Abhanga 2306
Nothing is impossible for the Divine, not even reviving what seems lifeless, and it is a real gift to see that power shown now rather than only hear about it from old stories.
The verse
अशक्य तों तुम्हां नाहीं नारायणा । निर्जीवा चेतना आणावया ॥१॥ मागें काय जाणों स्वामीचे पवाडे । आतां कां रोकडे दावूं नये ॥ध्रु.॥ थोर भाग्य आम्ही समर्थाचे कासे । म्हणवितों दास काय थोडें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माझे निववावे डोळे । दावूनि सोहळे सामर्थ्याचे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Nothing is impossible for you, Nārāyaṇa — to bring chetana to the lifeless. What to know of the Master's past exploits — why not show them now, ready-cash? Great is our fortune — at the powerful one's hem — we call ourselves dāsas — is it small? Tuka says: cool my eyes — by showing the festivities of [your] sāmarthya.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अशक्य तों तुम्हां नाहीं नारायणा | "nothing is impossible for you, Nārāyaṇa" |
| निर्जीवा चेतना आणावया | "to bring chetana to the lifeless" |
| मागें काय जाणों स्वामीचे पवाडे | "what to know of the Master's past exploits" |
| आतां कां रोकडे दावूं नये | "why not show them now, ready-cash" |
| थोर भाग्य आम्ही समर्थाचे कासे | "great is our fortune — at the powerful one's hem" |
| म्हणवितों दास काय थोडें | "we call ourselves dāsas — is it small" |
| तुका म्हणे माझे निववावे डोळे | "Tuka says — cool my eyes" |
| दावूनि सोहळे सामर्थ्याचे | "by showing the festivities of [your] sāmarthya" |
What it means
THE LŌHĀ-GĀVA-MIRACLE-RESPONSE ABHANG. Bring-chetana-to-the-lifeless + show-the-power-now abhang. Composed at the moment of the dead-child's-revival in Tukārām's-kīrtana.
THE OPENING LINE — direct-reference-to-the-miracle: aśakya tōm tumhām nāhīm Nārāyaṇā — nirjīvā chētanā āṇāvayā — nothing is impossible for you, Nārāyaṇa — to bring chetana to the lifeless. Aśakya = impossible. Nirjīva = lifeless. Chētanā = consciousness, life. Nothing is-impossible for-you, Nārāyaṇa — even to-bring chetana to-the-lifeless. A direct-reference-to-the-Lōhā-gāva-miracle — the dead-child whom-the-Lord-revived-during-the-kīrtana.
The past-vs-present-exploits: māgē kāya jāṇōm svāmīchē pavāḍē — ātām kām rōkaḍē dāvūm nayē — what to know of the Master's past exploits — why not show them now, ready-cash. Pavāḍē = exploits, deeds-of-might. Rōkaḍē = ready-cash, on-the-spot. What-to-know of-(the Master's)-past-exploits (told-in-Purāṇas); why-not-show-them now (in-present-cash)?
The dāsa-status: thōra bhāgya āmhī samarthāchē kāsē — mhaṇavitōm dāsa kāya thōḍē — great is our fortune — at the powerful one's hem — we call ourselves dāsas — is it small. Great-is-our-bhāgya — being at-the-samartha's-hem (kāsa = the dhoti's-corner-held-in-grip); we-call-ourselves dāsas — is-this-small?
The closing — cool my eyes: Tukā mhaṇē mājhē nivavāvē ḍōḷē — dāvūni sōhaḷē sāmarthyāchē — Tuka says: cool my eyes — by showing the festivities of [your] sāmarthya. Sōhaḷē = festivities, celebrations. Sāmarthya = power, capability. Cool-my-eyes by-showing the festivities of-your-sāmarthya. The bhakta-asks-to-see the-power-displayed.
The historical-significance: this abhang, paired-with-2305's-prose-marginalia, is the textual-source for the Vārkarī-canonical Lōhā-gāva-miracle. The opening-line aśakya tōm tumhām nāhīm Nārāyaṇā — nirjīvā chētanā āṇāvayā is one-of-the-most-cited-Tukārām-lines in Vārkarī hagiography, often-quoted as-evidence of Viṭhṭhal's-omnipotence demonstrated-through-the-bhakta.
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For someone today
Nothing is impossible for you, Narayana, not even breathing life back into what is lifeless. Why should we only hear of the Master's past wonders? Show them to us now, in the present, plain to see. It is a great fortune to be able to call ourselves your servants, clinging to the hem of your garment, that is no small thing. Tuka says: soothe my eyes by letting me witness the celebration of your power directly.
This abhang was composed at the miracle of Loha-gaon, as noted alongside 2305, and speaks directly of the Lord's power to revive the lifeless, referring to the child who was brought back to life.
मराठी: तुला काहीही अशक्य नाही, नारायणा, निर्जीवाला चेतना आणणंही तुला अशक्य नाही. स्वामींच्या जुन्या पराक्रमांबद्दल किती ऐकावं? आता ते रोखठोक दाखवून दे. आम्ही समर्थाच्या कासेला धरून स्वतःला दास म्हणवतो, हे मोठं भाग्य आहे, ते काही लहान नाही. तुका म्हणतो, तुझ्या सामर्थ्याचे सोहळे दाखवून माझे डोळे शांत कर.
ही ओवी लोहगावच्या चमत्काराच्यावेळी, २३०५ सोबतच रचली गेली, आणि यात निर्जीवाला जिवंत करण्याच्या देवाच्या सामर्थ्याचा थेट उल्लेख आहे, तो पुन्हा जिवंत झालेल्या मुलाकडे निर्देश करतो.
Where this applies
- When you find yourself relying only on old stories of faith instead of looking for the sacred alive in your own life now
- When you doubt whether something impossible could still happen, and need a reminder that nothing is beyond the Divine
- When you feel proud simply of being connected to something greater than yourself, even in a small way
- When you want direct, present proof of comfort or strength rather than a memory of comfort from long ago