संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1217 of 4582

Abhanga 1217

For today: set aside dehabhāva, place the load on Viṭṭhala, become his ankita — he knows the upāya for your hita better than you do.

When you've fully set aside dehabhāva and put the burden on Viṭṭhala — Tuka calls this becoming his ankita (vassal)

The verse

देहभाव आम्ही राहिलों ठेवूनि । निवांत चरणीं विठोबाच्या ॥१॥ आमुच्या हिताचा जाणोनि उपाव । तो चि पुढें देव करीतसे ॥ध्रु.॥ म्हणउनी नाहीं सुख दुःख मनीं । ऐकिलिया कानीं वचनाचें ॥२॥ जालों मी निःसंग निवांत एकला । भार त्या विठ्ठला घालूनियां ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे जालों जयाचे अंकित । तो चि माझें हित सर्व जाणे ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: We have stayed having set aside dehabhāva — nicem at the feet of Viṭhobā. The Deva himself, knowing the upāya for our hita, does it next. Therefore there is no sukha-duḥkha in the mind on hearing words (in the ear). I became niḥsanga, nicem, alone — having placed the bhāra on that Viṭṭhala. Tuka says: I have become his ankita; he himself knows all my hita.

मराठी: देहभाव आम्हीं ठेवून दिला — विठोबाच्या चरणीं निवांत. आमच्या हिताचा उपाय जाणून — पुढें तो-च देव करतो. म्हणून मनांत सुख-दुःख नाहीं — कानीं ऐकलेल्या वचनांत हि. मी निःसंग, निवांत, एकला झालों — भार त्या विठ्ठलावर घालून. Tukā म्हणे — ज्याचा अंकित झालों — तो-च माझें सर्व हित जाणतो.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
देहभाव आम्ही राहिलों ठेवूनि "we have stayed (rāhilōm) having set aside (ṭhēvūnī) dehabhāva"
निवांत चरणीं विठोबाच्या "nicem at the feet of Viṭhobā"
आमुच्या हिताचा जाणोनि उपाव "knowing the upāya for our hita"
तो चि पुढें देव करीतसे "the Deva himself does it next"
जालों मी निःसंग निवांत एकला "I have become niḥsanga, nicem, alone (ēkalā)"
भार त्या विठ्ठला घालूनियां "having placed the bhāra on that Viṭṭhala"
जालों जयाचे अंकित "I have become whose ankita (vassal-stamp)"
तो चि माझें हित सर्व जाणे "he himself knows all of my hita"

What it means

Surrender abhang with the ankita idiom. Ankita literally means bearing the stamp/seal — like a slave or vassal officially marked as belonging to a particular master. The bhakta is jayācē ankita (whose-stamp-bearer) — Hari's branded servant.

The chain of release is precise: (1) dehabhāva ṭhēvūnī (dehabhāva set aside), (2) nivānta caraṇīm (nicem at the feet), (3) bhāra ghālūnīyām (load placed on him), (4) jālōm ankita (became his stamped-one). The result: no sukha-duḥkha mind, no reactivity to words heard. Hari himself, knowing the upāya for our hita, does what's needed.

[T]

For someone today

For today: set aside dehabhāva, place the load on Viṭṭhala, become his ankita — he knows the upāya for your hita better than you do.

Where this applies

Related verses