Abhanga 398

Some experiences of love or grace are sweet beyond words — don't force yourself to explain them, just let them be felt. When that embrace settles over you, let it settle; you don't need to resist or analyze it. There are moments when your sense of separate self seems to dissolve, pierced through by something larger than you — that dissolving is not something to fear. And when your attention finally fixes and rests in one place, a real meeting like that tends to sever your hold on old attachments; let the past fall away.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A sweet-but-inexpressible-meeting abhang. Four claims:

1. गोड लागे परी सांगतां चि न ये — बैसे मिठी सये आवडीची — sweet but cannot be told — embrace of āvaḍī sets in. The opening-claim: (it) is sweet, but cannot be told (cannot be expressed in speech); the embrace ofāvaḍī(preference / love) sets in. Inexpressible-sweetness; embrace of love.

2. वेधलें वो येणें श्रीरंगरंगें — मीमाजी अंगें हारपलीं — pierced by Śrīranga-ranga — mī dissolved bodily. The piercing-claim: pierced byŚrīranga-ranga(the color of Śrīranga, Krishna); themī(I-sense) dissolved in the body. I-sense lost in the deva-color.

3. परते चि ना दृष्टी बैसली ते ठायीं — विसावोनि पायीं ठेलें मन — dṛṣṭi doesn't move from where set — resting at feet, mana stayed. The fixity-claim: thedṛṣṭidoes not move from where it has been set; resting at the feet, themanastayed. Both gaze and mind fixed.

4. तुकयाच्या स्वामीसवें जाली भेटी — तेव्हां जाली तुटी मागिल्यांची — with Tukya-svāmī, bhēṭi happened — then tuṭī with previous-things. The closing-claim: with Tukya-svāmī, the bhēṭi happened; then —tuṭī(break) with previous-things. The meeting is the break with the past.

[T]

For someone today

Some experiences of love or grace are sweet beyond words — don't force yourself to explain them, just let them be felt. When that embrace settles over you, let it settle; you don't need to resist or analyze it. There are moments when your sense of separate self seems to dissolve, pierced through by something larger than you — that dissolving is not something to fear. And when your attention finally fixes and rests in one place, a real meeting like that tends to sever your hold on old attachments; let the past fall away.

मराठी: प्रेमाचे किंवा कृपेचे काही अनुभव इतके गोड असतात की ते शब्दांत सांगता येत नाहीत — ते समजावून सांगण्याचा अट्टहास न करता, फक्त अनुभवू द्या. जेव्हा ती मिठी तुमच्यावर बसते, तेव्हा तिला बसू द्या; तिला विरोध करण्याची किंवा उलगडण्याची गरज नाही. काही क्षण असे येतात जेव्हा तुमचा वेगळेपणाचा भाव विरघळून जातो, तुमच्याहून मोठ्या कशाने तरी भेदला जातो — त्या विरघळण्याला घाबरण्याची गरज नाही. आणि जेव्हा तुमचं लक्ष अखेरीस एका जागी स्थिर होऊन विसावतं, तेव्हा अशी खरी भेट जुन्या आसक्तींना तोडून टाकते; भूतकाळाला गळून पडू द्या.

Where this applies

• Inexpressible sweetness. Don't articulate.
• Embrace of āvaḍī settles. Let it.
• Śrīranga-rangadissolvesmī. Don't fear.
• Dṛṣṭi-and-mana fixed. Meeting-state.
• Tuṭī with previous-things. Past breaks.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is