Abhanga 4581
The verse
मना वाटे तैसीं बोलिलों वचनें । केली धिटपणें सलगी देवा ॥१॥
वाणी नाहीं शुद्ध याति एक ठाव । भक्ति नेणें भाव नाहीं मनीं ॥२॥
नाहीं जालें ज्ञान पाहिलें अक्षर । मानी जैसें थोर थोरी नाहीं ॥३॥
नाहीं मनीं लाज धरिली आशंका । नाहीं भ्यालों लोकां चतुरांसि ॥४॥
चतुरांच्या राया मी तुझें अंकित । जालों शरणागत देवदेवा ॥५॥
देवा आतां करीं सरतीं हीं वचनें । तुझ्या कृपादानें बोलिलों तीं ॥६॥
तुझें देणें तुझ्या समर्पूनि पायीं । जालों उतरायी पांडुरंगा ॥७॥
रंकाहुनि रंक दास मी दासांचें । सामर्थ्य हें कैचें बोलावया ॥८॥
बोलावया पुरे वाचा माझी कायी । तुका म्हणे पायीं ठाव द्यावा ॥९॥
Literal translation
★★★★ Spoke-as-mind-felt — dhīṭa-pana-salgī-with-Deva. Vāṇī-not-pure-yāti-low-ṭhāva — no-bhakti-no-bhāva. No-jñāna-no-akṣara-read — feel-thōra-when-no-greatness. No-mind-lāja-no-āśankā — not-afraid-of-loka-chaturas. King-of-chaturas-I-am-your-ankita — śaraṇāgata-Deva-Deva. Deva-make-these-words-saratīm — by-your-krpā-dāna-I-spoke. Your-gift-offered-at-feet — became-uttarāyī-Pāṇḍurangā. Rānkā-than-rānka-dāsa-of-dāsas — what-sāmarthya-to-speak. Vāchā-not-enough — Tukā: at-feet-give-place.
What it means
★★★★ MAJOR A 9-verse penultimate-closing-prayer — Tukārām's farewell-self-deprecation prayer of-the-entire-Gathā. Structural arc:
(a) Confession of impudence: spoke as mind felt — made boldness, intimate-familiarity with Deva — confesses presumption
(b) Self-disqualification (5-fold): impure-speech / low-jāti / no-bhakti-no-bhāva / no-jñāna / not-afraid-of-clever-people
(c) Surrender-as-ankita: I am your ankita, king-of-chaturas — śaraṇāgata, Deva, Deva
(d) Plea for validation: ★ 'Deva, now, make these words saratīm (complete-and-pass-through, validated) — by your krpā-dāna I spoke them' — Lord-himself-must-validate-the-Gathā
(e) Offering: 'your gift, I offer at your feet — I have become uttarāyī (paid-off), Pāṇḍurangā' — the offering-of-the-Gathā-itself-back-to-the-Lord
(f) Closing-self-effacement: rānkā-than-rānka, dāsa of dāsas — what capability for speaking is mine — is my speech enough for the saying
(g) Final petition: 'Tukā says: give me a place at your feet' — THE CLOSING PETITION OF THE ENTIRE-CORPUS
Why monumental: This is Tukārām's canonical-closing-prayer of-the-whole-Gathā — the colophon-prayer offering-the-corpus-back-to-Pāṇḍuranga. The uttarāyī (paid-off, free-of-debt) claim is climactic — the speaking-of-the-Gathā is itself-the-discharge-of-the-debt-to-the-Lord. The final-line give-me-a-place-at-your-feet completes the trajectory begun-from-the-first-abhang. Pair with 4448 (vaikuṇṭha-gamana farewell), 4582 (final-final closing-benediction).
For someone today
Tukārām (at the end of the entire Gathā): I-have-spoken-as-my-mind-felt-with-boldness-and-intimacy-with-the-Lord — my-speech-is-not-pure-my-birth-is-low-I-don't-know-devotion-or-knowledge — but-I'm-not-afraid-of-the-clever — I-am-your-marked-one-king-of-the-clever — Lord-now-make-these-words-validated-because-I-spoke-them-by-your-grace — I-offer-your-gift-back-at-your-feet-and-become-debt-free — I-am-poorer-than-the-poor-servant-of-servants — what-is-my-speech-worth — give-me-a-place-at-your-feet.
Where this applies
- ★★★★ Tukārām's MAJOR penultimate-closing-prayer of-the-entire-Gathā — spoke-as-mind-felt + 5-fold-self-disqualification + I-am-your-ankita + make-these-words-validated + offered-at-feet-became-uttarāyī + give-place-at-feet