संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2458 of 4582

Abhanga 2458

Seeing the divine in every person, holding peace and compassion in your own body, letting dispassion burn bright, and practicing devotion fully are the crown of a spiritual life.

When you catch yourself judging someone and want to try seeing them as worthy of real respect instead.

When anger or desire pulls at you and you want a picture of dispassion as bright and alive rather than cold withdrawal.

When you've been doing small acts of devotion and wonder if they matter — this affirms they are the pinnacle, not a side activity.

The verse

ऐसें भाग्य कई लाहाता होईंन । अवघें देखें जन ब्रम्हरूप ॥१॥ मग तया सुखा अंत नाहीं पार । आनंदें सागर हेलावती ॥ध्रु.॥ शांति क्षमा दया मूर्तिमंत अंगीं । परावृत्त संगीं कामादिकां ॥२॥ विवेकासहित वैराग्याचें बळ । धग्धगितोज्ज्वाळ अग्नि जैसा ॥३॥ भक्ती नवविधा भावशुद्ध बरी । अळंकारावरी मुगुटमणि ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे माझी पुरवी वासना । कोण नारायणा तुजविण ॥५॥

Literal translation

When will I attain such fortune — see all people as brahma-rūpa. Then that sukha has no end — ānanda-ocean rolls. Peace-forgiveness-compassion embodied in body — turning back from kāma etc. Strength of vairāgya with viveka — like blazing fire. Nine-fold bhakti with pure bhāva — crown-jewel on the ornaments. Tuka says: fulfill my desire — who else, Nārāyaṇā, but you.

What it means

THE SEE-ALL-AS-BRAHMA-RŪPA + 9-FOLD-BHAKTI-CROWN ABHANG. One of Tukārām's most-celebrated bhakti-pinnacle abhangs.

THE OPENING ASPIRATION: aiśē bhāgya ka'ī lāhātā hō'īmna — avaghē dēkhē jana brahma-rūpa — when will I attain such fortune — see all people as brahma-rūpa. When will-I-attain such-fortune — that I see all-people as brahma-rūpa? The non-dual perception as bhakti's-ultimate-fruit.

THE 9-FOLD-BHAKTI-AS-CROWN-JEWEL: bhakti navavidhā bhāva-śuddha barī — aḷankārāvarī mukuṭa-maṇi — nine-fold bhakti with pure bhāva — crown-jewel on the ornaments. Nine-fold bhakti (nava-vidhā) with-pure-bhāva — is-the-crown-jewel atop-all-ornaments. Reference to the Bhāgavata Purāṇa 7.5.23: śravaṇaṃ kīrtanaṃ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṃ pāda-sevanam — archanaṃ vandanaṃ dāsyaṃ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. The nine modes of bhakti are the crown-jewel atop all other virtues.

The fire-of-vairāgya: vivēkāsahita vairāgyāchē baḷa — dhagadhagitōjjvāḷa agni jaisā — strength of vairāgya with viveka — like blazing fire. Vairāgya-with-viveka burns-bright like-fire.

[T]

For someone today

For today: when will I see all people as brahma-rūpa; peace-forgiveness-compassion embodied; vairāgya-with-viveka like fire; nine-fold bhakti is the crown-jewel .

Where this applies

When you wonder if spiritual growth is really changing how you see other people, not just your rituals.
When you're working on staying patient and compassionate under pressure and want a reminder that this is the real measure of progress.
When you're trying to let go of cravings and want dispassion pictured as a clean, bright fire rather than grim self-denial.
When you practice devotion in small daily ways and wonder if it adds up to anything — this says it is the crown jewel, not filler.

Nāma (the Name) Bhakti