संतवाणी Voice of the Saints

संत सेना महाराज हे तेराव्या शतकातील प्रसिद्ध संतकवी होते. ते संत ज्ञानेश्वर व संत नामदेव यांचे समकालीन आणि पंढरपूरचे वारकरी होते. त्यांच्या नावावर सुमारे १५० अभंग आढळतात. या पाठातील त्यांचा अभंग संतांच्या सहवासात मिळणाऱ्या आनंदाचे वर्णन करतो.

The first part of the lesson introduces Sant Sena Maharaj. He was a well-known saint-poet from the latter half of the 13th century CE, a contemporary of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Namdev, and a Warkari pilgrim of Pandharpur. About 150 abhangs are attributed to him, collected in the anthology 'Sakalsantgatha'. The abhang included in this lesson describes the joy one experiences in the close company of saints, as the lesson notes at the outset.

संत सेना महाराज सांगतात की संतांचे दर्शन झाल्याने आजचा दिवस सोन्यासारखा भाग्याचा वाटतो. जशी सासरी गेलेल्या मुलीला माहेरी परत आल्यावर आनंद होतो, तसा आनंद त्यांना संतांना पाहून झाला. संतांचे चरण पाहताच त्यांचा सगळा थकवा नाहीसा होतो आणि घरी जणू दिवाळी-दसऱ्यासारखा उत्साह भरून येतो.

The essential meaning of Sena Maharaj's abhang is this - he says that today has become a golden, most fortunate day because of the sight of saints. He compares his joy to that of a married daughter returning to her parental home after being away in her marital home. The moment he beholds the saints' feet, all his weariness vanishes, and his home fills with the same joyous energy as the festivals of Diwali and Dasara. Through this heartfelt description, he conveys just how precious the company of saints is.

अभंगात 'सोनियाचा दिवस', 'माहेर भेटणे' अशा साध्या पण भावपूर्ण प्रतिमा वापरल्या आहेत. 'आजि' म्हणजे आज, 'देखिलें' म्हणजे पाहिले, 'अवघा' म्हणजे संपूर्ण, 'शीण' म्हणजे थकवा आणि 'निरसणे' म्हणजे दूर होणे असे या अभंगातील काही महत्त्वाचे शब्दार्थ आहेत.

A notable feature of Sena Maharaj's abhang is how it conveys deep emotion in very few words. The image of a 'golden day' shows the day's worth being as precious as gold, while 'meeting one's maher (parental home)' conveys the warmth of returning to a place of love and belonging. Key word-meanings in the abhang include: 'aji' meaning today, 'dekhile' meaning saw, 'avagha' meaning entire, 'sheen' meaning weariness, and 'nirasane' meaning to be removed or to vanish. Through these simple yet meaningful words, Sena Maharaj effectively captures the joy of beholding saints.

संत चोखामेळा हे आणखी एक प्रसिद्ध संतकवी होते, ज्यांचा नेमका जन्मकाळ माहीत नाही. त्यांच्या अभंगांतून भक्ताच्या मनातील प्रेमभाव जसा दिसतो, तसाच समाजातील भेदभावामुळे झालेल्या दुःखाचा उल्लेखही दिसतो. या पाठातील त्यांचा अभंग संतांच्या सहवासात राहिल्याने मिळणाऱ्या आनंदाबद्दल आहे.

The second part of the lesson introduces Sant Chokhamela, whose exact date of birth is not known. His abhangs express both the compassionate love within a devotee's heart and his grief at the neglect caused by social inequality; the essence of the Bhagwat dharma tradition is said to be reflected in both his personality and his words and deeds. The abhang included here describes the joy gained from staying in the company of saints.

चोखामेळा एक सुंदर दृष्टान्त देतात - चंदनाच्या सहवासात असणारी बोरी, बाभळी यांसारखी सामान्य झाडेसुद्धा चंदनासारखी सुगंधी होतात. त्याचप्रमाणे संतांच्या सहवासात राहिलेली सामान्य, अभाविक माणसेही भाविक (भक्तिमान) बनतात. त्यामुळे प्रत्येकाने संतांच्या सहवासात राहून परमार्थ साधावा, नाहीतर आपले आयुष्य केवळ ओझे वाहणाऱ्या गाढवासारखे व्यर्थ ठरते, असे ते सांगतात.

The meaning of Chokhamela's abhang unfolds through a beautiful analogy - just as ordinary, thorny shrubs like the jujube (bori) and babul, when they grow in the company of sandalwood, themselves become fragrant like sandalwood, so too do ordinary, non-devout people become devout when they stay in the company of saints, says Chokhamela. Through this he conveys the message that a human being, having been born, should pursue spiritual practice (paramarth); otherwise, just as a donkey merely carries burdens with no special meaning to its existence, a life lived without spiritual purpose is equally meaningless.

'संगे' म्हणजे सोबत, 'दर्शनें' म्हणजे दर्शनाने, 'हेकळी' म्हणजे वाकडी, 'टाकळी' म्हणजे लहान झुडूप, 'अभाविक' म्हणजे भाविक नसलेले आणि 'खर' म्हणजे गाढव, असे या अभंगातील काही महत्त्वाचे शब्दार्थ आहेत.

Understanding the word-meanings in Chokhamela's abhang makes the analogy clearer - 'sange' means together or in the company of, 'darshanen' means by seeing or meeting, 'hekali' means crooked (a thorny growth), 'takali' means a small shrub, 'abhavik' means one lacking devotion (faithless), and 'khar' means donkey. With these meanings in mind, the abhang's message becomes sharper - how the company of saints plants devotion even in an ordinary person becomes clear through these words.

दोन्ही अभंग वेगवेगळ्या शब्दांत एकच गोष्ट सांगतात - चांगल्या, संतवृत्तीच्या माणसांच्या सहवासात राहिल्याने आपले जीवन आनंदी, निर्मळ आणि अर्थपूर्ण बनते. सेना महाराज हा आनंद स्वतःच्या भावनेतून व्यक्त करतात, तर चोखामेळा तो एका निसर्गातील दृष्टान्ताद्वारे समजावून सांगतात.

Though composed by two different saints of different periods, both abhangs share the same essence - the positive effect that satsang (the company of good people) has on one's life. Sena Maharaj expresses this joy through his own personal feeling, in the form of the delight one feels upon seeing saints, while Chokhamela presents the same idea more broadly, at a social level, through the analogy of sandalwood and ordinary trees. Students learn from this that the qualities of those whose company we keep also influence us, and hence how important it is to choose the company of good people.