Abhanga 3440
Whatever food a person eats is itself the gift a beggar deserves, so run humbly toward good company now, before the chance closes.
The verse
जें ज्याचें जेवण । तें चि याचकासी दान ॥१॥
आतां जाऊं चोजवीत । जेथें वसतील संत ॥ध्रु.॥
होतीं धालीं पोटें । मागें उरलीं उच्छिष्ट ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे धांव । पुढें खुंटईंल हांव ॥३॥
Literal translation
Je jyāñce jevaṇa — what is the jevaṇa of each; te chi yāchakāsī dāna — that very is the yāchaka's dāna. Ātām jāūm chōjavīta — now let us go chōjavīta; jethe vasatīla samta — where santa will dwell. Hōtīm dhālīm pōṭe — the bellies have been filled; māge uralīm uchchhiṣṭa — behind have remained leftovers. Tukā mhaṇe dhāva — Tukā says: run; puḍhe khuṇṭīla hāmva — ahead, the eagerness will be stopped.
What it means
A 3-verse humility-text by Tukārām.
The image: Each-person's-meal is the beggar's-dāna (gift). Go to where the sants dwell; their bellies are filled; the leftovers (uchchhiṣṭa) remain. Run — for ahead, the eagerness will be stopped (= the opportunity will close).
The uchchhiṣṭa-as-sacred-food practice (eating-of-sants'-leftovers as-prasāda) is canonical-Vārkarī. Compare-3050 (śeṣa-gheīmna-uchchhiṣṭa, dhāya-dhaṇī-pōṭa).
The closing urgency: dhāva — eagerness-will-be-stopped-ahead — urgent-pilgrimage-toward-sant-dwelling, before-life-closes.
For someone today
Tukārām's humility in going to the sants. Whatever is the meal of each — that very is the gift for the beggar. Now let us go asking for leavings where the sants will dwell. The bellies have been filled; behind have remained leftovers. Run — ahead, the eagerness will be stopped. The verse permits the bhakta-urgency: go to where the sants eat and receive their leavings as prasāda.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे नम्रतेने शिकवतात. प्रत्येकाचे जे जेवण असते, तेच याचकासाठी दान असते. चला, संत जिथे राहतात तिथे जाऊन उरलेले अन्न मागू. त्यांची पोटे भरलेली असतील, आणि मागे उष्टे अन्न उरलेले असेल. धावा — कारण पुढे ही संधी संपून जाईल, असे तुकाराम म्हणतात. संत जिथे जेवतात तिथे जाऊन त्यांचे उष्टे प्रसाद म्हणून स्वीकारावे, हीच या अभंगाची शिकवण आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel too proud to accept help or leftovers from people you admire
- When you keep postponing a visit to someone wise or good, telling yourself there's always tomorrow
- When you realize a rare chance to be near good company is closing and you're still hesitating
- When you wonder whether humbly taking whatever is offered, rather than demanding more, is itself a form of grace