Abhanga 2510
The verse
विनवितों तरी आणितोसि परी । याचकानें थोरी दातयाची ॥१॥ आमुचे ही कांहीं असों द्या प्रकार । एकल्यानें थोर कैचे तुम्ही ॥ध्रु.॥ नेघावी जी कांहीं बहु साल सेवा । गौरव तें देवा यत्न कीजे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाहीं आमुची मिरासी । असावेंसें ऐसीं दुर्बळें चि ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: ★★ I beg, you bring — by the beggar, the giver's greatness ★★. Let us have something — alone, what greatness for you. Don't take long service — make effort for honor, Dēvā. Tuka says: we have no estate — being-such, just-poor.
What it means
★★ THE BEGGAR-GIVES-GIVER-HIS-GREATNESS ABHANG ★★. One of Tukārām's celebrated paradoxical-bhakti claims.
★★ THE OPENING ★★: vinavitōm tarī āṇitōsi parī — yāchakānē thōrī dātayāchī — ★★ I beg, you bring — by the beggar, the giver's greatness ★★. ★★ I-beg, you-bring; by-the-beggar (yāchaka), the-giver (dātā) has-greatness (thōrī). ★★ The economic-paradox of-charity — without-the-beggar, the-giver-can't-display-greatness. Tukārām reverses-the-usual-power-dynamic: the bhakta-as-beggar gives the-Lord-an-occasion-for-greatness.
The reinforcing-claim: ēkalyānē thōra kainchē tumhī — alone, what greatness for you. Alone (without-bhaktas-to-favor), what-greatness?
[T]
For someone today
For today: ★★ by the beggar, the giver gets his greatness ★★; alone, no greatness.
Where this applies
- ★★ Beggar-gives-giver-his-greatness ★★. ★★ Yāchakānē-thōrī-dātayāchī ★★.