संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4180 of 4582

Abhanga 4180

Tukārām's Yama-Brahmā-Pārvatī-Shankara-Śeṣa-Sun-Moon-stars all-worship — even-they-don't-know-svarūpa — where-am-I-this-poor-one canonical self-effacement

The verse

यमधर्म आणिक ब्रम्हादिक देव । त्यांचा पूर्ण भाव तुझे पायीं ॥१॥ करिती स्मरण पार्वतीशंकर । तेथें मी किंकर कोणीकडे ॥ध्रु.॥ सहजरमुखेंसी घोष फणिवराचा । मज किंकराचा पाड काय ॥२॥ चंद्र सूर्य आणि सर्व तारांगणें । करिती भ्रमण प्रदक्षिणा ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे त्यांसी स्वरूप कळेना । तेथें मज दीना कोण पुसे ॥४॥

Literal translation

Yama-Brahmā-devas — pūrṇa-bhāva-at-pāya. Pārvatī-Śankara-do-smaraṇa — where-am-I-the-kinkara. Śeṣa's-1000-mouths roar; what's-my-stature? Sun-Moon-stars-circumambulate. Tukā: even-they-don't-know-svarūpa — who-asks-this-dīna.

What it means

A 4-verse self-effacement-among-deva-list text. Yama-dharma and even Brahmā and other devas — their full bhāva is at your feet. Pārvatī-Śankara do your remembrance — where am I, this servant? With Śeṣa's 1000 mouths roaring the Name — what's my stature as a servant? Sun, Moon, and all the constellations make revolving-circumambulation. Even they don't know your svarūpa — who asks about me, this poor one? The closing twist: even Yama, Brahmā, Pārvatī-Śankara, Śeṣa, the constellations don't know your essence — so my obscurity is the same as theirs. A radical leveling-down by self-effacement.

For someone today

Tukārām: even-Yama-Brahmā-Pārvatī-Śankara-Śeṣa-stars don't-know-your-svarūpa — who-would-ask-about-this-poor-one.

Where this applies

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