Abhanga 421

When you are truly overwhelmed, don't pretend to be fine or explain it away; ask directly for help and go to the place or practice that can actually steady you.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A bhakta-as-possessed-must-be-taken-to-Chandrabhāgā abhang. Following the ḍānkā cluster, this turns the possession-frame inward — the bhakta himself is now possessed and seeks Pandhari-Chandrabhāgā as the cure. Four claims:

1. जाली झडपणी खडतर देवता — संचरली आतां निघों नये — caught — jhaḍapaṇī — by khaḍatara deity — samcaralī, won't leave now. The opening-claim: the bhakta has been caught (jhaḍapaṇī, an attack-possession) by a khaḍatara (terrible) deity;(she) has samcaralī (entered, settled in);won't leave now.The bhakta is possessed.

2. मज उपचार झणी उपचार झणी आतां करा — न साहे दुसरा भार कांहीं — do my upacāra quickly — cannot bear another bhāra. The treatment-petition: do myupacāra(treatment / remedy) quickly; I cannot bear anotherbhāra(burden). Critical-state demands urgent treatment.

3. नेऊनियां घाला चंद्रभागे तिरीं — जीवा नाहीं उरी कांहीं आतां — take — place me on Chandrabhāgā's tīra — no urī for jīva now. The prescription: take me, place me onChandrabhāgā(the river at Pandhari)'stīra(bank); nourī(remnant) forjīvanow. Pandhari-Chandrabhāgā as the cure for possession-state.

4. तुका म्हणे कळों आलें वर्तमान — माझें तों वचन आच्छादलें — Tuka says: vartamāna has come — my vacana ācchādalē. The closing-self-recognition: thevartamāna(situation / news / message) has come to me; myvacana(word, speech) isācchādalē(covered, hidden). Speech is taken-over by the possessing deity.

[T]

For someone today

Here Tukaram describes himself as seized by something bigger than he can control, a presence that has taken hold and will not simply leave when asked. Rather than pretending to be fine, he asks urgently for help, admitting plainly that he cannot carry one more ounce of weight. His remedy is not analysis but a place: take me to the river bank at Pandharpur, where the trouble can finally be set down. He even admits that in this state his own words are not fully his own, spoken from somewhere beyond his usual self. The lesson is that when emotion or devotion truly overwhelms you, the honest response is not to explain it away but to ask directly for relief and go to whatever ground steadies you.

मराठी: या ओवीत तुकाराम स्वतःला अशा एका शक्तीने पकडलेले सांगतात जी त्यांच्या आवाक्याबाहेर आहे आणि विनवूनही सहज निघून जात नाही. आपण ठीक आहोत असे भासवण्याऐवजी ते स्पष्टपणे मदत मागतात आणि कबूल करतात की आता आणखी एक क्षणभरही भार सहन होत नाही. यावर उपाय म्हणजे विचार नव्हे, तर एक जागा — मला चंद्रभागेच्या तीरावर, पंढरपुरात घेऊन चला, जिथे हे ओझे शेवटी उतरवता येईल. इतकेच नव्हे तर ते हेही मान्य करतात की या अवस्थेत त्यांचे स्वतःचे शब्दही पूर्णपणे त्यांचे राहत नाहीत, ते कुठूनतरी वेगळ्याच जागेतून येतात. यातून हा धडा मिळतो की जेव्हा एखादी भावना किंवा भक्ती खरोखर आपल्यावर मात करते, तेव्हा ती नाकारण्याऐवजी थेट मदत मागावी आणि जिथे आधार मिळेल तिथे जावे.

Where this applies

• Bhakti-possession is real. Bodily-presence.
• Body can't bear more bhāra. Strain of possession.
• Chandrabhāgā is the cure. Pilgrimage.
• Vacana covered. Speech taken-over.

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