|
The Deshpande of Beed was
now an old man. He suddenly began harbouring scholarly ambitions. Since true
scholarship was ruled out because of his advanced age, he came to Jnanadev at
Alandi and became insistent about his demand. Jnanadev told him, ‘Look, you
should go to Dehu, for the court is now held there.’ Deshpande, therefore, came
to Dehu. At that time Tukaram composed thirty-one abhangs. Eleven of these
contained precious counsel for the devotee. All these thirty-one compositions
eloquently show Tukaram’s perceptions, his thought processes, his method of
counseling and his philosophy. He first made an entreaty to Lord God, saying
that since He could divine everything in one’s mind, He should now do something
to appease the old man from Beed.
ADVICE TO THE DEVOTEE
Do not now have
recourse to books and tomes. Do only one thing: worship God for the sake of God.
Do not waste any more time since you are already an old man. Live and eat in
happiness and contemplate the Creator. Harikatha is the mother of all and the
very fount of all happiness. It offers shed and rest to the travel-weary.
Tukaram offered
such important advice to the persistent devotee, but the fool that he was; he
left those eleven abhangs at Dehu only and went back. |
