Abhanga 2906
Ordinary things and ordinary people become valuable only through their association with something precious, so credit the divine name for whatever worth you carry, not yourself.
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 theyoga(association) ofsākara(sugar), thevarka(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) thekeṇyā-guṇa(trading-stock-quality, ware-worth) of Rāma-Nāma. Firangīñcyā yōge karī — by theyogaoffirangī(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 theyogaofratna-kanaka(jewels-and-gold), (even) thelākha(lac-sealing-wax); kaṇṭhī dharitī śrīmanta lōka — śrīmanta lōka(rich people) keep (it) on thekaṇṭha(throat, neck, as lac-mixed-jewel-pendant). Devā Deva-pāṭa Devhāryā-varī baise spaṣṭa — Deva — theDeva-pāṭa(Deva's seat) — sits clearly on thedevhārā(household-shrine). Brahma-ānanda-yōge Tukā — by the yoga ofbrahma-ānanda, Tukā; paḍhīyantā sajjana lōkām — (has-become)paḍhīyantā(read-and-recited, lovingly-cited) bysajjana-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 set of images about elevation through association. 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 offers a foundational doctrine of elevation through association: low things are elevated by association with high things, and in the same way humans are elevated only through their association with Rāma-Nāma. Tukārām applies this to himself too — he is recited and loved by good people only because of that same association with the bliss of Brahman. The teaching is not to claim any independent value of your own, but to recognize that all your worth comes from your association with the Lord. This is humility offered as doctrine, not mere rhetoric.
मराठी: उच्च गोष्टींशी संबंध जोडल्याने खालच्या गोष्टींना मोल येते, याविषयीचा हा उपयुक्त प्रतिमासंच आहे. साखरेच्या योगे वर्ख — आणि राजा कागदालाही मान देतो. त्याचप्रमाणे आमचे मानुसपण — रामनामाच्या मोलामुळे. फिरंगीच्या योगे राजा लाकूड हातात धरतो. रत्न-कनकाच्या योगे लाखेलाही श्रीमंत लोक गळ्यात धरतात. देव — देवपाट स्पष्टपणे देव्हाऱ्यावर बसतो. ब्रह्मानंदाच्या योगे तुका सज्जन लोकांकडून वाचला-म्हटला जातो. हा अभंग संबंधातून येणाऱ्या मोलाचा मूळ सिद्धांत मांडतो : खालच्या गोष्टी उच्च गोष्टींशी संबंध जोडल्याने उंचावतात, आणि त्याचप्रमाणे माणसेही रामनामाशी असलेल्या संबंधामुळेच उंचावतात. तुकाराम हेच स्वतःलाही लावतात — ब्रह्मानंदाशी असलेल्या याच संबंधामुळे सज्जन लोक त्यांना वाचतात आणि प्रेमाने म्हणतात. यातील शिकवण अशी की स्वतःचे कोणतेही स्वतंत्र मोल मानू नये, तर आपले सगळे मोल देवाशी असलेल्या संबंधामुळेच आहे हे ओळखावे. ही नम्रता निव्वळ बोलण्यापुरती नसून एक सिद्धांत म्हणून मांडली आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel proud of an achievement and forget what actually gave it its value
- When you feel ordinary or unremarkable and wonder whether you matter
- When someone praises you and you are tempted to take all the credit yourself
- When you want to understand how a simple practice like repeating a name can transform an ordinary life