संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2406 of 4582

Abhanga 2406

A reverent heart grows goodness wherever it turns, and the truest merit comes from deepening your own reflection while helping others do the same.

When you approach a holy place or practice with real reverence instead of going through the motions.

When you spend time with sincere, faithful people and feel that no moment together was wasted.

When you help someone else begin to reflect and grow, not just work on your own spiritual life alone.

The verse

तीथाअची अपेक्षा स्थळीं वाढे धर्म । जाणावें तें वर्म बहु पुण्य ॥१॥ बहु बरी ऐसी भाविकांची जोडी । काळ नाहीं घडी जात वांयां ॥ध्रु.॥ करूनी चिंतन करवावें आणिकां । तो या जाला लोकां नाव जगीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ऐसे परउपकारी । त्यांच्या पायांवरी डोईं माझी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Tīrtha-expectations grow dharma in the place — know that secret, much puṇya. Very-good is such bhāvika-association — no moment passes in vain. Contemplating, make others do — that becomes a name in the world. Tuka says: such altruistic-ones — my head on their feet.

What it means

THE PARA-UPAKĀRĪ + HEAD-ON-THEIR-FEET ABHANG.

The tīrtha-and-place: tīrthāñchī apēkṣā sthaḷīm vāḍhē dharma — jāṇāvē tē varma bahu puṇya — tīrtha-expectations grow dharma in the place — know that secret, much puṇya. Tīrtha-expectation (= reverent-attitude) grows-dharma in-the-place; knowing-this secret yields-much-puṇya.

The bhāvika-association: bahu barī aiśī bhāvikāñchī jōḍī — kāḷa nāhīm ghaḍī jāta vāmyām — very-good is such bhāvika-association — no moment passes in vain. Very-good is-the-bhāvikas' association; no-moment passes-in-vain.

The make-others-contemplate: karūnī chintana karavāvē āṇikām — contemplating, make others do. By-contemplating-oneself, make-others-contemplate-too.

THE PARA-UPAKĀRĪ-CLOSING: Tukā mhaṇē aiśē par-upakārī — tyāñchyā pāyāmvari ḍō'īm mājhī — such altruistic-ones — my head on their feet. Such-altruistic-ones (par-upakārī = doers-of-good-for-others) — my-head on-their-feet. Tukārām's reverence-for the-altruistic-bhakta who-spreads-bhakti to-others.

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For someone today

Tukaram says that a reverent attitude toward a holy place actually grows dharma there, and knowing this secret brings great merit. He praises the company of true devotees as so good that not a single moment spent with them is wasted. His deeper point is that contemplation should not stay private, you deepen your own reflection and also help others begin theirs, and that is how a person earns a good name in the world. He closes with real humility, saying that for people who do good for others in this way, he would place his own head at their feet.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की एखाद्या पवित्र स्थळाबद्दलची भक्तिभावाची अपेक्षा तिथे धर्म वाढवते, आणि हे गुपित जाणल्याने मोठे पुण्य मिळते. ते खऱ्या भाविकांच्या सहवासाची इतकी स्तुती करतात की त्यांच्यासोबत घालवलेला एकही क्षण वाया जात नाही. त्यांचा खोल मुद्दा असा आहे की चिंतन केवळ स्वतःपुरते ठेवू नये, स्वतःचे चिंतन खोल करावे आणि इतरांनाही चिंतन करायला मदत करावी, यातूनच माणसाला जगात चांगले नाव मिळते. शेवटी ते खरी नम्रता दाखवत म्हणतात की जे इतरांचे असे भले करतात, त्यांच्या पायांवर मी माझे मस्तक ठेवीन.

Where this applies

When you visit a sacred place with genuine reverence rather than mere routine and notice it changes something in you
When you spend time with people of real faith and realize the hours flew by without a trace of boredom or waste
When you deepen your own reflection and then turn around and help a friend or family member start reflecting too
When you meet someone who quietly does good for others and feel a pull to honor them rather than take credit yourself