Abhanga 1363
Clear-eyed reflection can free you from the fear of death, dissolve old regret, and reveal that there is no separate self left to pity.
The verse
मरणा हातीं सुटली काया । विचारें या निश्चयें ॥१॥ नासोनियां गेली खंती । सहजिस्थति भोगाचे ॥ध्रु.॥ न देखें सें जालें श्रम । आलें वर्म हाता हें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कैची कींव । कोठें जीव निराळा ॥३॥
Literal translation
The kāyā has been freed from maraṇa's hand — by this niścaya-vicāra. Khantī has been destroyed — sahaja-sthiti for the bhogas. Śrama has become un-seen — the varma has come into (this) hand. Tuka says: what kīmva? — where is the jīva separate?
मराठी: मरणाच्या हातीं — सुटली काया — ह्या विचारानें — निश्चयें. नासोनी गेली खंती — सहज-स्थिति भोगांची-च. न-दिसेसें झालें श्रम — आलें वर्म हातांत. Tukā म्हणे — काय कींव? — कुठें जीव निराळा?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मरणा हातीं सुटली काया | "the kāyā — has been freed (suṭalī) — from maraṇa's hand" |
| विचारें या निश्चयें | "by this vicāra (reflection) — with niścaya (decisiveness)" |
| नासोनियां गेली खंती | "khantī — has been nāśa-vēla (destroyed)" |
| सहजिस्थति भोगाचे | "(now there is) sahaja-sthiti — for the bhogas" |
| न देखें सें जालें श्रम | "śrama — has become na-dēkhē-sē (un-seen / invisible)" |
| आलें वर्म हाता हें | "the varma — has come — into (this) hand" |
| तुका म्हणे कैची कींव | "Tuka says — what kīmva (pity / sympathy)?" |
| कोठें जीव निराळा | "where (kōṭhēm) — is the jīva nirāḷā (separate)?" |
What it means
Kāyā-freed-from-maraṇa's-hand jīvan-mukta abhang. The opening: maraṇā hātīm suṭalī kāyā — vicārē yā niścayē — the kāyā has beensuṭalī(released, freed) frommaraṇa'shand — bythis niścaya-vicāra(= by this decisive reflection). The body that was in death's grip is released by vicāra+niścaya — by seeing-and-deciding the truth.
The state-description: nāsōniyām gēlī khantī — sahaja-sthiti bhōgāncē — khantī has beendestroyed;sahaja-sthitifor the bhogas. Khantī (= regret-and-anguish) is gone; bhogas (experiences) come in sahaja-sthiti (natural state) — without grasping, without rejection.
Na dēkhē-sē jālēm śrama — ālēm varma hātā hē — śrama has becomeun-seen(invisible to the jīva); thevarmahas comeinto the hand. Effort no longer registers as effort; the secret-truth has been grasped.
The closing aphorism: kaimcī kīmva — kōṭhēm jīva nirāḷā? — whatkīmva(pity, sympathy)? —whereis the jīvanirāḷā(separate)? Pity presupposes a separate-jīva needing pity; here is no separate jīva. Kaimcī kīmva is the radical question: who is there to pity?
[T]
For someone today
For today: kāyā freed from maraṇa's hand by niścaya-vicāra; khantī destroyed; sahaja-sthiti for bhogas; varma in hand — andwhereis the jīva separate?
Where this applies
- When you are gripped by fear of death and want to loosen that grip through clear-eyed reflection instead of denial
- When you notice you are still carrying old regret about how you lived or what you did
- When something that once felt like heavy effort starts feeling natural and effortless
- When someone offers you pity and you realize you no longer feel like a separate, needy self