Abhanga 2906
A striking yoga-of-elevation image-set. By sugar's yoga, gold-leaf — and the king sees paper. Likewise, our human-status — by Rāma-Nāma's trading-stock-quality. By firangī's yoga, a king holds wood. By ratna-kanaka's yoga, even lac — rich-people keep on the throat. Deva — the Deva-pāṭa sits clearly on the household-shrine. By the yoga of brahma-ānanda, Tukā has become read-and-recited by sajjana-lōka.
The verse
साकरेच्या योगें वर्ख । राजा कागदातें देखे ॥१॥
तैसें आम्हां मानुसपण । रामनाम केण्यागुणें ॥ध्रु.॥
फिरंगीच्या योगें करी । राजा काष्ठ हातीं धरी ॥२॥
रत्नकनका योगें लाख । कंठीं धरिती श्रीमंत लोक ॥३॥
देवा देवपाट देव्हार्यावरी बैसे स्पष्ट ॥४॥
ब्रम्हानंदयोगें तुका । पढीयंता सज्जन लोकां ॥५॥
Literal translation
Sākareñcyā yōge varka — by the yoga (association) of sākara (sugar), the varka (silver-leaf, gold-foil — applied on sugar-sweets); rājā kāgadāte dekhe — the king sees (even ordinary) paper (with regard). Taise āmhām mānusa-paṇa — likewise, for us, mānuṣa-paṇa (the human-status); Rāma-nāma keṇyā-guṇe — (is by) the keṇyā-guṇa (trading-stock-quality, ware-worth) of Rāma-Nāma. Firangīñcyā yōge karī — by the yoga of firangī (foreign-jewel, foreign-blade); rājā kāṣṭha hātī dharī — (a) king holds wood in (his) hand (= the wood-handle of the firangi-jewel-encrusted sword). Ratna-kanakā yōge lākha — by the yoga of ratna-kanaka (jewels-and-gold), (even) the lākha (lac-sealing-wax); kaṇṭhī dharitī śrīmanta lōka — śrīmanta lōka (rich people) keep (it) on the kaṇṭha (throat, neck, as lac-mixed-jewel-pendant). Devā Deva-pāṭa Devhāryā-varī baise spaṣṭa — Deva — the Deva-pāṭa (Deva's seat) — sits clearly on the devhārā (household-shrine). Brahma-ānanda-yōge Tukā — by the yoga of brahma-ānanda, Tukā; paḍhīyantā sajjana lōkām — (has-become) paḍhīyantā (read-and-recited, lovingly-cited) by sajjana-lōka (good people).
What it means
A striking 5-verse yoga-of-elevation image-set verse. The verse-structure: four images of low-substance elevated-by-precious-association — applied to human-status elevated-by-Rāma-Nāma.
Image 1 (sugar-paper): Sākareñcyā yōge varka — rājā kāgadāte dekhe — by sugar's yoga, varka (gold-leaf) — and (even) the king sees paper. The image: ordinary paper, when sweets are wrapped in gold-leaf, is regarded-favorably by the king. (The varka — silver-leaf-on-sweets — is what makes-the-sweet-look-valuable; by association, even the wrapping-paper is valued.)
The application (dhrūpada): Taise āmhām mānusa-paṇa — Rāma-nāma keṇyā-guṇe — likewise our human-status — (is by) Rāma-Nāma's trading-stock-quality. The core-claim: we humans are valuable-only-because-of-Rāma-Nāma stocked-on-us. Without Rāma-Nāma, mānuṣa-paṇa would be ordinary; with-it, we are valuable.
Image 2 (firangi-wood): Firangīñcyā yōge karī — rājā kāṣṭha hātī dharī — by firangī's yoga, (a) king holds wood. Firangī — a foreign-jewel-encrusted blade — the king holds the wood-handle of-the-jewel-encrusted-sword. So wood-too is elevated-by-association.
Image 3 (ratna-kanaka-lac): Ratna-kanakā yōge lākha — kaṇṭhī dharitī śrīmanta lōka — by ratna-kanaka's yoga, (even) lac — rich-people keep on the throat. Lākha — sealing-wax, lac — ordinary-substance. But when mixed-with-jewels-and-gold (as in jewel-pendants), rich-people wear-it.
Image 4 (Deva on devhārā): Devā Deva-pāṭa Devhāryā-varī baise spaṣṭa — Deva — the Deva-pāṭa (seat) — sits clearly on the devhārā. The image-shift: the Deva-seat (which is itself sacred-only-because-Deva-sits-on-it) on the devhārā (household-shrine). Even the seat-is-sacred by-association.
Verse 5 (close — self-application): Brahma-ānanda-yōge Tukā — paḍhīyantā sajjana lōkām — by the yoga of brahma-ānanda, Tukā (has become) read-and-recited by sajjana-lōka. The final-application: Tukārām himself is paḍhīyantā (lovingly-recited) by sajjana-lōka only-because-of-the-yoga-of-brahma-ānanda. The self-disclaimer: I am ordinary; only the brahma-ānanda-association makes-me valued.
For someone today
A striking yoga-of-elevation image-set. By sugar's yoga, gold-leaf — and the king sees paper. Likewise, our human-status — by Rāma-Nāma's trading-stock-quality. By firangī's yoga, a king holds wood. By ratna-kanaka's yoga, even lac — rich-people keep on the throat. Deva — the Deva-pāṭa sits clearly on the household-shrine. By the yoga of brahma-ānanda, Tukā has become read-and-recited by sajjana-lōka.
The verse provides a foundational doctrine of associational-elevation: (1) low-things are elevated by-association with high-things; (2) humans are elevated by-association-with-Rāma-Nāma; (3) Tukārām himself is recited only-because-of-brahma-ānanda. The doctrinal-application: don't claim independent-value; recognize that all your worth is by-association-with-the-Lord. This is humility-as-doctrine, not mere-rhetoric.
Where this applies
- The canonical humans-are-paper-wood-lakh-elevated-by-Rāma-Nāma image-set
- Recognizing the yoga-of-association — base-things-elevated-by-precious-things
- Tukā-paḍhīyantā-by-sajjana-by-brahma-ānanda-yoga self-claim
- Foundational doctrine of associational-elevation in bhakti