Abhanga 3024
What looks on the surface like deception or loss can be the very way something imperishable is safely stored, and true fortune can look like arriving humbly as a guest rather than staying in a place of power.
The verse
जाहाज पृथ्वीपति । केली ख्याती अद्भुत ॥१॥
दगा देउनि अवघियांला । सांटविलें अविनाश ॥ध्रु.॥
दुमदुमिलीं सुखानें । हे भाग्याची पंढरी ॥२॥
आंगावेगळें आपुल्या । टाकुनि जाला मेहेमान ॥३॥
Literal translation
Jāhāja prthvīpati — the ship — the prthvī-pati; kelī khyātī adbhuta — has made adbhuta-khyāti. Dagā deūnī avaghiyāmlā — giving deception to everyone; sāmṭavile avināśa — (he has) stored the avināśa. Dumdumilīm sukhāne — (drumming) loud with sukha; he bhāgyāñcī Paṇḍharī — this is the bhāgyāñcī (fortunate) Paṇḍharī. Āngāveghaḷe āpulyā — leaving his own ānga; ṭākunī jālā mehemān — (he) became a mehemān (guest).
What it means
A 4-verse striking-image verse by Tukyā-bandhu (by context). NON-Tukārām. Note: this verse has-no-explicit-signature but is-attributed-by-context to-Tukyā-bandhu (surrounding-verses).
The image: the Lord-as-the-ship-and-earth-lord; made-adbhuta-fame; deceived-everyone (i.e., out-witted-them) and-stored-the-imperishable. Paṇḍharī is the bhāgyāñcī (fortunate-one) — drumming-with-sukha. Final-image: leaving-his-own-body-here, he-became-a-mehemān (guest).
The mehemān (guest) image suggests-the-Lord-himself comes-as-a-guest-to-the-bhakta's-house — leaving-his-own-Vaikuṇṭha. Or, alternatively, this could-refer-to Tukārām who-left-his-own-body and-became-a-guest-in-Vaikuṇṭha. The Indo-Persian mehemān (guest) word is striking — Deccan-Mughal-era vocabulary.
For someone today
This verse, attributed by context to Tukyā-bandhu rather than Tukārām himself, paints a strange and striking image: a ship that is also the lord of the earth, famous for something wondrous. It seems to trick or deceive everyone, yet what it has actually done is quietly store away something imperishable, something that cannot be lost. Paṇḍharī is described as the fortunate place where this joy resounds like a loud drum. And in the final image, this lord leaves his own body behind and becomes a guest, arriving somewhere not as the owner but as a visitor. The teaching sits in that paradox: what looks like loss or trickery on the surface can be the very way something eternal gets safely stored, and true fortune can look like someone humbly showing up as a guest rather than staying in their own place of power.
मराठी: तुकयाबंधूंच्या (तुकारामांच्या नव्हे, संदर्भानुसार) या ओवीत एक विलक्षण प्रतिमा उभी केली आहे: एक जहाज जे पृथ्वीचा स्वामीही आहे, आणि ज्याने अद्भुत कीर्ती मिळवली आहे. तो सर्वांना जणू फसवतो, पण खरे तर त्याने अविनाशी असे काही शांतपणे साठवून ठेवले आहे, जे कधीही हरवत नाही. पंढरी हे भाग्याचे स्थान आहे जिथे हा आनंद ढोलासारखा घुमतो. आणि शेवटच्या प्रतिमेत, हा स्वामी आपले स्वतःचे शरीर सोडून एक पाहुणा बनतो, मालक म्हणून नव्हे तर अतिथी म्हणून येतो. या विरोधाभासातच शिकवण आहे: वरवर जे फसवणूक किंवा तोटा वाटते तेच खरे तर शाश्वत गोष्ट सुरक्षित साठवण्याचा मार्ग असू शकतो, आणि खरे भाग्य म्हणजे स्वतःच्या सत्तेच्या जागी राहण्याऐवजी नम्रपणे पाहुणा म्हणून येणे असू शकते.
Where this applies
- When something looks like a loss or a trick on the surface but is quietly preserving something of real, lasting value
- When a person of real power or standing chooses to show up humbly, as a guest, rather than asserting ownership
- When someone feels joy and good fortune in a place, like Paṇḍharī, and wants language for that resounding happiness
- When a person is confused by a paradox in their spiritual life, where what seems deceptive turns out to protect something imperishable