70th post in English :अखंड जयां तुझी प्रीती _ Praying God to bless with company of Liberated Souls.
अखंड जयां तुझी प्रीती । मज दे बा तयांची संगति ।
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अखंड जयां तुझी प्रीती । मज दे बा तयांची संगति ।

मग मी कमळापति तुज बा नाणीं कंटाळा ॥ १ ॥

पडून राहेन तये ठायीं । उगीच संतांचिये पायीं ।

न मागे न करी कांहीं । तुझी आण गा बिठोबा॥ २॥

तुम्ही आम्ही पीडॊं जेणें । दोन्ही वारतीं एकाने ।

बैसलों धरणें । हाका देत दाराशीं ॥ ३ ॥

तुका म्हणें या बोला । चित्त द्यावें बा विठ्ठला ।

न पाहिजे केला । अवघा माझा आव्हेर ॥ ४॥

Verbatim Meaning :-

O' Kamalapati, ( Bhagavan Vishnu) please let me have association of those who have intense love for you . After getting this boon , I will not demand from you anything else, so that you will not feel tired of hearing my demands || 11 ||

I assure you that I will remain at the feet of such person who has such intense love for you and will not ask you for anything || 2||

O'Viththalaa ( God) I always am asking you to give me somethings and am giving you troubles. Not only I give you trouble, I also feel bad If you grant me the boon( Association and company of the person who loves you) then both of us will be free of troubles. That is the reason I am standing at your gate and calling you|| 3||

Tuka says that O Vitthala please listen to my call and do not abandon me || 4||

Background Information to understand the meaning of the Abhanga:-

.

In the science of Spirituality, the association with a liberated souls has been given highest importance. The reason for this may be in the fact that the goal is also very lofty ( Attainment of Liberation is the goal) . This being very abstract concept in nature, it can be attained only if there is help and guidance from a soul who Himself has achieved the goal. It is the best strategy to have association of such a personality.

Such a personality is called as Saint or Seer in the Indian science of Spirituality.

We follow this approach even in our material world. For example if one wants to become PhD in some subject , then the guide and Philosopher must be the one who himself has such capability.

In spirituality y , we are searching or trying to understand our own real nature. Saint or Seer has attained this and therefore only such a saint can be the guide in the spirituality.

However it is very difficult, almost impossible to know and meet such a person. To remain in his company is further difficult. Very lucky and selected ones may get such an opportunity. But one need not feel worried about the above aspects. There is one very simple approach.

All the saints have written some or more books . This has been done by them since they very well understand the above described problems. Because of their compassion for the masses who are ignorant the saints have written such books. They are present in the form of these books. Saints have attained Liberation and thus have transcended the cycle of birth and death.. They are ever present are now in the un-manifested state. But they are also present as their books.

At least one such confirmatory description is available in the literature about the famous saint Samarth Ramadasa from Maharashtra. At the time of his departure from physical body , some of his disciple were very unhappy since they would no longer be seeing him He told the following statement is the form of Abhanga(poem)

Loosely translated it reads as follows.

Even if my physical form is no more present, still remember that I am existing as this visible wold form . Listen to me for your own benefits|| 1||

You need not run here and there. All you should do is to read my boos carefully and attentively. You will know the path for attaining Liberation. || 2||

Atmaram and Dasabodha are my literary forms. Since these are available to you you should not feel unhappy. || 3||

Same is truly applicable for all the other saints as well.

In short, to study the books written by our saints, and follow them in our day to day life, is is self the best method to remain in their company and Association

good association, good deeds, and following our own nature are to be done through the body , while performing spiritual practices such as Meditation or Recitation of Holy name of the Lord, always wishing good only for everybody, doing the worship with love are to be done though the mind. By living in this fashion in this world, definitely one will progress rapidly in his quest for Liberation.

From this background , can one understand the true message in this abhanga.

It is very difficult to get association of a liberated person .When one gets associated with such a person , naturally all his work will be done without expectations of the result , a s a worship to the lord..Therefore Sant Tukarama mahaaraj in the abhanga is requesting the Al;mighty Lord that he should bless him, with this boon. He requests for this in the very first stanza.

If we observe the reason for the worship of god by the people , we can easily see that almost everyone worships God so that he will get Wealth, Health , longevity, and everything as per the worshiper's desires.

This is like asking the King for a few coins when he is capable of giving anything.

A real disciple , who loves God does not ask for anything from the God, since he knows that Motherly nature of God. Asking anything else other than the association with God himself is useless and thus the best one can think of asking is the company and association of Holy and Liberated .

Also in our daily life , we will try to avoid a person who keeps on making some demands to us. Therefore further in the abhanga; (based on this example ) Tukaram Maharaj is telling the God that I will not do like this.

In the second stanza Maharaj is praying the God again for good association. He says that O'Vitthala, please let me have the company of the person who knows you. I will stay at such a person's feet meaning I will serve him. This is again an indication about the importance of such a good association with a holy person.

Further Tukaram Maharaj has made promise on oath that once he gets the above boon , he will ask for nothing further.

In the third Stanza an example has been sited from our day to day life. This specific stanza clearly indicates that at this stage Tukaram Maharaj is intensely desiring only for the meeting with God nothing else. In this stage of worship the disciple is needing nothing but God and it is obvious that this meeting has still not taken place. All the worship at this stage is done only because of intense love for the God.

Coming back to the example, we know that if anybody keeps on making some or other demands to us, then we get tired of such attitude and then we will avoid such persons. In short we are unhappy and the demanding person is of' cource unhappy. Both experience the state of unhappiness only.

Tukaram Maharaj is very sensitive about this aspect and he is feeling that God must be feeling same. He is worried that God will therefore abandon him,That is why in this third stanza ,Tukaram maharaj addresses the Lord, saying that O;God please fulfill my only desires of association and company of Holy saintly person. Once this demand is satisfied both of us will not experience the type of unhappiness described in paragraph prior to this one. .

The last stanza is like asking for a pardon for a commited mistake. Here Maharaj prays to The Lord that He( The Lord) should listen to what Maharaj has said in the earlier three stanzas and not abandon him.

Teaching of the Abhanga :

The abhanga brings out the importance and benefits of the Right association of a saintly person. One should have such an association and get benefited with the blessings which will take one further in the path of Liberation.

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