Abhanga 4122
The verse
समुद्र हा पिता बंधु हा चंद्रमा । भगिनी ते रमा शंखाची या ॥१॥
मेहुणा जयाचा द्वारकेचा हरि । शंख दारोदारीं भीक मागे ॥२॥
दुष्ट हें जाणावें आपुलें स्वहित । तुका म्हणे मात ऐसी आहे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Samudra-father-Chandra-brother-Ramā-sister-of-Śankha. Brother-in-law-Dvārakē-Hari — Śankha-begs-door-to-door. Tukā: duṣṭa-know-own-svahita — this-the-mata.
What it means
★ A 3-verse Śankha-paradox. The ocean is his father; the moon is his brother; Lakṣmī is his sister — of this conch. His brother-in-law is Dvārakā's Hari. And yet the śankha goes door-to-door begging. Even the defective-self must know its own welfare — this is the situation. The conch is born from the ocean (the samudra-manthana); the moon is also a son of the ocean (kindred); Lakṣmī also from the ocean; Viṣṇu/Krṣṇa (her husband) is then a brother-in-law. Yet the śankha is blown door-to-door as a beggar's instrument (the Jangama's call, the household-pūjā-conch). The paradox: divine-relatives-but-beggar's-life. The moral: even one with great-relations may be in great-poverty unless he knows his svahita.
For someone today
Tukārām: the-conch-has-divine-relatives-but-still-begs-door-to-door — recognize-your-own-welfare.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's Śankha-genealogy-paradox-duṣṭa-know-own-svahita canonical