Abhanga 3744
Tukārām's bhakti-paramparā appeal. Who, without a witness, did bhajana for uplift? Tell me, O giver — (this is) my bhakti lineage. Who has not made a plea — distinct from brahma-jñāna? Whose desire — has been left unfulfilled? In whose uplift — was there delay? Distinct (from these) — how do you speak without a witness? The verse permits the bhakti-historical-precedent claim.
The verse
कोण साक्षीविण । केलें उद्धारा भजन ॥१॥
ऐसें सांगा जी दातारा । माझी भक्ति परंपरा ॥ध्रु.॥
कोणें नाहीं केली आळी । ब्रम्हज्ञानाहुनि वेगळी ॥२॥
कोणाचें तों कोड । नाहीं पुरविला लाड ॥३॥
कोणाच्या उद्धारा । केला विलंब माघारा ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे भिन्न । कांहो बोले साक्षीविण ॥५॥
Literal translation
Kōṇa sākṣīviṇa — who without a sākṣī; kele uddhārā bhajana — did bhajana for uddhāra. Aise sāngā jī dātārā — tell me, O dātāra; mājhī bhakti paramparā — my bhakti paramparā. Kōṇe nāhī kelī āḷī — who has not made an āḷī; brahma-jñānāhuni vegaḷī — distinct from brahma-jñāna. Kōṇāñce tōm kōḍa — whose kōḍa; nāhī puravilā lāḍa — (the) lāḍa not fulfilled. Kōṇāñcyā uddhārā — in whose uddhāra; kelā vilamba māghārā — (was) made vilamba (delay). Tukā mhaṇe bhinna — Tukā says: distinct; kām hō bōle sākṣīviṇa — how do you speak without a witness.
What it means
A 5-verse historical-precedent appeal by Tukārām.
The argument: Who, without-a-sākṣī-(witness), did-bhajana-for-uddhāra? Tell-me, dātāra — (this is) my-bhakti-paramparā. Who-has-not-made-a-bhakti-cry distinct-from-brahma-jñāna? Whose-kōḍa was-not-fulfilled? Whose-uddhāra was-delayed? Distinct (from-these) — how-can-you-speak-without-witness?
The bhakta-claims-historical-precedent: every-bhakta-in-the-lineage has-had-their-uddhāra; none-was-left-unfulfilled. Therefore-mine-too will-be-fulfilled.
For someone today
Tukārām's bhakti-paramparā appeal. Who, without a witness, did bhajana for uplift? Tell me, O giver — (this is) my bhakti lineage. Who has not made a plea — distinct from brahma-jñāna? Whose desire — has been left unfulfilled? In whose uplift — was there delay? Distinct (from these) — how do you speak without a witness? The verse permits the bhakti-historical-precedent claim.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's bhakti-paramparā-of-uddhāra historical-precedent appeal