Ghasava Shabd - Sant Tukaram on Shabad

While I was reading about Bhagat Namdev I found the following beautiful abhang by Tukaram in a newspaper article (Little Maharashtra in Punjab village). Here is the quote from the article:

In the vibrant rangoli colours — red, purple, yellow and green — the words embossed in Marathi read “ghasava shabd, tasava shabd, talava shabd, bolya purvi” (polish the word, chisel it, weigh it, before you speak). The locals may not read Marathi, but they know the meaning of the words well — the relevance of shabad, the spoken word, the bani, is sacred to them.

Wonderful way of reminding ourselves how important words are. This reminds me of how Guru Nanak beautifully describes getting chiseled like a coin at the end of Japji Sahib:

Make restraint of the senses thy forge, steadfastness thy goldsmith, the mind thy anvil, and knowledge thy hammer; fear of God thy bellows, austerity thy fire, love thy vessel, and the elixir of the Name thy molten metal. In this true mint cast awareness of God, those blessed with divine grace find fulfillment. Says Nanak, happy are those who obtain God's grace!

Here is Sant Tukaram's poetry. It would be interesting to know the meaning of the entire poem.


शब्द

घासावा शब्द | तासावा शब्द |
तोलावा शब्द | बोलण्या पूर्वी ||


शब्द हेचि कातर | शब्द सुई दोरा |
बेतावेत शब्द | शास्त्राधारे ||


बोलावे मोजके | नेमके, खमंग, खमके |
ठेवावे भान | देश, काळ, पात्राचे ||


बोलावे बरे | बोलावे खरे |
कोणाच्याही मनावर | पाडू नये चरे ||


कोणाचेही वर्म | व्यंग आणि बिंग |
जातपात धर्म | काढूच नये ||


थोडक्यात समजणे | थोडक्यात समजावणे |
मुद्देसुद बोलणे | हि संवाद कला ||


शब्दांमध्ये झळकावी | ज्ञान, कर्म, भक्ती |
स्वानुभवातून जन्मावा | प्रत्येक शब्द ||


शब्दांमुळे दंगल | शब्दांमुळे मंगल |
शब्दांचे हे जंगल | जागृत राहाव ||


जीभेवरी ताबा | सर्वा सुखदाता |
पाणी, वाणी, नाणी | नासू नये ||


अभंग -
बोद्धिसत्व संत तुकाराम महाराज