Abhanga 207

This abhang names what the real-presence actually wants from you:

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A post-rescue companionship abhang. Three claims about Krishna's companion-character:

1. न ठेवी आभार प्रेमाचा भुकेला — (he) does not retain debt; is prema-hungry. Two interlocking claims:
2. The deity does not retain abhāra — does not count up the bhakta's obligations to him. The debt-economy is rejected.

3. The deity is prema-hungry — not power-hungry, not honor-hungry, not service-hungry, but affection-hungry. The what-the-deity-actually-wants is prema.

4. बहु दिवस संग हा चि निर्धार त्याला — long-days companionship is his only nirdhāra (certainty). The single-stable-thing the deity holds-onto is long-days companionship. Not the intensity of any single moment, not the quality of ritual-performance — but the duration of co-habit.

5. आरुष गोपाळें त्यांची बहु देवा प्रीती — the simple cowherds — much prīti from the deva. The access-property is āruṣa — simple, unrefined, unpolished. The cowherds' non-refinement is what gets the deva's affection. (Compare 100's three classical low-status bhaktas — gopas, Vidura, Kubja.)

The closing turn: आतां जाऊं आपुलिया घरा — तोय वांचविलें ऐसें सांगों रे दातारा — now let's go to our houses — let's tell the dātāra how we were saved. Post-rescue, the bhakta's responsibility is to return home and tell the patrons (the dātāra — possibly the elders, the maintainers, the householders who funded the cowherding-trip) what happened. The witness-bearing is part of the rescue-cycle.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names what the real-presence actually wants from you:

1. Companionship to satisfaction — give-yours, eat-what-he-gives. Dhaṇī-varī sanga, deūni āpulēm to chi deīla tē khāvē. The reciprocal-economy: you give what is yours, you eat what he gives. Both directions are real. Don't be a one-way giver or a one-way receiver.

2. No-debt-retention. The deity does not keep score. Stop worrying about how much you owe. The debt-economy is rejected by the deity itself. (Compare 182: the saints' debt cannot be balanced; here: the deity does not even retain it.)

3. Prema-hungry, not power-hungry. What the real-presence wants is prema (affection-feeling). Not your achievements, not your discipline, not your conformity, not your offerings-in-themselves — prema. Notice when you have been offering everything except the affection-feeling.

4. Long-days companionship is the only certainty. The deity's nirdhāra (settled-conviction) is long-co-habit. Don't aim for one peak experience; aim for long-days companionship. Duration is the variable.

5. Simplicity is the access-property. Āruṣa gopāḷē tyānchī bahu devā prīti. The unrefined, unpolished, simple cowherds get much affection. Stop polishing yourself for the encounter; the āruṣa-state is what gets the prīti.

6. Bear witness afterward. Tela dātārā — how we were saved. After a real-rescue, return home and tell the patrons. The witness-bearing completes the rescue-cycle.

मराठी: ही ओवी real-presence ला तुमच्याकडून काय हवं हे नाव सांगते:

1. Companionship to satisfaction — स्वतःचं द्या, तो देईल ते खा. धणीवरी संग, देऊनि आपुलें तो चि देईल तें खावें. Reciprocal-economy: तुमचं देता, त्याचं खाता. दोन्ही directions real. एकमार्गी giver किंवा एकमार्गी receiver होऊ नका.

2. No-debt-retention. देव score keep करत नाही. किती ऋण आहे याची चिंता थांबवा. Debt-economy देवानेच reject केली.

3. प्रेम-भुकेला, power-भुकेला नाही. Real-presence ला प्रेम हवं (affection-feeling). तुमच्या achievements नाही, discipline नाही, conformity नाही, offerings-in-themselves नाही — प्रेम. तुम्ही affection-feeling सोडून सर्व offer करत आहात का — notice करा.

4. Long-days companionship हीच एकमेव certainty. देवाची निर्धार — long-co-habit. एका peak experience चा aim करू नका; long-days companionship चा aim करा. Duration variable.

5. Simplicity access-property. आरुष गोपाळें त्यांची बहु देवा प्रीती. Unrefined, unpolished, simple cowherds ला बहु प्रीती. Encounter साठी polish करणं थांबवा; आरुष-state प्रीती मिळवतं.

6. नंतर साक्ष द्या. सांगों रे दातारा — कसं वाचवलं. Real-rescue नंतर — घरी परत जा आणि patrons ला सांगा. Witness-bearing rescue-cycle complete करतं.

Where this applies

• Reciprocal give-and-eat. Dhaṇī-varī sanga.
• Deity is prema-hungry, not power-hungry. Offer affection.
• Long-days companionship is the certainty. Not peak experience.
• Simplicity is the access-property. Stop polishing.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374
• Abhanga 2377 — English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time.
• Abhanga 2387
• Abhanga 2402