Abhanga 2326
A person's true character reveals itself over time like a seed becoming its fruit, and rare teachers like Jnandev make the divine directly experienceable for ordinary people.
The verse
काय तुम्ही जाणां । करूं अव्हेर नारायणा ॥१॥ तरी या लटिक्याची गोही । निवडली दुसरे ठायीं ॥ध्रु.॥ कळों अंतरींचा गुण । नये फिटल्यावांचून ॥२॥ आणिलें अनुभवा । जनाच्या हें ज्ञानदेवा ॥३॥ आणीक कोणी मिती । त्यांच्या चिंतनें विश्रांति ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे बीज पोटीं । फळ तैसें चि सेवटीं ॥५॥
Literal translation
What do you know — do we make avhēra of Nārāyaṇa? For [the matter] of this false-one was decided at another place. The inner-quality isn't known — until it has been cleared. Brought to the people's anubhava — this is Jñānadēvā. If anyone else accepts the limit — rest comes from their chintana. Tuka says: seed in the belly — fruit just like that at the end.
What it means
THE CLOSING ABHANG OF THE 4-ABHANG JÑĀNADEVA-VENERATION CLUSTER (2323-2326). Jñānadēva-brought-Lord-to-people's-anubhava + seed-in-belly-fruit-at-end abhang.
The opening — no-avhēra: kāya tumhī jāṇām — karūm avhēra Nārāyaṇā — what do you know — do we make avhēra of Nārāyaṇa. What-do-you-know? Do-we-make-avhēra (rejection) of-Nārāyaṇa?
The decided-elsewhere: tarī yā laṭikyāchī gōhī — nivaḍalī dusarē ṭhāyīm — for [the matter] of this false-one was decided at another place. The-matter (gōhī) of-this-false-one was-decided at-another-place (= the case-of-the-pretender was-judged-elsewhere).
The inner-quality unknown: kaḷōm antarīñchā guṇa — nayē phiṭalyāvāñchūna — the inner-quality isn't known — until it has been cleared. The inner-quality isn't-known until-cleared-(by-testing).
THE JÑĀNADEVA-CREDIT LINE: āṇilē anubhavā — janāchyā hē Jñānadēvā — brought to the people's anubhava — this is Jñānadēvā. (You,) Jñānadēvā — brought (the Lord) into-the-people's-anubhava. A profound-credit-to-Jñānadēva for-making-the-Lord-an-experiential-reality for-the-people — likely-referring to-Jñāneśvarī, the-vernacular-Bhagavad-Gītā-commentary which-democratized-Vedic-knowledge.
The others-and-rest: āṇīka kōṇī mitī — tyāñchyā chintanē viśrāntī — if anyone else accepts the limit — rest comes from their chintana. If-anyone-else accepts-the-limit, rest-comes from-(such)-chintana.
The closing — seed-and-fruit: Tukā mhaṇē bīja pōṭīm — phaḷa taisē chi sēvaṭīm — Tuka says: seed in the belly — fruit just like that at the end. Seed-in-the-belly, fruit-just-like-that at-the-end (= as the seed, so the fruit).
The 4-abhang Jñānadēva-veneration cluster (2323-2326) summary: - 2323: I-will-come-to-Jñānadēva's-samādhi to-venerate the-feet - 2324: Jñānadēva is jñāniyāñchā guru rājā mahā-rāva; I'm-only-a-sandal - 2325: Jñāneśvara, keep this kinkara at your feet - 2326: Jñānadēva brought-Lord-to-people's-anubhava (the Jñāneśvarī-credit)
The most-direct Jñāneśvar-veneration sequence in Tukārām's-corpus — testifying-to the-saint-tradition's-organic-connection between Āḷandī (Jñāneśvar) and-Dehū (Tukārām).
[T]
For someone today
For today: what do you know — do we make avhēra of Nārāyaṇa; matter of the false-one decided elsewhere; inner-quality not known until cleared; brought to people's anubhava — this is Jñānadēvā; others accept the limit — rest from chintana; Tuka says — seed in belly — fruit just like that at end.
Where this applies
- When someone questions your faith or devotion and you realize the argument isn't worth having because the truth will show itself in time.
- When you're tempted to judge someone's character quickly, before their actions have actually been tested.
- When you want to give real credit to a teacher who made a hard truth simple and accessible for ordinary people.
- When you're waiting to see what someone truly is, trusting that, like a seed, their actions will eventually reveal their fruit.