Abhanga 2890
God does not call out for anyone's attention, just as fire, water, and cloth never advertise themselves; the seeker comes forward only for their own good.
The verse
अग्नि हा पाचारी कोणासी साक्षेपें । हिंवें तो चि तापे जाणोनियां ॥१॥
उदक म्हणे काय या हो मज प्यावें । तृषित तो धांवे सेवावया ॥ध्रु.॥
काय वस्त्र म्हणे यावो मज नेसा । आपुले स्वइच्छा जग वोढी ॥२॥
तुक्यास्वामी म्हणे काय मज स्मरा । आपुल्या उद्धारा लागूनियां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Agni hā pāchārī kōṇāsī sākṣepē — doesagni(fire) loudlypāchārī(call) anyone withsākṣepa(with-effort)?; himve tō chi tāpe jāṇōnīyām — thehimve(cold-one) himself, knowing-(the-warmth),tāpe(heats up). Udaka mhaṇe kāya yā hō maja pyāve — doesudaka(water) say:come, drink me?; trṣita tō dhāve sevāvayā — the thirsty-one runs-(to-it) tosevāvayā(drink, partake). Kāya vastra mhaṇe yāvō maja nesā — doesvastra(cloth) say:come, wear me?; āpule sva-icchā jaga vōḍhī — by (their) ownsvecchā(will), thejaga(world) pulls (it). Tukyā-svāmī mhaṇe kāya maja smarā — Tukā's master says:what (do I) (need to ask anyone to) remember me?; āpulyā uddhārā lāgūnīyām — (it is) for one's ownuddhāra(uplift, liberation).
What it means
A short natural-elements need-no-promotion image-set verse. The verse-structure: three concrete-images (fire, water, cloth) all-making-the-same-point: no element-needs-to-promote-itself; the-seeker comes-on-his-own.
Image 1 (fire): Agni hā pāchārī kōṇāsī sākṣepē — himve tō chi tāpe jāṇōnīyām — does fire loudly-call anyone with effort? — the cold one, knowing, comes-to-heat-himself. Fire doesn't-advertise; the cold-bystander comes-to-it.
Image 2 (water): Udaka mhaṇe kāya yā hō maja pyāve — trṣita tō dhāve sevāvayā — does water say come-drink-me? — the thirsty runs to it. Water doesn't-promote; the thirsty-person comes.
Image 3 (cloth): Kāya vastra mhaṇe yāvō maja nesā — āpule sva-icchā jaga vōḍhī — does cloth say come-wear-me? — by own will, the world pulls (it). Cloth doesn't-advertise; the user-pulls-it-by-his-own-volition.
The application: Tukyā-svāmī mhaṇe kāya maja smarā — āpulyā uddhārā lāgūnīyām — Tukā's master says: do I (need to) tell anyone to remember me? — (it is) for his own uplift. The Lord-doesn't-need-to-promote-himself. The bhakta who-comes-to-remember-the-Lord does-so-for-his-own-uddhāra.
This is an unusual anti-bhakti-supplication framing: the bhakta is reminded that the Lord doesn't-need-the-bhakta's-remembrance; the bhakta needs-the-Lord.
For someone today
A useful set of natural-element images. Does fire loudly-call anyone with effort? — the cold one, knowing, comes to heat himself. Does water say come-drink-me? — the thirsty runs to it. Does cloth say come-wear-me? — by own will, the world pulls. Tukā's master says: what need I tell anyone to remember me? — (it is) for one's own uplift. The verse's claim is precise: the Lord does not promote himself; the seeker comes on his own, for his own liberation. This corrects the mode of bhakti as bargaining, where the bhakta tries to strike a deal — there is no bargaining needed, since the Lord is already there, and you come to him for your own good.
मराठी: हा निसर्गातील घटकांच्या रूपकांचा उपयुक्त संच आहे. अग्नी कोणाला मेहनतीने बोलावतो का? — थंडी वाजणारा स्वतःच जाणून ऊब घ्यायला येतो. पाणी म्हणते का, या मला प्या? — तहानलेला स्वतःच धावत येतो. वस्त्र म्हणते का, या मला नेसा? — जग स्वतःच्याच इच्छेने ते ओढते. तुक्याचे स्वामी म्हणतात : मी कोणाला मला स्मरा असे का सांगू? — ते तर स्वतःच्याच उद्धारासाठी असते. या अभंगाचा दावा स्पष्ट आहे : देव स्वतःची जाहिरात करत नाही; साधक स्वतःहून, स्वतःच्याच उद्धारासाठी येतो. हे भक्तीला सौदेबाजीसारखे मानण्याच्या पद्धतीला सुधारते — कोणतीही सौदेबाजी करण्याची गरज नाही, कारण देव आधीच तिथे आहे; तू तुझ्याच भल्यासाठी त्याच्याकडे यावेस.
Where this applies
- The canonical natural-elements need-no-promotion image
- Recognizing the Lord-doesn't-call; the seeker comes for own-uddhāra
- Bhakti as self-driven, not Deva-driven
- Anti-bhakti-supplication mode: the Lord-is-there; you-come for-your-own-good