Unch neech kahi

 Unch Neech Kahi Nene Bhagwant

उंचनिंच कांही नेणे भगवंत 

Recently I was listening to this abhang rendered by the Marathi classical singer Mr Ajit Kadkade. It had been a long time since I heard this. It is ironic considering the theme of this song that my mind had momentarily conjured up an unfair comparison of this singer to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi who is also known for renditions of several abhangas. Luckily I was able to pick better sense instantly and putting aside such comparison, listened to Mr Kadkade’s original rendition with full attention and appreciation. 

This abhang was penned by the 15th century saint, Sant Tukaram.  Here he makes reverential references to several saints from India, within and outside of Maharashtra, to drive home the point that one’s status in society and one’s profession is irrelevant in the eyes of God. What really matters is the sincerity of devotion. This abhang is an anthem for spiritual democracy in society. 

उंचनिंच कांही नेणे भगवंत।

तिष्ठे भावभक्ति देखोनियां।। 

The first stanza goes directly to the heart of the idea Tukoba wants to convey without beating around the bush. God knows no unch neech, that is concepts of high and low. What he is looking for is how deep in devotion the person stands. 

दासीपुत्र कण्या विदुराच्या भक्षी। 

दैत्याघरी रक्षीं प्रल्हादासी।। 

With the second stanza Tukoba begins to make his case with historical examples. The first amongst these examples is Vidur, the step brother of Dhrithrashtra and Pandu, the brothers from the epic of Mahabharata. Unlike these princely brothers who had a claim to royalty, Vidur had no royal status because his mother was a slave in the royal household. His identity was that of a दासीपुत्र! 

The status of slaves is not an unfamiliar concept to those who have studied US history. They had no social standing, no freedom, no political roles. To refer to them as even second class citizens would be like giving them a recognition that they didn’t have. Imagine the leader of the free world giving a snub to a lavish banquet hosted in his honor by other powerful nations and instead choosing to go eat corn and potatoes at the house of a slave at the time when slavery existed in the US! 

This is the equivalent of what the lord of the three worlds, Krishna did when he went to mediate truce between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Declining the invitations from both royal quarters, Krishna went over to eat plain steamed broken grains of rice in the home of Vidur. दासीपुत्र कण्या विदुराच्या भक्षी। 

The exceptional wisdom of Vidur complimented by his unflinching devotion to Krishna was not missed by Krishna’s sharp eye. The happy partaking of the humble meal was simply a gesture of upholding the extraordinary qualifications of Vidur while overlooking his birth status. When it does not matter to God who the parents are, why do we give it so much importance over what the person is?

In the next example, the father is not just a lowly but harmless slave like Vidur’s mother, he is a vicious demon Hiranyakashipu. Such a demon’s son surprisingly was one of the most ardent devotees of Vishnu. दैत्याघरी रक्षीं प्रल्हादासी।।  When Hiranyakashipu threatened to harm his own son Prahlad for his divine devotion, Vishnu took the incarnation of the lion-man ( Narsimha) to protect his devotee.

चर्म रंगू लागे रोहिदासासंगे। 

कबिराचे मागीं विणी शेले।। 

Next Tukoba tells us about Sant Rohidas. He belonged to the community of cobblers. Cobblers were one of the lowest caste in the society of those times, just barely above the mahars. Although drawn to the devotion of Vitthala from a young age, Rohidas didn’t have much choice but to follow in the footsteps of his father and carry on the family business of curing and treating hide of dead animals, coloring it and making leather items from it, repairing the footwear of the elites and ordinary people. The job required sharp knife to cut through the thick skins and shape leather. Rohidas would use the holy Shaligram ( rock) as a tool to sharpen his knives. One day some orthodox priests saw this and were aghast. They took the stone from Rohidas and tried to purify it through Vedic chants and rituals and place it in their temple. Vitthal appeared in their dreams and insisted upon being more useful in the hands of Rohidas who had much greater love in his heart for Vitthala than those priests who vacantly chanted the mantras and conducted rituals. Much to their disappointment the Shaligram was returned to its rightful owner and the owner’s virtues were appropriately recognized and honored. Once in the hands of his true devotee, God resumed helping out with dirty jobs like dyeing the raw animal skins. चर्म रंगू लागे रोहिदासासंगे। 

In another part of the country and another era, God sat with Kabir for hours and hours on the loom to weave shawls while Kabir was immersed in chanting the name of God as both Ram and Rahim. कबिराचे मागीं विणी शेले।

There is a longer story behind Kabir’s shawl. Kabir’s story is important particularly because it impressed upon the Oneness of Gods from two separate religions, Hinduism and Islam.

सजनकसाया विकूं लागे मांस। 

माळ्या सांवत्यास खुरपूं लागे।। 

Sajan Kasai was a butcher by trade who was also a true devotee of Vitthala. His story was similar to that of Sant Rohidas where he too used the holy Shaligram in his work. He used it in place of weights to measure his meats. Objected to such practice by the priests, he temporarily parted with the stone until God himself asked it to be returned to his devotee. Vitthala had no reservations in helping out Rohidas to sell the meat. सजनकसाया विकूं लागे मांस।  He did not even have a problem consuming the meat as food when lovingly served by Rohidas.

Savata Mali was a gardener by birth and equally engrossed in his devotion to God as he was engaged in his work. Despite living barely 10 miles from Pandharpur he wouldn’t go there because his work would be neglected. Kanda mula bhaaji, avaghi Vithai maazi ! He saw Vitthala in the crops he raised. This melted the heart of Vitthala such that the Lord fled from the confines of the Pandharpur temple and came to lend a hand to Savata in his fields. माळ्या सांवत्यास खुरपूं लागे।।  Namdev had to come all the way to Aran, the village of Savata, to find Vitthala hiding there. 

नरहरिसोनारा घडों फुंकूं लागे। 

चोखामेळ्यासंगे ढोरें ओढी।। 

Narhari was from a family of goldsmiths. Before he realized the oneness of God he was a blinded devotee of Shiva and refused to acknowledge Vitthal. An interesting incident occurred when a customer wanted to customize a waistband for Vitthal and no matter how many times he brought the waist measurements to Narhari, the band would not fit. It would be either too loose or too tight. Finally Narhari relented to go take the measurements himself but blindfolded. Whenever he felt Vitthala’s idol, he was tricked into believing it was in the form of Shiva, with serpent in the neck and trishul and drum in the hands. After multiple times it dawned upon him that God was teaching him the lesson. Vitthala and Shiva were a single entity. Once he surrendered to Vitthala without reservations, Vitthala became his heart and soul. All his abhangas were steeped in the name of Vitthala and simultaneously hammered into the context of his work as a goldsmith making him forgetful of himself. नरहरिसोनारा घडों फुंकूं लागे।  Tukoba says Vitthala was blowing the fire in the furnace to melt the gold on Narhari’s behalf while the latter was lost in devotion. Needless to say Narhari’s name is counted amongst the poet saints of the 13th century along with Namdev, Sant Savata Mali and others.

One of their contemporaries was Chokha Mela. His life was the lowliest of them all, being born in the community of mahars. The mahars were considered untouchable and barred from entering temples or homes of Brahmins and other communities. They were delegated dirty jobs that nobody would want to do. Despite the hardships, with the inspiration from Sant Namdev and Sant Dnyaaneshwar, Chokha was drawn to the love of Vitthala. Vitthala in turn acknowledged this dedication by eating at his home and giving a helping hand even in nauseating chores like moving dead animals off the street. चोखामेळ्यासंगे ढोरें ओढी।। 

So deep was Chokha’s devotion that when he was buried under the rubble of a mud wall where he was a laborer, Vitthala sent Namdev to retrieve his body, which the latter could locate from the sound of Vitthala emanating from the rubble. Vitthala directed the ashes to be consecrated in a shrine outside the main entrance to the Pandharpur temple. A man who was once considered much unfit to enter the temple was honored by the deity of the temple himself. It was a vindication of his sincerity in devotion. 

नामयाची जनी सवें वेची शेणी। 

धर्माघरीं पाणी वाहे झाडी।। 

The 13th century list of poet saints did not just include men. The women contributed greatly to the stories of deep devotion and spiritual life. One of these women was Janabai. Orphaned at a young age she was taken into the household by parents of Namdev. She served the family as a house maid. Namdev inspired her into a life of devotion to Vitthala and became her Guru. Her poems are often signed as Namayachi Jani( Janabai,the faithful servant of Namdev) which is a testament to the importance she placed upon her Guru. She had created an independent place for herself in the heart of Vitthala. नामयाची जनी सवें वेची शेणी।  Her life stories tell of many instances where Vitthala pitched in to carry out her meager duties like grinding grains, sweeping floors, fetching water in heavy pitchers from the river and even more humble tasks like picking dried cakes of cow dung. 

I am unable to confirm the relevant reference for the second half of this verse. धर्माघरीं पाणी वाहे झाडी।।  The literal meaning of the sentence is that God carried water and swept the floors in the home of Dharma. It may be a continuation of the previous line where Janabai is being referred to. In a home where she was fulfilling her rightful duties he helped her in the chores when they got overwhelming.

Dharma can be personification of righteousness, indicating a general reference to righteous people. Dharma is also a name given to Yama, the God of Death and Justice, as also to Yudhishthira, the eldest of five Pandav brothers.

नाम्यासवें जेवी नव्हे संकोचित। 

ज्ञानियाची भिंत अंगी ओढी।। 

Vitthala had no hesitation to join Namdev in sharing a meal together. नाम्यासवें जेवी नव्हे संकोचित। Namdev belonged to the community of tailors. The ancestral home of Namdev still stands in Pandharpur and his descendants continue to live there. The story of Vitthala coming to Namdev’s home to share a meal is one of the popular legends in the life of Namdev. An idol of Vitthala stands today in that home and has one of the most pleasant expressions on the face. 

Vitthala was also the one who took the load upon himself to mobilize the brick wall for Dnyaaneshwar. ज्ञानियाची भिंत अंगी ओढी।।  This is a reference to the story where Dnyaneshwar and his siblings humbled the ego of Changdev who was showing his yogic powers by riding on a tiger with a snake in hand as a whip. Riding on an inanimate object like the wall was tougher than making a living animal serve as the vehicle. The miracles are rightfully credited to God rather than his human creations.

अर्जुनाचे रथी होय हा सारथी। 

भक्षी पोहे प्रीती सुदाम्याची।। 

Perhaps the most famous example of God’s collaborations with his devotees is the war at Kurukshetra where Krishna became the charioteer for Arjun. अर्जुनाचे रथी होय हा सारथी।  Although all 5 Pandav brothers and many other warriors during that war were devotees of Krishna, Arjun was particularly closer to Krishna. He would not have picked another man to be with other than one who loved him the most. 

Earlier in his life story Krishna was a student at the ashram of his Guru Sandipani. His dearest classmate during those years was Sudama. Krishna became the King of Dwarka and enjoyed a life of prosperity. Sudama remained poor. Yet their friendship was never about wealth or materialism. Sudama never approached Krishna with an expectation of monetary help. Instead he came to meet his dear friend with a humble yet heartfelt gift of puffed rice. The purity of his sentiments was not lost on Krishna. भक्षी पोहे प्रीती सुदाम्याची।।  That puffed rice meant the whole world to him. He devoured it like a hungry bear. 

गौळीयांचे घरी गाई अंगे वळी। 

द्वारपाळ बळीद्वारीं झाला।। 

Also his childhood was spent amidst cow herders. He would happily take the cows out to graze to help those people, गौळीयांचे घरी गाई अंगे वळी।  although he was aware all along that he was a divine incarnation. No job was below him.

Another time, he served as the guard outside the palace of King Bali. 

यंकोबाचे ऋण फेडी हृषीकेशी। 

आंबऋषीचे सोशी गर्भवास।। 

Yankoba and Amb rishi are two devotees I couldn’t find references for. I will be looking for them and update here once available to me. The verse says the Krishna repaid the debts of Yankoba and tolerated the inconvenience in the womb for Amb Rishi. 

मिराबाई साटीं घेतो विषप्याला। 

दामाजीचा जाला पाडेवार।। 

Mirabai the Rajput princess from the 16th century is a well known poet saint devoted to Krishna. Jealous of her single pointed love for Krishna, her husband tried to poison her. मिराबाई साटीं घेतो विषप्याला।  But Krishna took upon himself to withstand the effects of the poison and saved her life. 

Damaji, a 15 th century saint from Mangalvedhe near Pandharpur was a minister for the Sultan of Bidar and a true devotee of Vitthala. There was a great famine in 1460. People had no food. It melted the heart of Damaji Pant and he released the grains from the King’s granary without seeking permission from the king. It enraged the king when he found out and demanded that Damaji compensate for the lost grains or pay with his life. Vitthala took the form of a mahar( an outcast) and went to the Sultan’s court posing as a servant from Damaji’s household. दामाजीचा जाला पाडेवार।।  He handed a small bag to the Sultan. When opened a large cache of gold coins flowed out from it. Damaji’s ordeal was removed and he was a free man. 

घडी माती वाहे गोऱ्या कुंभाराची। 

हुंडी त्या मेहत्याची अंगें भरी।। 

Vitthala carried soil and baked earthen pots himself for his devotee Gora, the potter who lived in Pandharpur in the 13th century. घडी माती वाहे गोऱ्या कुंभाराची। 

Narsi Mehta lived in the 15th century in Gujarat. He became an ardent devotee of Krishna. Several of his devotional songs ( bhajans) are popular even today. One of them is vaishnav jan toh. In his lifetime there were several occasions when Krishna rescued the impoverished Narsi from financial troubles. हुंडी त्या मेहत्याची अंगें भरी।। 

पुंडलिकासाटीं अझूनि तिष्ठत। 

तुका म्हणे मात धन्य याची।। 

After centuries Vitthal still stands obediently on the brick as directed by his devotee Pundalik who was engaged in taking care of his elderly parents when Vitthala came to meet him. पुंडलिकासाटीं अझूनि तिष्ठत।  Instead of being offended he obeyed his devotee.

Tukaram says blessed is the mother who gave birth to such a great devotee for who God becomes a servant. तुका म्हणे मात धन्य याची।। 

The lesson here is that taking care of parents must take priority over one’s religious duties. The devotion to God must be real and intense within the heart, but hands must be employed where they are most needed. God can wait until those duties are fulfilled. Indeed, God can wait forever! 

There are many lessons Sant Tukaram has taught us through the single abhang.

Devotion to the highest power, the ultimate reality of the world is of utmost value. It is what differentiates between an ordinary person and a man of virtue. 

The value of a person is based upon their virtues and nothing else. Not lineage, gender, age, education, lifestyle, wealth, profession or even which God he/she worships. 

Spiritual excellence can be achieved by anyone irrespective of their gender, profession or social status. 

The devotion needs to be in the heart, does not need to be displayed loudly for a show. 

One’s daily duties must be carried out with diligence and prioritized over ritualistic madness. 

All kinds of tasks and professions are equal in the eyes of the creator. Men and women from all walks of life deserve to be respected and valued for their service. One should recognize the dignity in every task and not feel ashamed to do what needs to be done. Dignity of labor has rarely been described so eloquently and extensively as in this abhang.

People who reach great heights in their spiritual journey recognize that there are no two Gods. God is one and sees all in equal light. It is people who make distinction between Gods and fellow humans. 

Saints do not exhibit jealousy towards their fellow saints. As they praise the devotion of their  predecessors and contemporaries, they do not get insecure in their own shoes. They carry their own sadhana without complexes. They only take inspiration from the greatness of others while staying comfortable in their own skin. If needed, they do not hesitate to learn from their contemporaries or even from their juniors. Just like Tukaram, many of the saints brought up in the discussion above have composed abhangas that offer glorious tributes to other saints. They saw God not only in their work but also in each other. Tukaram Maharaj has said in one of his abhangas famously, these devotees prostrate in reverence before each other.

Ek eka laagtil paayi re……

In this abhang he has shown how he himself does it! 

The full abhang:

Unch Neech Kahi Nene Bhagwant

उंचनिंच कांही नेणे भगवंत 

उंचनिंच कांही नेणे भगवंत।

तिष्ठे भावभक्ति देखोनियां।। 

दासीपुत्र कण्या विदुराच्या भक्षी। 

दैत्याघरी रक्षीं प्रल्हादासी।। 

चर्म रंगू लागे रोहिदासासंगे। 

कबिराचे मागीं विणी शेले।। 

सजनकसाया विकूं लागे मांस। 

माळ्या सांवत्यास खुरपूं लागे।। 

नरहरिसोनारा घडों फुंकूं लागे। 

चोखामेळ्यासंगे ढोरें ओढी।। 

नामयाची जनी सवें वेची शेणी। 

धर्माघरीं पाणी वाहे झाडी।। 

नाम्यासवें जेवी नव्हे संकोचित। 

ज्ञानियाची भिंत अंगी ओढी।। 

अर्जुनाचे रथी होय हा सारथी। 

भक्षी पोहे प्रीती सुदाम्याची।। 

गौळीयांचे घरी गाई अंगे वळी। 

द्वारपाळ बळीद्वारीं झाला।। 

यंकोबाचे ऋण फेडी हृषीकेशी। 

आंबऋषीचे सोशी गर्भवास।। 

मिराबाई साटीं घेतो विषप्याला। 

दामाजीचा जाला पाडेवार।। 

घडी माती वाहे गोऱ्या कुंभाराची। 

हुंडी त्या मेहत्याची अंगें भरी।। 

पुंडलिकासाटीं अझूनि तिष्ठत। 

तुका म्हणे मात धन्य याची।।