Abhanga 3340
A true bhakta's devotion is a treasure rarer than what endless lifetimes of austerity could earn, so recognize it and honor it instead of letting carelessness turn it to dust.
The verse
अनंतजन्में जरी केल्या तपरासी । तरी हा न पवे म्हणे देह ॥१॥
ऐसें जें निधान लागलेंसे हातीं । त्याची केली माती भाग्यहीना ॥ध्रु.॥
उत्तमाचें सार वेदाचें भांडार । ज्याच्यानें पवित्र तीथॉ होती ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तुकयाबंधु आणीक उपमा । नाहीं या तों जन्मा द्यावयासी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Anantajanme jarī kelyā taparāsī — for ananta-janmas, if tapa-rāśīs were done; tarī hā na pave mhaṇe deha — still this deha (says he) doesn't attain. Aise je nidhāna lāgalese hātīm — such a nidhāna come-to-hand; tyāñcī kelī māṭī bhāgyahīnā — the bhāgya-hīna made (it) māṭi. Uttamāñce sāra vedāñce bhāṇḍāra — the sāra of uttama, the bhāṇḍāra of Veda; jyāñcyāne pavitra tīrtha hōtī — by whom tīrthas become pure. Tukā mhaṇe tukayā-bandhu āṇīka upamā — Tukā says: Tukārām's-brother — another upamā; nāhī yā tōm janmā dyāvayāsī — there is none for this janma to-be-given.
What it means
A mixed-attribution 3-verse praise-text. The closing names both Tukā and Tukārām's-brother — possibly the verse-is-Tukārām's-praise-of-his-brother Kānhōbā, or-vice-versa, or-an-editorial-attribution.
The claim: Such-a-bhakta-treasure can't-be-attained-even-by-infinite-births-of-tapa-rāśīs; the-bhāgya-hīna made-(it)-into-dust; this is the-sāra-of-uttama, the-Vedic-bhāṇḍāra, by-whom-tīrthas-become-pure; there's-no-other-upamā for-making-this-janma-meaningful.
The text-reads as praise-of-the-rare-bhakta-treasure — the human-birth-with-bhakti-opportunity is-incomparable.
For someone today
Mixed-attribution praise of the bhakta's treasure. For infinite births, if mountains of tapa were done — still this deha (he says) doesn't attain (it). Such a treasure has come to hand — the unfortunate one made (it into) dust. (This is) the essence of the uttama, the treasury of the Veda — by whom the tīrthas become pure. There is no other comparison for (making this) birth (meaningful). The verse permits the bhakti-recognition that a human birth with bhakti is incomparable and easily wasted.
मराठी: हा संमिश्र उल्लेखाचा अभंग भक्ताच्या ठेव्याचे कौतुक करतो. अनंत जन्म तपश्चर्या केली तरीही हा देह ते साध्य करू शकत नाही, असे म्हटले आहे. असा अमोल ठेवा हाती आला असतानाही, कमनशिबी माणूस त्याची माती करून टाकतो. हेच उत्तमाचे सार आहे, वेदांचे भांडार आहे, ज्यामुळे तीर्थेही पवित्र होतात. हा जन्म सार्थकी लावण्यासाठी याहून दुसरी उपमा नाही. भक्तीने भरलेला मनुष्यजन्म हा अतुलनीय आहे, पण तितकाच सहज वाया घालवला जाऊ शकतो, हीच या अभंगाची शिकवण आहे.
Where this applies
- When someone takes a rare opportunity for granted and lets it slip away through carelessness
- When a person finally recognizes that a gift they already have is more valuable than anything they could chase after
- When you meet someone whose quiet devotion feels more real and rare than years of effort could produce
- When you want to remind yourself that this human life itself is a precious, unrepeatable chance