संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 697 of 4582

Abhanga 697

When you cannot master your own senses or live up to what you know is right, the honest move is to admit it and ask directly for help rather than pretend.

When I am unfit by every-bhāva — and you have to recognize this register
When I am ankita to the indriyas; cannot restrain even one — and you accept this image
When Pandharī-rāyā, save me — else this dāsa has gone vain — and you receive this final petition

The verse

मी तों सर्वभावें अनधिकारी । होइल कैसी परी नेणों देवा ॥१॥ पुराणींचे अर्थ आणितां मनास । होय कासावीस जीव माझा ॥ध्रु.॥ इंद्रियांचीं आम्ही पांगिलों अंकितें । त्यांचे रंगीं चत्ति रंगलेंसे ॥२॥ एकाचें ही मज न घडे दमन । अवघीं नेमून कैसीं राखों ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे मज तारीं पंढरीराया । नाहीं तरी वांयां गेलों दास ॥४॥

Literal translation

I am — sarva-bhāveanadhikārī — how-will-it-be, don't-know — deva. Bringing Purāṇa's artha to manas — my jīva becomes kāsāvīsa. We are pāngilōm ankita to the indriyascitta stained in their ranga. Of even-one damana doesn't-happen-for-me — avaghīm nēmūni — how rākhā? Tuka says: save me, Pandharī-rāyā — else vāyām gēlōm dāsa.

मराठी: मी सर्व-भावें अनधिकारी — कैसी होईल, न-जाणे, देवा. पुराण-अर्थ मनास आणतां — माझा जीव कासावीस होतो. आम्ही इंद्रियांचे पांगिलों-अंकित — चित्त त्यांच्या रंगीं रंगलें. एकाचं सुद्धा दमन घडत नाही — सर्व नेमून कसं राखूं?. Tuka म्हणे: तार Pandharī-राया — नाहीं तर वांयां गेलों दास.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
मी तों सर्वभावें अनधिकारी "I — sarva-bhāveanadhikārī"
होइल कैसी परी नेणों देवा "how-it-will-be — don't-know — deva"
पुराणींचे अर्थ आणितां मनास "Purāṇa's artha — bringing — to mana"
होय कासावीस जीव माझा "jīvakāsāvīsa"
इंद्रियांचीं आम्ही पांगिलों अंकितें "indriyaspāngilōm ankita"
त्यांचे रंगीं चत्ति रंगलेंसे "citta — stained — their ranga"
एकाचें ही मज न घडे दमन "even one — damana — doesn't happen for me"
अवघीं नेमून कैसीं राखों "avaghīm nēmūni — how rākhā?"
मज तारीं पंढरीराया "save me — Pandharī-rāyā"
नाहीं तरी वांयां गेलों दास "else — vāyām gēlōmdāsa"

What it means

A sarva-bhāve-anadhikārī-purāṇa-distress-indriya-ankita-not-one-damana-Pandharī-rāyā-tāra abhang. Anadhikāra-bhakti register. Four claims:

  1. मी सर्व-भावें अनधिकारी — कैसी होईल न-जाणे. I-am-unfit-by-every-bhāva-claim. I am,sarva-bhāve(by every-bhāva, by every-quality), anadhikārī (unfit, without-the-right);don't-know how it will be, deva. Total-unfitness.

  2. पुराण-अर्थ मनास — जीव कासावीस. Purāṇa-distress-claim. Bringing thePurāṇa's meanings tomanas; thejīvabecomeskāsāvīsa(distressed, agitated). Hearing-the-purāṇa-distresses-rather-than-helping (because the bhakta sees how-far-he-is-from-it).

  3. इंद्रिय-अंकित — चित्त रंगलं — एक च damana होत नाही — सर्व नेमून कैसं? Indriya-slavery-claim. We arepāngilōm ankita(lamely-bound, slave-marked) to theindriyas; thecittahas been-stained in theirranga; not even onedamana(restraint) happens-for-me; how shall Inēma(rule) all andrākha(keep)?. Cannot-restrain-even-one-indriya; how-restrain-all.

  4. Tuka: Pandharī-राया तार — नाहीं तर वांयां गेलों दास. Pandharī-rāyā-save-or-vāyām-claim. Tuka says: save me,Pandharī-rāyā — else this dāsa has-gone-vāyām (in-vain).Pandharī-rāyā-must-save-because-no-self-effort-possible.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram confesses that he is simply unfit, in every way, and has no idea how things will turn out for him. Even listening to the sacred Purāṇas doesn't comfort him — it only agitates his soul, because it shows him how far short he falls. He admits he is enslaved to his own senses, his mind dyed in their colors, unable to restrain even a single one of them, let alone all of them. So he turns to Panduranga and pleads: save me, Lord of Pandharpur — otherwise this servant's life will have been lived for nothing.

मराठी: तुकाराम कबूल करतात की ते सर्वस्वी अनधिकारी आहेत आणि पुढे काय होईल हे त्यांना ठाऊक नाही. पुराणांचे अर्थ ऐकूनही मन शांत होत नाही, उलट जीव कासावीस होतो, कारण त्यातून आपण किती कमी पडतो हे दिसते. आपण इंद्रियांचे गुलाम झालो आहोत, चित्त त्यांच्याच रंगात रंगले आहे, आणि एकाही इंद्रियाला आवर घालता येत नाही, हे ते मान्य करतात. म्हणून ते पंढरीरायाला विनवतात — मला तार, नाहीतर हा दास वाया गेला असे समज.

Where this applies

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