संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2737 of 4582

Abhanga 2737

A useful distribution-economy meditation. The bhakti-storehouse doesn't run out; the measurer's belly fills AND more remains for the next; focus on what matters for your own welfare; by putting (Deva) forward, the eagerness proceeds. The non-rival principle is the key insight: in bhakti-economy, my fill does not reduce your portion. The storehouse is apāra (limitless). And the practical-discipline is kāraṇāpuratā lāhō — gain by attention to what matters — don't scatter on the marginal.

The bhakti-distribution-economy meditation
Recognizing that the measurer's belly fills AND more remains — non-rival distribution
Gain by attention to one's own welfare — focus on what is essential

The verse

न सरे भांडार । भरलें वेचितां अपार ॥१॥ मवित्याचें पोट भरे । पुढिलासी पुढें उरे ॥ध्रु.॥ कारणापुरता लाहो आपुलाल्या हिता ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देवा । पुढें केला चाले हेवा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Na sare bhāṇḍārathe bhāṇḍāra (storehouse) does not run-out; bharalē vēchitām apārafilled, when vēchitām apāra (spent endlessly). Mavityāñce pōṭa bharēthe mavityā (measurer, lender)'s belly fills; puḍhilāsī puḍhē urēfor the next-one ahead, more urē (remains). Kāraṇāpuratā lāhō āpulālyā hitāgain kāraṇāpuratā (by attention to the cause), in āpulālyā hita (one's own welfare). Tukā says: Devā — puḍhē kelā chāle hēvāDeva — by putting (oneself) forward, the hēvā (eagerness) proceeds.

What it means

A short distribution-economy verse. Na sare bhāṇḍāra — bharalē vēchitām apārathe storehouse does not run out — filled even when endlessly spent. The bhakti-storehouse is na sare (doesn't deplete); it stays bharalē (filled) even when vēchitām apāra (spent endlessly). This is the non-depletion-principle echoed across many Tukārām verses (2628's pūrōnī uralē, 2629's pōtē navhē ritē).

The dhrūpada: mavityāñce pōṭa bharē — puḍhilāsī puḍhē urēthe mavityā (measurer, lender)'s belly fills — for the next-one ahead, more remains. The mavityā (one-who-measures, the grain-merchant who-measures-out) — his own belly fills, AND there is still surplus for the next-comer. Non-rival distribution: my fill doesn't reduce your portion.

The third verse: kāraṇāpuratā lāhō āpulālyā hitāgain by kāraṇāpuratā (attention-to-the-cause, focus-on-what-matters), in your-own welfare. The discipline: focus-on-what-is-the-cause / kāraṇa (the essential), and gain in āpulālyā hita (one's own welfare). Don't scatter on side-things.

The close: Devā — puḍhē kelā chāle hēvāDeva — by putting (oneself, or the Lord) forward, the hēvā (eagerness) proceeds. The dynamics: putting forward — either putting-oneself-forward toward-Deva or putting-Deva-forward as the leader — produces chāle hēvā (the eagerness proceeds, the desire-and-effort moves forward).

For someone today

A useful distribution-economy meditation. The bhakti-storehouse doesn't run out; the measurer's belly fills AND more remains for the next; focus on what matters for your own welfare; by putting (Deva) forward, the eagerness proceeds. The non-rival principle is the key insight: in bhakti-economy, my fill does not reduce your portion. The storehouse is apāra (limitless). And the practical-discipline is kāraṇāpuratā lāhōgain by attention to what matters — don't scatter on the marginal.

Where this applies

Related verses