Muktai

Mother’s Day Sunday morning was spent in good company with my satsang group on Zoom. I was assigned to talk about women saints of Maharashtra. I picked to speak on Taatiche Abhang and Muktabai. Fondly called by the warkaris as Muktai, she was regarded as a Holy Mother, Adi Shakti or Primordial Energy. It was an apt occasion to study her teachings today. Sharing my notes that constituted today’s talk.

Good morning everyone.

We will begin with a prayer to Lord Ganesh

Vakratunda Mahakaya Koti Surya Samaprabha

Nirvighnam kuru me deva

Sarva karyeshu sarvada 

In 2021 Dr Sane started his talks about the saints of Maharashtra. That series somehow remained incomplete due to Kumud vahini’s health . It was Kumud vahini’s wish to present the women saints in this group and Dr Sane, who I call dada, gave this assignment to me. 

Today I will share my thoughts on Muktabai with you. She is one of the poet saints of the thirteenth century.

Muktabai : sister of Dnyaaneshwar, was the youngest of four siblings. Most of you are aware that the kids were orphaned very early in their lives. Historical details about the year of their parent’s passing are unclear but evidence suggests that they likely were gone when the oldest child Nivrittinath approached the age of his thread ceremony, so about eight years old. By that estimate Muktabai who was 6 years younger than Nivrittinath, must be 2 years old when they were all orphaned. Her life span on earth is believed to be merely 18 years, from 1279 to 1297. In this short span/  she left behind her own, very unique literary legacy. There are a total of 41 or 42 abhangas or poems attributed to her. This is a very small number when compared to the works of Dnyaaneshwar. But when we study those abhangas. it becomes clear that one cannot judge a scholar by his/her volume of work, but rather by the content in the works. 

Out of the 40 something abhangas authored by Muktabai, 11 or 12 are compiled as Taatiche Abhang. These are each very short verses that end with the phrase “Taati ughada Dnyaneshwara”. Open the door, O Dnyaaneshwar. 

Muktabai’s unique style is highly in contrast to Dnyaaneshwar’s. She is very direct, known to call a spade a spade. No excessively flowery language like Dnyaaneshwar’s. She uses metaphors at a few places but doesn’t go overboard with them. Although her verses are short, the message in them is quite deep. Normally it would take much more time to go into the depth of each of these abhangas. For today’s talk, I will give you the context in which she talked to her brother. Then discuss the philosophical message in the sentence: Taati Ughada Dnyaaneshwara. After that I will briefly enumerate the broader topics that are covered in the twelve abhangas, touching upon a few select lines from the abhangas to highlight the topics. 

To understand the context of these abhangas we first need to know the circumstances that led to her addressing her older brother Dnyaaneshwara with these lines. Her exact age when she recited these spontaneous verses is not clear. It could be between 5-9 years. I found a few references that claim she was nine years old. By that calculation Dnyaaneshwar must be 13 at the time. Whether 5 or 9, she was still a very young girl to utter such profound words of wisdom. 

The siblings were living through extremely difficult circumstances after the passing of their parents. They were roaming around each day door to door for food as well as pleading for acceptance into society. As they did this, they received extremely harsh treatment from the community. The orthodox Brahmins bullied kind hearted people to not give food or fuel to these kids. They verbally abused the kids at every opportunity. The kids were hurt but never retaliated in response. 

One day however a priest’s abusive words pierced the sensitive Dnyaaneshwar’s heart like never before. He took off from there and ran straight to their small hut, closed the door and locked himself inside. That thatched door is called Taati. 

Once the other siblings realized that he has barricaded himself inside, they began to get concerned about his wellbeing and called out to him several times, pleading him to open the door. But he wouldn’t move. At that time little Muktabai began to talk to him in her unique way. The tone, as I mentioned earlier, is very direct, and succinct, yet filled with sweetness; authoritative yet respectful, logical yet humane, sometimes with a touch of cynicism, then resorting to praise and in the end humble and apologetic about giving her piece of mind to an elder brother! 

Taati ughada Dnyaaneshwara!

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

 This is the line that repeats at the end of each of the twelve abhangas. You can now understand why these verses are referred to as Taatiche Abhang. 

We will now try to understand what Taati and Taati ughada means. 

The literal meaning is

Open the door oh Dnyaaneshwar!! 

However, besides the literal meaning there is also a figurative or symbolic meaning implied here. 

Taati is the door that separates inner dwelling from the outer world. Whether physical or mental, that door is important and necessary for each of us. It allows us a space for privacy. And it is not just physical privacy.

From time to time we need to turn our attention inside and introspect. We need to withdraw our focus from the exterior, to review and reflect on the internal affairs of our existence. But it is not healthy to stay shut out from the world for extended or indefinite periods. After some cleansing, rearranging and rebooting our apparatus, we need to step out to shoulder our social responsibilities. 

 Ordinarily the mind and intellect are not aware of the innermost door that connects with the spirit or atman or divinity or in other words, connects our individual soul with the universal spirit. 

Once found, this door must also be opened in order to recognize the light that illuminates the thoughts and knowledge. In the final stage of enlightenment this door would open irreversibly. After that the concept of inside and outside in relation to the mind, the world and the spirit will be permanently dissolved. 

In the present scenario, Dnyaaneshwar had not closed the door with a healthy intention for introspection. Overwhelmed with the negativity in the outside world, Dnyaaneshwar had retreated to solitude. There was a grudge against the person or people who were hurtful. There was a wounded mind inside that called for appropriate nursing back to health.This emotional crisis had overshadowed his awareness of his true divine self as well as the bigger purpose in his life. 

Muktabai’s maternal instincts picked up on this. The little sister who normally addressed her older brother as Dnyaan dada, here began to address him as Dnyaaneshwara! There is adoration, and respectfulness in both the terms but Dnyaaneshwara is used deliberately. It breaks the limitation or confines of a brother-sister relationship. She has assumed the role of a mother and a teacher here, yet she is acknowledging the high qualifications of the individual she is lecturing. Often times we become forgetful of this when interacting with close relatives. 

Above all, she is reminding him that his name literally means The All Knowing Ishwara or God of the highest knowledge!! By doing so she is simply reminding him of his true identity and boosting his spirits, to rise and return to the task which awaits him.

Thus Taati ughada Dnyaaneshwara is a direct call to give up the ignorance about one’s identity and purpose! 

Some wisdom or knowledge is innate, perhaps gathered from past lives, while some is acquired through interaction with the world in the present life. All the knowledge that is assimilated must be shared and put to use for the greater good.  Get out of this phase of ignorance! Come out and share your knowledge with people who want to know and who can benefit, she is telling her beloved brother.

Now let us see, what are the topics she has touched upon in these abhangas?

Foremost is

Bramha Vidya !

The knowledge about Self, which is the essence of all the Upanishads. 

Really this is at the heart of all sub topics discussed in these abhangas. After Taati ughada Dnyaaneshwara, perhaps the second most well known line from these abhangas is

विश्व पट ब्रह्म दोरा। 

She compares the universe or vishwa to a screen or canvas, pata. This canvas is woven with the thread (dora) of Bramhan, she proclaims. 

Bramhan, thus, is the material that makes up the entire universe!! 

In just four words this girl of 8 or 9 years sums up the Upanishadic teachings or fundamental concept of Vedanta !! Almost like the Mahavakya sarva khalvidam Bramha !! 

As we skim through rest of her verses we find that this basic teaching is like a thread through which other sub topics are put together like beads in a necklace..

Building on the premise of the flawless nature of Brahman, she proceeds to explain the complex topic of Maya.

उठे विकार ब्रह्मी मूळ ।

अवघे मायेचें गबाळ ॥

The flaw(विकार) miraculously arises in the original (मूळ)Bramhan through the power of Maya which then creates an illusion of multiplicity. Multiplicity looks messy( गबाळ). Thus all mess of duality and the confusion in understanding Brahman is because of Maya!!

उठे विकार ब्रह्मी मूळ ।

अवघे मायेचें गबाळ ॥

 When this Maya is eliminated ( through rational and clear thinking) the entire universe will be seen as Brahman alone.

माया समूळ नुरे जेव्हां ।

विश्व ब्रह्म होइल तेव्हां ॥

She describes this process of seeing Brahman everywhere after clearing out Maya as acquiring pure knowledge or shuddha dnyaan. 

Then explains the benefit of this pure knowledge. Investing in good thinking and good deeds brings long term returns. It is not just a matter of one lifetime. 

इह परलोकीं सुखी ।

शुद्ध ज्ञान ज्यांचे मुखीं

Notice how smoothly and cleverly she has touched upon the the concepts of Rebirth and Moksha

इह परलोकीं सुखी ।

शुद्ध ज्ञान ज्यांचे मुखीं

A holy and self realized person’s state of peace and joy are carried over into the next realm after the physical body is discarded.

इह , this world

परलोकीं the next world 

सुखी happy

शुद्ध ज्ञान pure knowledge 

ज्यांचे मुखीं who utters/ knows 

Those who have acquired pure knowledge shall be blissful here, now and forever!! They are freed from the cycles of birth and death because they have become one with the essence of Bramhan. 

Knowledge with conviction that there is no real object separate from us, therefore nothing left to acquire, brings full contentment and bliss. That is what moksha is all about : A conscious and lasting freedom from desires/ and dissolution of sense of finitude or incompleteness. Thus bringing about a permanent end to the mental culture of worries, fear and unrest. 

ऐसा उमज आदिअंतीं ।

मग सुखी व्हावे संती ॥

A sage who has arrived at a firm conclusion or decisive understanding of Bramhan and Maya, and therefore the reality behind the creation and dissolution of this universe of duality, would be able to forever rest in total peace.

To recapitulate, the three concepts discussed so far: Bramha vidya, Maya, and Moksha

she first states.

विश्व पट ब्रह्म दोरा। 

Then explains the universe as अवघे मायेचें गबाळ ॥ Maya’s mess! The trick of Maya responsible for the origin of the universe.

Then urges to understand this trick with conviction, so Bramhan becomes evident instead. The snake is decisively determined to be a rope!!

And how with this शुद्ध ज्ञान ! one attains Moksha!

Becomes इह परलोकीं सुखी ।

I’m tempted to remind you again here, that this is a girl who is not even ten years old, who probably has no memory of her parents because they passed away when she was barely two years old, and who is spontaneously teaching this philosophy to a thirteen year old sibling!!

The next big category she handles is what are the hallmarks of a saint. Professor Rambachan has been giving us such thoughtful insights about the characteristics of saints in his current series of talks. Last Sunday Dr Sane touched upon these characteristics while discussing the 18th chapter of the Bhagwad Gita. Muktabai’s definition of a sant is very much inclusive of what has been discussed so far in these talks. Therefore without going into too much details, I will include just two prominent pointers from Muktabai on this subject. 

But before that one interesting point I would share here is that, the word sant came into use in the thirteenth century. Tulsidas, whose writings Professor Rambachan refers to in his lectures, belonged to the 16th through 17th centuries. Sant Kabir belonged to early 16th century. All literature prior to the thirteenth century, that is, before the time of  Dnyaaneshwar and his siblings, uses other terms like dnyani, sanyasi, sthithapradnya, bhakta, yogi, karmayogi, sadhu, siddha, rishi, muni, maharishi, satguru etc. Taatiche abhang are considered as one of the earliest recorded teachings that use the term sant. Also note that these are composed prior to the Dnyaaneshwari. 

Now let us look at two pointers from Muktabai about how a sant should be.

First one:

विश्व रागें झाले वन्ही। संती सुखें व्हावें पाणी ॥२॥

 In a world filled with unrest, agitation, in a world raging with the heat of passions and anger, a sant must remain cool, like water. He should be capable of diffusing their anger by his wisdom and unshakable composure.

During last week’s talk someone had brought up to Dr Sane about situations where others criticize us or pass judgements on us. Each of us from time to time gets worked up by harsh and often unfair criticism. Remember, the context of Taatiche abhang. Here Dnyaaneshwar had gotten upset because of someone’s harsh words. 

Muktabai’s approach to it is:

शब्द शस्त्रं झालें क्लेश । संती मानावा उपदेश ॥३॥

Even when the world tries to provoke you with pointed words and insults, a sant tries to learn from it. He takes positive lessons from the situation.

So first pointer was 

विश्व रागें झाले वन्ही। संती सुखें व्हावें पाणी ॥२॥

staying calm when there is unrest around you. 

Second is

शब्द शस्त्रं झालें क्लेश । संती मानावा उपदेश ॥३॥

Taking positive message even from harsh words.

When we study  Muktabai’s biography we come across instances where she bluntly uncovered the hypocrisy in notable spiritual figures of her time like Sant Namdev and a yogi named Changdev. She later became the spiritual guru to Changdev. You can imagine what a distinction it must be for a woman in those times to become a guru. And she wasn’t even past teenage at the time. There are references in Namdev’s abhangas about how Muktabai brought him to his senses. With utmost humility he has paid glowing tributes to her in his writings.

In keeping with her personality, Muktabai has made clear cut statements on how to recognize fake sants.

वरी भगवा झाला नामें ।

अंतरीं वश्य केला कामें ॥१॥

त्याला म्हणूं नये साधू ।

जगीं विटंबना बाधू ॥२॥

Bhagwa means saffron, referring to saffron robes that ascetics commonly wear.

Simply outward changes are insufficient and meaningless, she says. Deeper work is required. Overcoming compulsive desires for material possessions and any personal gains is a must for anyone to qualify as a Sant. If desires rule the heart, it is a sign of fake sainthood, and sooner or later, such a person and his falsehood will be exposed. 

Showing one image outside and being something else underneath is hypocrisy दंभ.

Accordingly she tells her brother:

आशा दंभ अवघें आवरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Asha is expectation, dambh is hypocrisy.

Work on your frivolous/ endless / unreasonable expectations and hypocrisy. Bring them under control.

आशा दंभ अवघें आवरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

It is amusing to see her almost in a headmistress-like fashion, admonishing Dnyaaneshwar or at other times Namdev or Changdev, when they deviate from honorable or wise behavior. 

The topic of Sant can be extrapolated as a guide towards self improvement for ordinary people. Under this broad topic is the issue of 

anger management and self control. 

Another topic she addresses is how to stay grounded!

Like a brilliant lawyer, Muktabai uses Bramha Vidya to make an argument against anger! We are all Bramhan!! Who are we going to get upset with? 

रागें भरावे कवणाशी ।

आपण ब्रम्ह सर्वदेशी II

Or who should we argue with? All misunderstandings, all duality is a mischief of Maya !!

वाद घालावा कवणाला ।

अवघा द्वैताचा हो घाला

If only the world had this wisdom today there would be no wars !! We are intrinsically the same race. Why do we fight amongst ourselves? 

 At another place, on the same issue she says, put aside your worries and anger and let knowledge shine through!

चिंता क्रोध मागे सारा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

There is a popular Marathi proverb गर्वाचं घर खाली! Excess and undue pride or ego will diminish your position or value in the eyes of others.

Let’s see how Muktabai teaches about Staying grounded!

एकें उंचपण केले ।

एक अभिमानें गेलें ॥

इतकें टाकुनी शांती धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

एकें उंचपण केले ।

One tries to show he is superior to others 

एक अभिमानें गेलें ॥

His arrogance, his ego leads to his downfall!

If you don’t want to get humiliated, don’t try to be over smart !! Don’t try to put other people down!

इतकें टाकुनी शांती धरा ।

Give up ego, give up the thirst to be one up on others and be content.

एक आपण साधू झाले ।

येर कोण वाया गेले ? ॥

A common mistake a person makes after a bit of knowledge or understanding of anything in general, and spiritual advancement in particular, is to feel pity for others and look down upon them. This comes from a place of arrogance. It is the emerging saatvic ego that needs to be watched closely. It is considered even more dangerous than rajasic or tamasic ego. Self righteousness is hard to shake off because it tries to validate itself, even using scriptural references to justify one’s superiority.

See how cleverly again  Muktabai has tried to hold Dnyaaneshwar by his ear !! You are wise today but you may act stupidly tomorrow. Another man who you consider stupid today could become a wise man tomorrow. So stop judging people! And don’t let your knowledge go to your head!

एक आपण साधू झाले ।

One person begins a spiritual life

येर कोण वाया गेले ? ॥ 

and points fingers at others saying they are wasting their life !!

Stop being vain! Give up false ideas about yourself! Recognize your shortcomings, appreciate the good in others, overcome your inherent biases and live in harmony with the world. 

मिथ्या कल्पना मागें सारा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥

Mithya Kalpana false ideas

Maage saara push aside

This needs no further explanation! Stay real, stay humble and you will find your way. 

We are in an era where the latest corporate push and social activism are focusing on the principles of DEI, Diversity, Equality, Inclusivity while others are questioning, and some even opposing it. Over eight centuries ago this young lady propounded these very basic concepts in no uncertain terms. Again, applying the principles of Bramha Vidya!

एकापासुनी अनेक झाले ।

त्यासी पाहिजे सांभाळिले

Multiplicity with diversity has arisen out of a single source. It is our moral duty to take care of everyone. 

सुखसागरी वास झाला ।

उंच नीच काय त्याला ॥

A person who has established himself in the bliss of his true self, has freed himself from identification with the finite characteristics of his physical and mental persona.  It is impossible for him to have a bias towards others, based on their physical or mental traits. Treating every person with the same dignity and respect is second nature to him. No one is high or low for him. A janitor or a CEO, a Pope or a President, a judge or a convict, everyone is equal in his eyes.

सुखसागरी वास झाला ।

उंच नीच काय त्याला ॥

 These are concepts that are difficult to understand, let alone implement, for anyone but those who have established in pure consciousness. 

बोधा करुं नये अंतर ।

साधू नाहिं आपपर

Bhakti, Dnyaana and Moksha, these three are birthrights of all human beings. A man of pure knowledge would understand this and not hesitate to share his knowledge with a sincere seeker, without discrimination based on age, gender, race, education, wealth, power, nationality, religion, personal relationship and such other things. He would consider it his good fortune to pass it on to any earnest student. 

Bodh is advice,teaching, or guidance. करुं नये अंतर should never refrain (from teaching), because for a Sadhu no one is family or stranger, special or not special, related or unrelated. Just like water would equally quench the thirst of a man or an animal, man or woman, rich man or poor man, a Sant would share his wisdom and kindness with all alike.

बोधा करुं नये अंतर ।

साधू नाहिं आपपर

 From the topic of DEI, this same couplet talks about yet another important issue:

Giving back to the community 

बोधा करुं नये अंतर ।

साधू नाहिं आपपर ॥

Whatever wisdom you have, give it unconditionally. Never hold it back from someone who can benefit from it. Dont let personal bias stop you from sharing with a deserving student.

Worldly life must come to a full circle by sharing with the world what you acquired in this world. Whether it is wealth or wisdom, skills or knowledge it must not die with you. It must be passed on. That too with a sense of purpose, responsibility, compassion, humility, gratitude and grace.

But before we talk about giving, a more basic rule is that we cannot give to anyone anything that we don’t have! Whether it is a tangible thing like food or money or intangibles like confidence, hope, peace, happiness, knowledge or wisdom! So she rightly says to her brother, or any aspirant, or spiritual seeker, that first you secure a permanent seat of infinite bliss or endless peace. Then you can pass it on to others.

सुखसागर आपण व्हावें ।

जग बोधें निववावें ॥

Nivavave is a very interesting word she uses here. It refers to natural cooling of hot liquids or foods without applying any additional measures. A person who is established in peace and has good knowledge of his divine nature can just naturally calm down another person who is agitated for whatever reason. His simple presence and inherent wisdom can effortlessly influence a change in others. He does not need to sweat over changing the world. 

Devote your life to uplift other people’s lives. Don’t be envious of those who are doing better than you. Take joy in seeing the progress, prosperity and welfare of others.

जीव जीवासी पैं दयावा ।

मग करुं नये हेवा ॥

When we board an airplane we are instructed to put on our seatbelts then help young kids put on theirs. During low cabin pressure we are to put on our own oxygen masks, then put on the mask for the child with us. Learn to live well and then help those who are seeking to live better. 

तरणोपाय चित्तीं धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा

 Taranopaay is a term that refers to solution or means to escape from danger of some kind. Tarane means to float or to survive. 

The question here is survive what? Survive the ups and downs of life. Survive the sufferings of a mortal life. Survive the infinite rounds of life and death. 

Knowledge of the atman or eternal self is the solution to end the suffering. So get a firm grip on this knowledge, own it, live it and end your own turmoil first. 

But don’t stop there. Your job doesn’t end there.

तुम्ही तरुनी विश्व तारा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा

Learn to swim in the ocean of life and teach others to do so. She is persuading Dnyaaneshwara to quit being impulsive and immature, tells him to get wiser and set an example for others. 

In the Bhagwad Gita Krishna describes this with the term karma-sangraha. Making your life a model for good people to emulate.You don’t need to do anything special. Emulate the saints, then good people will emulate you. Simple as that.

Dr Sane often quotes the fifth shlok from the Bhagwad Gita Chapter 6 as being Kumud vahini’s most favorite out of the entire Gita.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: || 5||

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet

ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

Muktabai too tackles with the issue of

Valuing self efforts!

 She upholds the truth of the universe that everything we need to achieve, requires efforts. It is human tendency to expect the easy way or to be served things ready on a platter. Her no-nonsense attitude dispels this notion in one swift motion. You cannot buy skills or means for living, in any market, she says point blank. Work for it ! 

अवघी साधन हातवटी ।

मोलें मिळत नाही हाटीं

Self efforts are required for acquiring tools and honing skills for living! Those who have achieved greatness have done it with their efforts. 

From the discussion so far we can see the categories range from occult sciences like Bramha Vidya, Maya etc  to practical living. There is a seamless integration of logic, ethics, psychology, sociology, science and spirituality. No matter how rudimentary a student’s intellectual capacity may be at the beginning, a sincere study of these abhangas is bound to influence positive outcomes. The more I have delved into it I see a lot of similarity of this text with the Bhagwad Gita considering the wholesome nature of the teachings contained in these twelve abhangas.This is a very practical guide for navigating through life. It is a handbook for the total perfection of any individual. A true gem amongst the literary works of saints of Maharashtra.

I will close with two lines from the last of the Taatiche Abhang where Muktabai suddenly changes her tone from being the disciplinary headmistress to an apologetic youngster. 

कोणी कोणास शिकवावें ।सार साधुनिया घ्यावें ॥

लडिवाळ मुक्ताबाई ।जीव मुदल ठायीचे ठायीं ॥ 

She says I took the liberty to give you a sermon when you are highly qualified and already well versed in everything that I rattled off. Please forgive this offense considering I am your beloved little sister. Just take note that my words came from a good place, to simply remind you of what you already knew. 

I hold the same sentiment today in closing this talk and opening up for questions and discussion.

Ending the talk and post talk discussion with a prayer

Om Purnamada Purnamidam Purnat Purnamudachyate

Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnameva vashishyate

Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi 🙏🏼🙏🏼