Abhanga 4218
Looking closely at the divine reveals something too vast to be fully grasped, leaving everyone, wise or simple, equally humbled and amazed.
The verse
एक म्हणती मुख वासीं नारायणा । पाहों दे वदना डोळेभरि ॥१॥
वासुनियां मुख पहाती सकळ । अवघे गोपाळ व्योमाकार ॥ध्रु.॥
म्हणती गोपाळ बेटे हो हा देव । स्वरूपाचा ठाव न कळे याच्या ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे अवघे विठोबाभोंवते । मळिाले नेणते लहानथोर ॥३॥
Literal translation
One-says-open-mukha-Nārāyaṇa — let-us-see-vadana-eyes-full. Opening-mukha — all-gopāḷas-vyōma-ākāra. Gopāḷas-say — this-deva — svarūpa-place-not-known. Tukā: all-around-Viṭhōbā — milled-ignorant-big-small.
What it means
Verse-11 of extended dāvānala-grasana cluster. One says: open your mouth, Nārāyaṇa — let us see your face with eyes filled. When he opens his mouth, all look — all the gopāḷas become sky-formed. They say: this Deva — the place of his essence cannot be known. Tukā says: all around Viṭhōbā, the ignorant, big and small, are milled together. Post-rescue marvel: gopāḷas request a closer look; opening the mouth they see vyōma-ākāra (sky-form) — the svarūpa-place cannot be located. Hints at the Viśva-rūpa epiphany. The cluster did not close at 4217 — it continues.
For someone today
Curious, one of the cowherds asks Krishna to open his mouth wide so they can look inside and see his face fully. When he does, everyone who looks is stunned into silence: instead of an ordinary mouth, they see something as vast and boundless as the sky itself. They realize together that no one, wise or simple, young or old, can actually pin down or fully grasp who this being really is. Tukaram closes by saying that everyone gathered around Vitthal, whatever their understanding, stands equally amazed and equally unable to fully comprehend him.
मराठी: उत्सुकतेपोटी एक गोपाळ कृष्णाला तोंड उघडून दाखवायला सांगतो, जेणेकरून त्याचा चेहरा नीट डोळेभरून बघता येईल. तो तोंड उघडतो तेव्हा बघणारे सगळे थक्क होतात — साधं तोंड दिसण्याऐवजी त्यांना जणू आकाशासारखं अफाट, सीमाहीन काहीतरी दिसतं. त्यांना सगळ्यांना एकत्र जाणवतं की या देवाचं खरं स्वरूप कोणालाच, ज्ञानी असो वा साधा, लहान असो वा मोठा, नीट कळत नाही. तुकाराम शेवटी म्हणतात, विठोबाभोवती जमलेले सगळेजण, आपापल्या समजुतीनुसार, सारखेच थक्क आणि सारखेच अनभिज्ञ असतात.
Where this applies
- Verse-11 of extended 14-abhang dāvānala-grasana cluster (4208-4221)