संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2436 of 4582

Abhanga 2436

The verse

सतीचें तें घेतां वाण । बहु कठीण परिणामीं ॥१॥ जिवासाटीं गौरव वाढे । आहाच जोडे तें नव्हे ॥ध्रु.॥ जरि होय उघडी दृष्टि । तरि गोष्टी युद्धाच्या ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे अंगा येतां । तरी सत्ता धैर्याची ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: ★ Taking the satī's vow — very difficult in outcome ★. Honor grows for life — not for ordinary association. If vision is open — then war-talk. ★ Tuka says: when it comes on the body — then authority of courage ★.

What it means

★ THE SATĪ-VOW-AS-BHAKTI-IRREVOCABILITY ABHANG ★.

★ THE OPENING SATĪ-COMPARISON ★: satīchē tē ghētām vāṇa — bahu kaṭhīṇa pariṇāmīm★ taking the satī's vow — very difficult in outcome ★. Satī = the wife's vow to die with her husband. Vāṇa = vow. ★ Taking the-satī-vow is-very-difficult in-its-outcome (= the actual self-immolation, not just the saying). ★ Bhakti is-like-the-satī-vow — easy-to-say, terrible-when-the-flames-come.

The body-test: Tukā mhaṇē angā yētām — tarī sattā dhairyāchī★ when it comes on the body — then authority of courage ★. ★ When-it-comes on-the-body (= when-the-actual-test arrives); only-then is-shown the-authority of-courage. ★ Words are easy, body-tested-courage is real.

The teaching: Bhakti is-not-just-recitation — it's-an-irrevocable-vow-tested-when-the-fire-comes. The bhakta must-be-ready-for-the-fire (= worldly-loss, persecution, ego-death).

[T]

For someone today

For today: ★ taking the satī's vow is very hard in outcome ★; honor for life, not ordinary association; war-talk on open-vision; ★ when it comes on the body — then real authority of courage ★*.

Where this applies

Related verses