संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2361 of 4582

Abhanga 2361

Devotion shared wholeheartedly with others multiplies its own benefit and can finally break the exhausting cycle of repeated struggle.

When you join others in singing or chanting and notice the experience feels bigger than doing it alone

When you hesitate to express your devotion fully, boldly, in front of others

When you feel worn down by life and long for something that can truly break the cycle of exhaustion

The verse

करिती तया वेवसाव आहे । येथें व्हा रे साहे एकां एक ॥१॥ गातां आइकतां समान चि घडे । लाभें लाभ जोडे विशेषता ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रेमाचें भरतें भातें घ्यावें अंगीं । नटे टाळी रंगीं शूरत्वेंसी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बहुजन्मांचे खंडण । होइल हा सीण निवारोनि ॥३॥ ॥२॥ २३६१

Literal translation

There is vēvasāva — be helpers to each other. Singing and listening — equal share — gain joins gain special. Take the prema-tide into the body — the dancer-with-cymbal, in-color, heroically. Tuka says: breaking of many births — this exhaustion will be removed.

What it means

THE PREMA-TIDE ABHANG. Closes the 2-abhang sub-section (॥२॥ at 2360-2361).

The collective: karitī tayā vēvasāva āhē — yēthē vhā rē sāhē ēkām ēka — there is vēvasāva — be helpers to each other. Vēvasāva = business, undertaking. There-is-undertaking-here; be-helpers to-each-other (in-bhakti).

The equal-gain: gātām ā'ikatām samāna chi ghaḍē — lābhē lābha jōḍē viśēṣatā — singing and listening — equal share — gain joins gain special. Singing-and-listening yield-equal-share; gain joins-gain in-a-special-way.

THE PREMA-TIDE IMAGE: prēmāchē bharatē bhātē ghyāvē angīm — naṭē ṭāḷī rangīm śūratvēmsī — take the prema-tide into the body — the dancer-with-cymbal, in-color, heroically. Bharatē = tide, flood. Bhātē = like a tide, full-tide. Take the prema-bharatē (prema-tide) into-the-body; the dancer-with-the-cymbal, in-the-color (= bhakti-color), with-heroism.

The closing — break-of-many-births: Tukā mhaṇē bahu-janmāñchē khaṇḍaṇa — hō'ila hā sīṇa nivārōni — Tuka says: breaking of many births — this exhaustion will be removed. Breaking-of-many-births; this-exhaustion (sīṇa) will-be-removed.

[T]

For someone today

For today: vēvasāva — be helpers to each other; singing-and-listening equal; take the prema-tide into the body, heroically ; breaking of many births — exhaustion removed.

Where this applies

When you are tempted to keep your devotional practice private instead of sharing it with others
When you feel more energized singing or praying in a group than doing it alone
When you hold back from fully expressing your joy or love out of shyness or fear of looking foolish
When you feel exhausted by life's repeated struggles and wonder if anything can truly break the pattern

Bhakti