Abhanga 2907
Dhanavantā-lāgī — for the dhanavanta (wealth-possessor); sarva-mānyatā āhe jagī — there is sarva-mānyatā (universal-honor) in the world.
The verse
धनवंतालागीं । सर्वमान्यता आहे जगीं ॥१॥
माता पिता बंधु जन । सर्व मानिती वचन ॥ध्रु.॥
जव मोठा चाले धंदा । तंव बहिण म्हणे दादा ॥२॥
सदा शृंगारभूषणें । कांता लवे बहुमानें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे धन । भाग्य अशाश्वत जाण ॥४॥
Literal translation
Dhanavantā-lāgī — for the dhanavanta (wealth-possessor); sarva-mānyatā āhe jagī — there is sarva-mānyatā (universal-honor) in the world. Mātā pitā bandhu jana — mother, father, brother, people; sarva mānitī vachana — all honor (his) vachana (word, speech). Java mōṭhā chāle dhandā — as long as (the) dhandā (business) flourishes greatly; tamva bahiṇa mhaṇe dādā — until-then, (the) bahiṇa (sister) says dādā (elder-brother, respectfully). Sadā śrngāra-bhūṣaṇe — always with śrngāra-bhūṣaṇa (decoration-and-ornaments); kāntā lave bahu-māne — the kāntā (wife) bows with great māna (honor). Tukā says: dhana — (O regarding) dhana; bhāgya aśāśvata jāṇa — know that bhāgya (fortune) is aśāśvata (impermanent).
What it means
A 4-verse anti-wealth-fame critique verse. The verse-portrait is precise: the dhanavanta's respect tracks-his-business-flourishing.
Verse 1: Dhanavantā-lāgī — sarva-mānyatā āhe jagī — for the dhanavanta — universal-honor in the world. The opening observation.
Dhrūpada: Mātā pitā bandhu jana — sarva mānitī vachana — mother, father, brother, people — all honor (his) word. The respect-comes from family-and-non-family.
Verse 2: Java mōṭhā chāle dhandā — tamva bahiṇa mhaṇe dādā — while the business flourishes greatly — until-then the sister says dādā. The diagnostic: the sister's respectful-address-of-elder-brother is conditional on business flourishing. (The sister-as-conditional-respector — a sharp-cultural observation.)
Verse 3: Sadā śrngāra-bhūṣaṇe — kāntā lave bahu-māne — always with ornaments — wife bows with great honor. The wife's-respect is conditional-on continued ornament-buying.
Close: Tukā mhaṇe dhana — bhāgya aśāśvata jāṇa — dhana — know that fortune is aśāśvata (impermanent). The diagnostic-close: fortune is impermanent; therefore, all-this-respect is also impermanent.
The verse is a precise cultural-observation: in 17th-century Marathi society (as in many), the wealth-possessor receives respect from family-and-society; the respect tracks-the-wealth. Tukārām's warning: fortune is impermanent; build on something else.
For someone today
A useful anti-wealth-fame critique. For the wealth-possessor — universal-honor in the world. Mother, father, brother, people — all honor his word. While the business flourishes — until-then, the sister says elder-brother (respectfully). Always with ornaments — wife bows with great honor. Know — fortune is impermanent. The verse names the family-respect-tracks-wealth pattern with precise-detail: the sister's honorifics; the wife's bowing. The closing-warning: bhāgya is aśāśvata. The respect will-disappear with the wealth. The discipline: don't-build-on impermanent-wealth-and-its-respect.
Where this applies
- The wealth-yields-temporary-respect; aśāśvata-bhāgya anti-wealth-fame critique
- Recognizing family-respect-tracks-business-flourishing
- Bhāgya-aśāśvata — fortune-is-impermanent
- Pairs with 2877 (Viṣṇu-dāsa-bhāṇḍavala; dravya-doesn't-come-with-anyone)