संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2338 of 4582

Abhanga 2338

Finishing what you were asked to do, and saying plainly that it is done, frees you from carrying it any longer.

When you complete a task entrusted to you and want to give an honest account of how it went.
When you have poured yourself into helping someone and can finally say your part is finished.
When a long responsibility ends and you feel the weight of it lift.

The verse

तुम्ही येथें पाठविला धरणेकरी । त्याची जाली परी आइका ते ॥१॥ आतां काय पुढें वाढवुनि विस्तार । जाला समाचार आइका तो ॥ध्रु.॥ देवाचें उचित एकादश अभंग । महाफळ त्याग करूनि गेला ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सेवा समर्पूनि पायीं । जालों उतराईं ठावें असो ॥३॥ ॥३१॥

Literal translation

You sent the dharaṇā-faster here — listen to what happened with him. Now what more to expand — listen to that news. The eleven abhangs were fitting for the Dēva — taking the mahā-phala-tyāga, [he] departed. Tuka says: having offered the sēvā at the feet — I've become utarā'ī — let it be known. ॥31॥

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
तुम्ही येथें पाठविला धरणेकरी "you sent the dharaṇā-faster here"
त्याची जाली परी आइका ते "listen to what happened with him"
आतां काय पुढें वाढवुनि विस्तार "now what more to expand"
जाला समाचार आइका तो "listen to that news"
देवाचें उचित एकादश अभंग "the eleven abhangs were fitting for the Dēva"
महाफळ त्याग करूनि गेला "taking the mahā-phala-tyāga, [he] departed"
तुका म्हणे सेवा समर्पूनि पायीं "Tuka says — having offered the sēvā at the feet"
जालों उतराईं ठावें असो "I've become utarā'ī — let it be known"
॥३१॥ "closing-colophon — 31 abhangs of the Aḷankāpurī-Brahmin episode (2308-2338)"

What it means

THE CLOSING ABHANG OF THE 31-ABHANG AḶAṄKĀPURĪ-BRAHMIN EPISODE (2308-2338). Reporting-back to Viṭhṭhal about-the-dharaṇā-faster's-departure with-the-11-upadēśa-abhangs.

The opening — report-of-the-faster: tumhī yēthē pāṭhavilā dharaṇē-karī — tyāchī jālī parī ā'ikā tēyou sent the dharaṇā-faster here — listen to what happened with him. You-(Viṭhṭhal)-sent the dharaṇā-faster (Brahmin)-here; listen to-what-happened-with-him. Direct address-to-Viṭhṭhal — the petition-completing-loop: the bhakta-now-reports-back the-outcome.

The news-summary: ātām kāya puḍhē vāḍhavuni vistāra — jālā samāchāra ā'ikā tōnow what more to expand — listen to that news.

THE 11-ABHANGS-AS-MAHĀ-PHALA-TYĀGA: Dēvāchē uchita ēkādaśa abhanga — mahā-phaḷa tyāga karūni gēlāthe eleven abhangs were fitting for the Dēva — taking the mahā-phala-tyāga, [he] departed. Ēkādaśa = eleven. Mahā-phaḷa-tyāga = taking the great-fruit-renunciation. The 11-upadēśa-abhangs (the upadeśa abhanga ॥११॥ cluster at 2314) were-fitting-for-the-Dēva; [the Brahmin]-departed having-taken-the-mahā-phaḷa-tyāga. The explicit-back-reference to the 11-abhang upadēśa-cluster closing at 2314 — confirming the cluster-structure.

The closing — utarā'ī: Tukā mhaṇē sēvā samarpūni pāyīm — jālōm utarā'īm ṭhāvē asōTuka says: having offered the sēvā at the feet — I've become utarā'ī — let it be known. Having offered-the-sēvā at-the-feet, I've-become-utarā'ī (debt-paid); let-it-be-known.

THE ॥३१॥ CLOSING-COLOPHON marks the complete-31-abhang Aḷankāpurī-Brahmin-episode (2308-2338): - 2307: prose-marginalia announcing the 42-day-faster Brahmin's arrival from Āḷandī - 2308-2314: the 11-abhang upadēśa-cluster (closing-colophon upadeśa abhanga ॥११॥) - 2315-2337: additional 23 abhangs around the Brahmin's-stay - 2338: closing-colophon ॥३१॥ — the eleven-upadēśa-abhangs-mahā-phaḷa-tyāga + Brahmin-departed

Total: 31 abhangs constituting the complete Aḷankāpurī-Brahmin episode in-the-Tukārām-Gatha.

[T]

For someone today

You sent this fasting seeker here, and now let me tell you what happened with him. There is no need to draw it out further, just hear the news plainly: the eleven abhangs I offered were fitting gifts for God, and having received this great renunciation of fruit, he has departed. Tuka says: having offered my service at your feet, my debt is paid, let it be known.

This closes the thirty-one abhang episode of the Alankapuri Brahmin, the Varkari account of a pilgrim from Alandi who fasted for forty-two days and was directed here in a vision, the eleven teaching abhangs that Tukaram then gave him, and this final report back to Vitthal at the moment of the seeker's departure.

मराठी: तू या धरणेकऱ्याला इथे पाठवलंस, आता त्याचं काय झालं ते ऐक. आणखी काही सांगायची गरज नाही, फक्त ही बातमी ऐक, अकरा अभंग देवासाठी योग्य होते, आणि हा महाफळत्याग घेऊन तो निघून गेला. तुका म्हणतो, पायाशी सेवा अर्पण करून मी उतराई झालो, हे कळावं.

ही ओवी अलंकापुरीच्या ब्राह्मणाच्या एकतीस अभंगांच्या प्रसंगाची समाप्ती करते, आळंदीहून आलेल्या यात्रेकरूने बेचाळीस दिवस उपवास केला आणि त्याला दृष्टांतात इथे येण्याचा मार्ग दाखवला गेला, त्यानंतर तुकारामांनी दिलेले अकरा उपदेशपर अभंग, आणि तो निघून जाताना विठ्ठलाला दिलेला हा अंतिम अहवाल.

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