Abhanga 4333
Tukārām preserves: Hari acts physically in history; comes as porter to settle his bhakta's account; the king sees the receipt and realizes the Lord bore the weight on his head — the orphan-defender never forsakes his dāsa.
The verse
दामाजीपंताची रसद गुदरली । लज्जा सांभाळिली देवरायें ॥१॥
तयाचें चरित्र परिसा हो सादरें । करितों नमस्कार संतजना ॥ध्रु.॥
मंगळवेढा असे विस्त कुटुंबेंसी । व्यापारी सर्वांसी मान्य सदा ॥२॥
कर्म काय करी ठाणाचा हवाला । तों कांहीं पडला कठिण काळ ॥३॥
धान्याचीं भांडारें होतीं तीं फोडिलीं । पंढरी रक्षिली दुष्काळांत ॥४॥
दुबळें अनाथ तें हि वांचविलें । राष्टधांत ते जाली कीर्ति मोठी ॥५॥
मुजुम करीत होता कानडा ब्राम्हण । फिर्याद लिहून पाठविली ॥६॥
अविंदाचें राज्य बेदरीं असतां । कागद पाहतां तलब केली ॥७॥
दामाजीपंतासी धरोनि चालविलें । इकडे या विठ्ठलें माव केली ॥८॥
विकते धारणे सवाईंचें मोल । धान्याचें सकळ द्रव्य केलें ॥९॥
दामाजीपंताच्या नांवें अर्जदास्त । लिहून खलेती मुद्रा केली ॥१०॥
विठो पाडेवार भक्तां साहए जाला । वेदरासी गेला रायापासीं ॥११॥
जोहार मायबाप पुसती कोठील । तंव तो म्हणे स्थळ मंगळवेढें ॥१२॥
दामाजीपंतांनीं रसद पाठविली । खलेती ओतिली अर्जदास्त ॥१३॥
देखोनियां राजा संतोष पावला । म्हणे व्यर्थ त्याला तलब केली ॥१४॥
काय तुझें नांव पुसती यंत्रधारी । तो म्हणे बेगारी विठा कां जी ॥१५॥
पावल्याचा जाब द्यावा मायबाप । करोनि घेतों माप म्हणती ते ॥१६॥
पावल्याचा जाब दिधला लिहून । तसरीफ देऊन पाठविला ॥१७॥
छत्री घोडा शिबिका आभरणांसहित । दिला सवें दूत पाठवूनि ॥१८॥
वाटे चुकामुक जाली याची त्यांची । ते आले तैसे चि मंगळवेढा ॥१९॥
दामाजीपंतासी बेदरासी नेलें । राजा म्हणे जालें कवतुक ॥२०॥
काल गेला विठा बेगारी देऊन । तसरीफ देऊन जाब दिला ॥२१॥
काय तुमचें काज बोला जी सत्वर । बोलाजी निर्धार वचनाचा ॥२२॥
कैंचा विठा कोण पाठविला कधीं । काढोनियां आधीं जाब दिला ॥२३॥
पहातां चि जाब हृदय फुटलें । नयन निडारले राजा देखे ॥२४॥
सावळें सकुमार रूप मनोहर । माथां तेणें भार वाहियेला ॥२५॥
दामाजीपंतासी रायें सन्मानिलें । तो म्हणे आपुलें कर्म नव्हे ॥२६॥
आतां तुमची सेवा पुरे जी स्वामिया । शिणविलें सखया विठोबासी ॥२७॥
निरोप घेऊनि आला स्वस्थळासी । उदास सर्वासीं होता जाला ॥२८॥
दामाजीपंतांनीं सेविली पंढरी । ऐसा त्याचा हरि निकटवृत्ति ॥२९॥
तुका म्हणे विठो अनाथ कैवारी । नुपेक्षी हा हरि दासालागीं ॥३०॥
Literal translation
A 30-verse extended bhakta-charitra of Dāmājīpanta of Mangaḷveḍhā — the kanaḍā-brāhmaṇa-mujum (Kanada-Brāhmaṇa-accountant) complained to the Adil-Shāhī (Avindrāja) at Bedar that Dāmājī, the granary-incharge, opened grain-stores during famine to save Paṇḍharī's people. Summoned to Bedar — Viṭhṭhal himself does māyā: turns grain into money at sale-price plus quarter-markup, writes the arjadāst (statement-of-account) in Dāmājī's name, seals the khalitā (envelope-packet), goes as Viṭhō pāḍevāra (porter, daily-wage-laborer) to the Bedar king; introduces himself as begārī Viṭhā (corvée-Viṭhā); delivers the rasada, accepts a pāvalī receipt, gives a written receipt; the king sends him back with tasarīpha (honor-robe), chhatrī, ghōḍā, śibikā, ābharaṇa and a dūta. They miss each other on the path. When Dāmājī arrives, the king himself recounts how Viṭhā came yesterday and gave the receipt; Dāmājī asks: which Viṭhā? whom did you send? when? — the king pulls out the receipt; on seeing it the king's heart breaks; eyes widen — sāvaḷe-sukumāra-rūpa — the Lord himself bore the weight on his head. King honors Dāmājī, but Dāmājī says not my karma — I shamed sakhā Viṭhōbā; takes leave, returns udāsa, serves Paṇḍharī. Tukā mhaṇe Viṭho anātha kaivārī — nupekṣī hā Hari dāsālāgīm: Tukā says: Viṭho is the orphan-defender — this Hari never forsakes (his) dāsa.
What it means
A canonical 30-verse Dāmājīpanta-bhakta-charitra preserved in Tukārām's gāthā — relating a 14th-15th-century historical figure who served the Bahmani/Adil-Shāhī at Mangaḷveḍhā (Solapur) under the Bedar court. The bhakti-cosmos in which the Lord himself walks as porter Viṭhā to settle accounts, takes a pāvalī-receipt and a tasarīpha, and bears the burden on his head — the king's heart-breaking realization, the orphan-defender Hari never forsaking his dāsa. Foundational Vārkarī bhakta-charitra.
For someone today
Tukārām preserves: Hari acts physically in history; comes as porter to settle his bhakta's account; the king sees the receipt and realizes the Lord bore the weight on his head — the orphan-defender never forsakes his dāsa.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's canonical Dāmājīpanta-charitra; Viṭho-pāḍevāra-begārī extended-narrative
- Companion to 2540 (Kurukṣetra-sparrows narrative)
- Cross-references Avindrāja (Adil-Shāhī)/Bedar — 17th-c historical-context