Abhanga 2490
The verse
देव ते संत देव ते संत । निमित्य त्या प्रतिमा ॥१॥ मी तों सांगतसें भावें । असो ठावें सकळां ॥ध्रु.॥ निराकारी ओस दिशा । येथें इच्छा पुरतसे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे रोकडें केणें । सेवितां येणें पोट धाय ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: ★★★ Saints are Dēva, saints are Dēva — pratima is just the excuse ★★★. I say with bhāva — let all know. ★ Nirākāra is desolate — here desire is fulfilled ★. Tuka says: ready-cash goods — serving him, the stomach is full.
What it means
★★★ THE SAINTS-ARE-DĒVA ABHANG ★★★. One of Tukārām's most-celebrated guru-bhakti statements.
★★★ THE OPENING (REPEATED FOR EMPHASIS) ★★★: Dēva tē santa Dēva tē santa — nimitya tyā pratimā — ★★★ saints are Dēva, saints are Dēva — pratima is just the excuse ★★★. ★★★ SAINTS ARE DĒVA, SAINTS ARE DĒVA (repeated); the pratima (image/idol) is-just-the-excuse (nimitya). ★★★ The radical guru-bhakti claim: the-real-Dēva is-the-saint; the-temple-image is-merely-a-pretext-for-the-real-divinity.
★ THE ANTI-NIRĀKĀRA ★: nirākārī ōsa diśā — yēthē ichchhā puratasē — ★ nirākāra is desolate — here desire is fulfilled ★. ★ The nirākāra (formless) direction is-desolate-and-empty; HERE (with-saints-as-Dēva), desire-is-fulfilled. ★ Anti-formless-Brahma philosophy in-favor-of-the-tangible-saint-presence.
The ready-cash: rōkaḍē kēṇē — sēvitām yēṇē pōṭa dhāya — ★ ready-cash goods — serving him, stomach is full ★. Rōkaḍē = ready-cash, hard-currency. ★ Ready-cash-goods (= tangible, immediate); serving-him, the-stomach-is-full. ★
★★★ HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ★★★: This abhang is one of the most-cited Vārkarī guru-bhakti texts, articulating the position that: - The saint (santa) IS Dēva, not merely like Dēva - The temple-idol is a nimitya (pretext) for the real-divine-presence in-the-saint - The formless-Brahma is desolate — abstract and unreachable - The tangible-saint provides ready-cash bhakti-result
Foundational for Vārkarī sant-sanga theology.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ★★★ saints ARE Dēva, saints ARE Dēva — pratima is just the excuse ★★★; ★ nirākāra is desolate — here (with saints) desire is fulfilled ★; ready-cash goods, stomach full*.
Where this applies
- ★★★ Saints-are-Dēva-pratima-is-just-excuse ★★★. ★★★ Dēva-tē-santa-Dēva-tē-santa-nimitya-tyā-pratimā ★★★.
- Nirākāra-is-desolate-here-desire-fulfilled. Nirākārī-ōsa-diśā-yēthē-ichchhā-puratasē.