Abhanga 3035
Tukārām's canonical sant-sanga-petition. Amrta's fruits, amrta's vine — that very (one) is the flow of the seed also. Give such company, Nārāyaṇa — (those) whose words (are worth) speaking. Excellent partaking — cools the throat; strength-and-luster accordingly shows on the outside. So we become by the company — like the fragrance of chandana attaches to the body. The verse permits the canonical sant-sanga-petition with the chandana-fragrance image.
The verse
अमृताचीं फळें अमृताची वेली । ते चि पुढें चाली बीजाची ही ॥१॥
ऐसियांचा संग देई नारायणा । बोलावा वचना जयांचिया ॥ध्रु.॥
उत्तम सेवन सितळ कंठासी । पुष्टी कांती तैसी दिसे वरी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तैसें होइजेत संगें । वास लागे अंगें चंदनाच्या ॥३॥
Literal translation
Amrtāñcīm phaḷe amrtāñcī velī — amrta's fruits, amrta's vine; te chi puḍhe chālī bījāñcī hī — that very (one) is the chālī (flow) of the bīja also. Aisiyāñcā samga deī Nārāyaṇā — give such sanga, Nārāyaṇa; bōlāvā vachanā jayāñciyā — (those) whose vachana (is worth) speaking. Uttama sevana sitaḷa kaṇṭhāsī — excellent partaking — cools the kaṇṭha; puṣṭī kāṇti taisī dise varī — strength-luster accordingly shows on the outside. Tukā mhaṇe taise hōijeta samgē — Tukā says: so we become by the sanga; vāsa lāge ange chamdanāñcyā — fragrance attaches to the body (like) chandana's.
What it means
A canonical 3-verse sant-sanga-petition by Tukārām.
The argument: 1. Amrta-vine yields amrta-fruits whose-seed-flow-is-also-amrta — sants are amrta in all-parts 2. Give-such-sanga, Nārāyaṇa — those-whose-vachana-is-worth-speaking — petition 3. Excellent-partaking-cools-throat; strength-luster-shows-outside — sant-sanga's-bodily-effect 4. So-we-become-by-sanga — like-chandana's-fragrance-attaches-to-body — transformation-by-association
The chandana-fragrance image is canonical: just-as-chandana-attached-to-body-makes-body-fragrant, so sant-sanga-makes-the-bhakta-sant-like. This is the guṇa-transfer-by-sanga doctrine.
Compare-Tukārām's-own 2810 (saints-list), 3032 (sants'-feet-head).
For someone today
Tukārām's canonical sant-sanga-petition. Amrta's fruits, amrta's vine — that very (one) is the flow of the seed also. Give such company, Nārāyaṇa — (those) whose words (are worth) speaking. Excellent partaking — cools the throat; strength-and-luster accordingly shows on the outside. So we become by the company — like the fragrance of chandana attaches to the body. The verse permits the canonical sant-sanga-petition with the chandana-fragrance image.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's canonical sant-sanga-petition
- Amrta-vine-and-seed-flow — sants-are-amrta-in-all-parts
- Chandana-fragrance-on-body — guṇa-transfer-by-sanga
- Companion to 2810, 3032