Abhanga 721
Peace comes only through careful reflection, and since the body has no goodness of its own, the fitting response is to offer whatever happens to God rather than cling to it.
The verse
विचारा वांचून । न पवीजे समाधान ॥१॥ देह त्रिगुणांचा बांधा । माजी नाहीं गुण सुदा ॥ध्रु.॥ देवाचिये चाडे । देवा द्यावें जें जें घडे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे होतें । बहु गोमटें उचितें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Vicāra — without — samādhāna — not reached. Dēha — tri-guṇa-bāndhā — no guṇa at all in it. Deva-cāḍa — give to deva whatever happens. Tuka says: hōtē — much gōmaṭē-ucitē.
मराठी: विचारा-वांचून समाधान न पवीजे. देह त्रिगुणांचा बांधा — मधी गुण सुधा नाही. देवाचिये-चाडे — देवाला द्यावें — जें-जें घडे. Tuka म्हणे: होतें — बहु गोमटें उचितें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| विचारा वांचून | "vicāra — without" |
| न पवीजे समाधान | "samādhāna — not reached" |
| देह त्रिगुणांचा बांधा | "dēha — tri-guṇa-bāndhā" |
| माजी नाहीं गुण सुदा | "in (it) — no — guṇa — at all" |
| देवाचिये चाडे | "deva-cāḍa (for deva's sake)" |
| देवा द्यावें जें जें घडे | "to deva — give — whatever happens" |
| होतें बहु गोमटें उचितें | "hōtē — much gōmaṭē ucitē" |
What it means
A vicāra-needed-body-triguṇa-give-to-deva-whatever-happens-much-auspicious abhang. Vicāra-and-give-to-deva register. Three claims:
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विचारा-वांचून समाधान-न-पवे — देह त्रिगुण-बांधा — गुण सुधा नाही. Vicāra-and-body-no-quality-claim. Withoutvicāra(discrimination, careful-reflection),samādhāna(peace, settlement) is not reached; thedēhais atri-guṇa-bāndhā(construction-of-the-three-guṇas — sattva-rajas-tamas); in it, no good-quality at all. Need-vicāra-because-body-has-no-quality-of-its-own.
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देवाचिये-चाडे — जें-जें घडे — देवा द्यावें. Give-to-deva-whatever-happens-claim. Fordeva-cāḍa(deva's sake, for the desire/love-of-deva); whatever (jē-jē) happens (ghaḍē) — give it todeva. Whatever-happens-give-it-to-deva. (This is karma-phala-tyāga in bhakti-mode: each thing that happens is offered.)
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Tuka: होतें — बहु गोमटें उचितें. This-is-much-auspicious-fitting-claim. Tuka says:hōtē(this happens / is so / becomes) —bahu gōmaṭē ucitē(much auspicious-and-fitting). This-is-much-auspicious-and-fitting.
[T]
For someone today
Tukārām says that real peace of mind doesn't come without careful reflection, without actually thinking things through. The body itself, he says, is just a construction of the three basic qualities of nature and has no goodness of its own to lean on. So the practice he offers is simple: whatever happens to you, whatever comes your way, offer it to God for God's own sake rather than clinging to it or fighting it. He closes by saying this way of living turns out to be deeply auspicious and fitting, something genuinely good that suits you well.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की खरे समाधान नीट विचार केल्याशिवाय मिळत नाही. शरीर हे केवळ तीन गुणांनी बनलेले एक बांधकाम आहे, असे ते सांगतात, आणि त्यात स्वतःचे असे काही चांगुलपण नाही ज्यावर विसंबावे. म्हणून त्यांनी सांगितलेली साधना साधी आहे: जे जे घडेल, जे जे तुमच्यासमोर येईल, ते देवाच्याच सत्कारणी अर्पण करा, त्याला धरून राहण्याऐवजी किंवा त्याच्याशी झगडण्याऐवजी. शेवटी ते म्हणतात की असे जगणे खूप शुभ आणि योग्य ठरते, खरोखर चांगले आणि तुम्हाला शोभणारे.
Where this applies
- Vicāra — samādhāna. Discrimination.
- Body —tri-guṇa. No-quality.
- Give-to-deva. Discipline.