Abhanga 4184
The verse
सांग त्वां कोणासी तारिलें । संतांवेगळें उद्धरिलें ॥१॥
संत शब्द उपदेशी । मग तूं हो म्हणशी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे नाहीं तुझा उपकार । करूं संतांचा उच्चार ॥३॥
Literal translation
Tell-me-whom-saved-without-santas-uddharilēm. Santa-gives-upadeśa — then-you-say. Tukā: no-upakāra-of-yours — I'll-praise-santas-ucchāra.
What it means
★ A 3-verse rare-direct anti-Lord-pro-santa polemic. Tell me — whom have you saved without the santas? Whom have you elevated apart from them? The santa gives the word-instruction; then you (Deva) say, yes (it will be). Tukā says: there's no doing-good of yours (alone); I'll extol the santas. The polemic-twist: the santas do the saving-work; Lord only confirms after. A striking inversion of the standard Lord-saves claim — Tukārām redirects the upakāra-credit to santas alone. Pair with 2887 (sant-pūjā warrant), 4130 (puṇya-fruited-santas-met).
For someone today
Tukārām: santas-do-the-saving-Lord-only-confirms-after; the-real-upakāra-belongs-to-santas.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's santas-do-the-saving-not-Lord-direct canonical polemic