Abhanga 2876
Vandilē vandāve jīvāñciye sāṭīm — (what is) vandilē (saluted, vandanā-d) — (it) should be vandāve (continuously honored, repeatedly-saluted) at the cost of jīva; kimvā barī tuṭī ārambhī chi — or better — tuṭī (a break) at the ārambha (beginning) itself.
The verse
वंदिलें वंदावें जीवाचिये साटीं । किंवा बरी तुटी आरंभीं च ॥१॥
स्वहिताची चाड ते ऐका हे बोल । अवघें चि मोल धीरा अंगीं ॥ध्रु.॥
सिंपिलें तें रोंप वरीवरी बरें । वाळलिया वरी कोंभ नये ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे टाकीघायें देवपण । फुटलिया जन कुला पुसी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Vandilē vandāve jīvāñciye sāṭīm — (what is) vandilē (saluted, vandanā-d) — (it) should be vandāve (continuously honored, repeatedly-saluted) at the cost of jīva; kimvā barī tuṭī ārambhī chi — or better — tuṭī (a break) at the ārambha (beginning) itself. Sva-hitāñcī chāḍa te aikā he bōla — those who desire sva-hita — listen this counsel; avaghe chi mōla dhīrā angī — the whole mōla (value) is in dhīra (steadfastness) in anga (body, being). Simpilē te rōmpa varīvarī barē — (a) rōmpa (sprout) simpilē (watered, sprinkled) — superficially appears good; vāḷaliyā varī kōmbha nye — once dried-up, the kōmbha (shoot, new-sprout) doesn't come. Tukā says: ṭākī-ghāye Devapaṇa — by the ṭākī-ghāya (blow of the chisel, sculptor's-strike), the Devapaṇa (Deva-status) (becomes-an-idol); phuṭaliyā jana kulā pusī — once (it) cracks, jana kulā pusī (people wipe-their-bottom-on-it — use-it-as-privy-stone).
What it means
A 4-verse canonical sant-uvāca-discipline verse. The verse names a strict-discipline about sant-vandanā (saluting/respecting a sant) and commitment-to-discipline-in-general.
Verse 1: Vandilē vandāve jīvāñciye sāṭīm — kimvā barī tuṭī ārambhī chi — what is saluted should be continuously-saluted at-the-cost-of-life — or better — break (from) the very beginning. The strict rule: don't half-respect a sant; either commit-fully-even-at-life-cost, or don't-start. The intermediate-state (formal-respect-without-commitment) is the worst.
Dhrūpada: Sva-hitāñcī chāḍa te aikā he bōla — avaghe chi mōla dhīrā angī — those who desire one's-own welfare, listen — the whole value is in dhīra (steadfastness) in (one's) being. The key-criterion: dhīra (firmness, steadfastness) is the whole-value. Without dhīra, nothing-counts.
Verse 2 (image): Simpilē te rōmpa varīvarī barē — vāḷaliyā varī kōmbha nye — a sprout watered (only) superficially seems fine on the outside — once dried, no shoot comes. The image: a half-watered seedling looks-fine while-watered, but once-dried no-new-shoot can-emerge. The application: superficial sant-vandanā looks-fine but yields-no-fruit when tested by adversity.
Verse 3 (close — striking image): Tukā mhaṇe ṭākī-ghāye Devapaṇa — phuṭaliyā jana kulā pusī — by the blow of the chisel (sculptor's-strike), Deva-status (emerges) — once (it) cracks, people wipe-their-bottom-on-it. The striking-image: the very-same-stone that the sculptor-makes-Deva of (by chiseling) — once-it-cracks, people use-it-as-a-privy-stone. The application: the very-same-thing that was honored as Deva, once broken, becomes the most-debased. The transition is brutal-and-instant. So-with-broken-sant-vandanā: what-was-honored becomes-debased.
For someone today
The canonical sant-uvāca-discipline verse. (What is) saluted should be continuously-saluted at-the-cost-of-life — or better, break at the very beginning. Those who desire welfare, listen — the whole value is in dhīra (steadfastness) in (one's) being. A sprout watered only superficially seems fine — once dried, no new shoot comes. By the blow of the chisel, Deva-status (emerges); once cracked, people wipe-their-bottom-on-it. Four operative-claims: (1) either commit-fully or don't-start; (2) dhīra is the whole-value; (3) superficial-watering yields no-shoot-once-dried; (4) the broken-Deva-idol becomes-the-privy-stone. The discipline is strict: half-commitment is worse than no-commitment.
Where this applies
- The canonical sant-vandanā-must-be-honored-or-broken-from-start discipline
- Recognizing dhīra-in-anga-is-the-whole-value claim
- Once-cracked-idol-jana-uses-as-privy-stone — the cost of broken-vandanā
- The full-commitment-or-no-commitment rule