they gave him alone the inner-dwelling. Those who didn't leave anything as 'one's own' — examining, such are the excellent places. Tuka says: fragrance can't be hidden — the sandalwood's place is sandalwood itself.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| संतसंगें याचा वास सर्वकाळ | "by santa-sanga, [the Lord's] dwelling is all-time" |
| संचला सकळ मूर्तिमंत | "he has gathered fully, in mūrti-form" |
| घालूनियां काळ अवघा बाहेरी | "placing kāḷa entirely outside" |
| त्यासी च अंतरीं वास दिला | "they gave him alone the inner-dwelling" |
| आपुलेसें जिंहीं नाहीं उरों दिलें | "those who didn't leave anything as 'one's own'" |
| चोजवितां भलें ऐसीं स्थळें | "examining, such are the excellent places" |
| तुका म्हणे नाही झांकत परिमळ | "Tuka says — fragrance can't be hidden" |
| चंदनाचें स्थळ चंदन चि | "the sandalwood's place is sandalwood itself" |
What it means
Santa-sanga-Lord's-dwelling + sandalwood's-place-is-sandalwood abhang. Contains the celebrated fragrance-can't-be-hidden line.
The opening — santa-sanga as all-time dwelling: santa-sangē yāchā vāsa sarva-kāḷa — sañchalā sakaḷa mūrti-manta — by santa-sanga, [the Lord's] dwelling is all-time — he has gathered fully, in mūrti-form. By-santa-sanga, the Lord's-dwelling is all-time; he-has-gathered-fully in-mūrti-form (= the Lord-takes-a-visible-form there).
The kāḷa-outside: ghālūniyām kāḷa avaghā bāhērī — tyāsī cha antarīm vāsa dilā — placing kāḷa entirely outside — they gave him alone the inner-dwelling. Kāḷa = kāla/Time/Death. Having-placed-kāḷa-entirely-outside, they (the saints) gave-him-alone (the Lord) the-inner-dwelling. The saints expel-Time and-house the-Eternal-Lord-within.
The no-one's-own: āpulēsē jimhī nāhīm urōm dilē — chōjavitām bhalē aisīm sthaḷē — those who didn't leave anything as 'one's own' — examining, such are the excellent places. Those-who-didn't-let-anything-remain-as-'one's-own'; examining, such-are-the-excellent-places (sthaḷa).
THE CELEBRATED SANDALWOOD-LINE: Tukā mhaṇē nāhī jhānkata parimaḷa — chandanāchē sthaḷa chandana chi — Tuka says: fragrance can't be hidden — the sandalwood's place is sandalwood itself. Parimaḷa = fragrance. Chandana = sandalwood. The fragrance-cannot-be-hidden; the place-of-sandalwood is sandalwood-itself (= where sandalwood-is, it-cannot-pretend-to-be-anything-else; its-fragrance reveals-it). A classic Tukārām similē — the saints' inner-bhakti reveals-itself-by-its-fragrance, like-the-sandalwood that-cannot-hide-itself.
[T]
For someone today
For today: by santa-sanga, Lord's all-time dwelling — gathered in mūrti-form; placing kāḷa outside — gave him alone inner-dwelling; those who left nothing as own — such are the excellent places; Tuka says — fragrance can't be hidden — sandalwood's place is sandalwood itself.
Where this applies
- When you spend time around good, spiritually grounded people and notice yourself changing just from being near them.
- When you are trying to let go of 'my things' and 'my status' to make room for something greater.
- When you wonder whether genuine goodness really needs to be advertised to be recognized.
- When you meet someone whose quiet character somehow reveals itself without them saying a word.