Abhanga 2331
A true saint's greatness lies not in the miracles around him but in seeing genuine devotion in others, giving liberation freely, and gathering a fellowship where the heart can rest in contentment.
The verse
जयाचिये द्वारीं सोन्याचा पिंपळ । अंगीं ऐसें बळ रेडा बोले ॥१॥ करील तें काय नव्हे महाराज । परि पाहे बीज शुद्ध अंगीं ॥ध्रु.॥ जेणें हे घातली मुक्तीची गवांदी । मेळविली मांदी वैष्णवांची ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तेथें सुखा काय उणें । राहे समाधानें चित्तीचिया ॥३॥
Literal translation
At whose door, the gold-pīpal tree — such strength in body — the buffalo speaks. What would he not do, mahā-rāja — but he sees the seed of śuddha in the body. He scattered the mukti-bag — gathered the māndī of vaiṣṇavas. Tuka says: there, what lack of sukha — one stays in chitta-samādhāna.
What it means
THE JÑĀNEŚVAR-MIRACLE-REFERENCE ABHANG. Two of Jñāneśvar's most-famous miracles invoked in the opening-line.
THE DOUBLE-MIRACLE LINE: jayāchiyē dvārīm sōnyāchā pimpaḷa — angīm aisē baḷa rēḍā bōlē — at whose door, the gold-pīpal tree — such strength in body, the buffalo speaks. Sōnyāchā pimpaḷa = gold-pīpal-tree. Rēḍā = male buffalo. The TWO famous Jñāneśvar-miracles: 1. Sōnyāchā pimpaḷa = the gold-pīpal-tree at Āḷandī, growing-near Jñāneśvar's-samādhi — a Vārkarī-canonical miracle-image 2. Rēḍā bōlē = the talking-buffalo — at Paithan, Jñāneśvar was-challenged-by-Brahmins to-prove a-buffalo and a-Brahmin have the-same-ātman; he-touched the buffalo and-it-recited-the-Veda
Tukārām invokes both miracles in-a-single-line — jayāchiyē dvārīm (at whose door) refers to-Jñāneśvar-of-Āḷandī. The line continues the Jñāneśvar-veneration begun-at 2323-2326.
The mahā-rāja-power: karīla tē kāya navhē mahā-rāja — pari pāhē bīja śuddha angīm — what would he not do, mahā-rāja — but he sees the seed of śuddha in the body. What-(miracle)-would-the-mahā-rāja-(Jñāneśvar)-not-do? But-he-sees-the-seed-of-(śuddha)-(authentic-bhakti) in-the-body.
The mukti-bag scattered: jēṇē hē ghātalī muktīcī gavāndī — mēḷavilī māndī vaiṣṇavāñchī — he scattered the mukti-bag — gathered the māndī of vaiṣṇavas. Gavāndī = bag, sack. Māndī = gathering, fellowship. (Jñāneśvar)-scattered-the-mukti-bag (= gave-away-mukti-freely); gathered the-māndī of-vaiṣṇavas (= established the Vārkarī-tradition).
The closing — no-lack-of-sukha: Tukā mhaṇē tēthē sukhā kāya uṇē — rāhē samādhānē chittīchiyā — Tuka says: there, what lack of sukha — one stays in chitta-samādhāna. There-(in Jñāneśvar's-presence/samādhi), what-lack-of-sukha? One-stays in-chitta-samādhāna.
This abhang continues the Jñānadēva-veneration cluster begun at 2323-2326 by-now-invoking-Jñāneśvar's-most-famous-public-miracles — the gold-pīpal and the-talking-buffalo. Together-with the earlier-cluster, this completes a-rich-Jñāneśvar-veneration-section in-Tukārām's-corpus.
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For someone today
At his door stands the golden pipal tree, and such is his power that even a buffalo speaks. What could this great sage not do? Yet what he truly looks for is the seed of genuine purity within a person. He gave away liberation freely, gathering together a whole fellowship of devotees. Tuka says: in his presence, nothing is lacking, the mind simply rests in deep contentment.
This abhang recalls Jnaneshwar's two most famous miracles: the golden pipal tree at Alandi, near his place of samadhi, and the talking buffalo at Paithan, where he made a buffalo recite the Veda to prove that the same divine self dwells in every being.
मराठी: त्याच्या दारी सोन्याचा पिंपळ उभा आहे, आणि त्याच्या अंगी इतकं सामर्थ्य आहे की रेडासुद्धा बोलतो. हा महाराज काय करणार नाही? पण तो खरा शोध घेतो तो माणसामधल्या शुद्ध भावाच्या बीजाचा. त्याने मुक्ती मुक्तहस्ते वाटली, आणि वैष्णवांची एक मोठी मांदियाळी जमवली. तुका म्हणतो, तिथे सुखाची काहीच उणीव नाही, मन समाधानाने स्थिर राहतं.
ही ओवी ज्ञानेश्वरांच्या दोन प्रसिद्ध चमत्कारांची आठवण करून देते, आळंदीतील त्यांच्या समाधीजवळचा सोन्याचा पिंपळ, आणि पैठणमधला बोलका रेडा, जिथे त्यांनी रेड्याकडून वेद म्हणवून घेतला, हे सिद्ध करण्यासाठी की प्रत्येक जीवात तोच आत्मा वसतो.
Where this applies
- When you're tempted to judge someone's spirituality by outward displays of power rather than the sincerity of their heart.
- When you have grace, knowledge, or help to share and are tempted to keep it to yourself instead of giving it freely.
- When you're building or seeking a community of fellow devotees who support each other's practice.
- When you wonder whether simply being near a truly realized person could bring you real peace.