Abhanga 4107
Tukaram says the footsteps of true saints are so beautiful that wherever they walk, it is as if the sacred river Ganga itself has come to us. He says you could bathe in the very dust their feet stir up, because every famous pilgrimage site, from Setubandha in the far south to Varanasi in the north, is already present wherever the saints are. He calls himself blessed simply for having joined this ocean of good company, showing that being near people of real spiritual depth can matter more than traveling anywhere at all.
The verse
संतपाउलें साजिरीं । गंगा आली आम्हांवरी ॥१॥
जेथें पडे रजधुळी । तेथें करावी अंघोळी ॥ध्रु.॥
स्वेतबंद वाराणसी । अवघीं तीथॉ तयापासीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे धन्य जालों । संतसागरीं मिळालों ॥३॥
Literal translation
Santas-pāuḷēm-sājirī — Gangā-came-on-us. Wherever-raja-dhuḷī-falls — bathe. Setubandha-Vārāṇasī — all-tīrthas-with-them. Tukā: dhanya-jālōm — joined-santa-sāgara.
What it means
A 3-verse sant-rajas = all-tīrthas text. The santas' footprints are beautiful; the Gangā has come upon us (with their walking). Wherever the foot-dust falls — bathe there. Setubandha (Rameshwaram), Vārāṇasī — all tīrthas are with them (with the santas). I have become blessed — I have joined the sant-ocean. The claim: wherever-santas-walk-becomes-all-tīrthas-combined. The pairing Setubandha (deep south) + Vārāṇasī (north) covers the geographic extent of Indian tīrtha-paramparā. Pair with 2777 (canonical all-tīrthas-at-Paṇḍharī-darśana), 4027 (Paṇḍharī-beats-Kāśī-Gayā).
For someone today
Tukaram says the footsteps of true saints are so beautiful that wherever they walk, it is as if the sacred river Ganga itself has come to us. He says you could bathe in the very dust their feet stir up, because every famous pilgrimage site, from Setubandha in the far south to Varanasi in the north, is already present wherever the saints are. He calls himself blessed simply for having joined this ocean of good company, showing that being near people of real spiritual depth can matter more than traveling anywhere at all.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की खऱ्या संतांची पावले इतकी सुंदर असतात की ते जिथे चालतात तिथे जणू गंगा नदीच आपल्यापर्यंत आली आहे असे वाटते. ते म्हणतात की त्यांच्या पावलांनी उडालेल्या धुळीतही स्नान करावे, कारण दक्षिणेतील सेतुबंधापासून उत्तरेतील वाराणसीपर्यंत सगळी प्रसिद्ध तीर्थक्षेत्रे संत जिथे असतात तिथेच असतात. आपण या सत्संगाच्या सागरात सामील झालो यासाठी स्वतःला धन्य मानतात, यातून हे दिसते की खऱ्या अध्यात्मिक खोली असलेल्या माणसांच्या सहवासात राहणे कुठेही प्रवास करण्यापेक्षा जास्त मोलाचे असू शकते.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's sant-rajas = all-tīrthas-combined canonical
- Pair with 2777, 4027