Abhanga 3139
Tukārām's claim. Make one Deva your own — without him, there is no sukha for the jīva. Those (other things) are illusory, producers of suffering — no beginning-end. The Imperishable — make him like-your-own — attach (your) mind, mad, to Govinda. One death suffices — excellent-fame alone stays behind. The verse permits the bhakti-radicalism of one-Deva-attachment.
The verse
आपला तो एक देव करुनि घ्यावा । तेणेंविण जीवा सुख नव्हे ॥१॥
तें तीं माइकें दुःखाचीं जनितीं । नाहीं आदिअंतीं अवसान ॥ध्रु.॥
अविनाश करी आपुलिया ऐसें । लावीं मना पिसें गोविंदाच्या ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे एका मरणें चि सरें । उत्तम चि उरे कीर्ति मागें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Āpalā tō eka deva karunī ghyāvā — make one Deva your own; teṇemviṇa jīvā sukha navhe — without him, no sukha for jīva. Te tīm māike duḥkhāñcīm janitīm — those are māyika, producers of duḥkha; nāhī ādi-amtīm avasāna — no beginning-end-final-state. Avināśa karī āpuliyā aise — the imperishable, make like your own; lāvīm manā pise Govimdāñcyā — attach mad mind to Govinda. Tukā mhaṇe ekā maraṇe chi sare — Tukā says: one death suffices; uttama chi ure kīrti māge — uttama-kīrti stays behind.
What it means
A 3-verse claim by Tukārām. The argument: Make-one-Deva your-own — without-him, jīva-has-no-sukha. All-others are-māyika-duḥkha-makers, finally-nothing. Make-the-Imperishable like-your-own; attach-mind, mad-with-Govinda. One-death-is-enough; uttama-kīrti-remains-behind.
The image attach-mind-mad-with-Govinda and the closing one-death-suffices, fame-stays establish the bhakti-radicalism — full devotion to one Deva, with no fear of death.
For someone today
Tukārām's claim. Make one Deva your own — without him, there is no sukha for the jīva. Those (other things) are illusory, producers of suffering — no beginning-end. The Imperishable — make him like-your-own — attach (your) mind, mad, to Govinda. One death suffices — excellent-fame alone stays behind. The verse permits the bhakti-radicalism of one-Deva-attachment.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's make-one-Deva-your-own; mad-mind-with-Govinda claim