Abhanga 1366
For today: all toil is mithyā until Rāma is in the throat; sāvadhāna — unwind the mind from sankalpa; abandonment-as-display gets struck by kāla; give your share, meditate Pāṇḍuranga.
The verse
अवघी मिथ्या आटी । राम नाहीं तंव कंठीं ॥१॥ सावधान सावधान । उगवीं संकल्पीं हें मन ॥ध्रु.॥ सांडिलें तें मांडे । आघ्र उरल्या काळें दंडे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आलें भागा । देउनि चिंतीं पांडुरंगा ॥३॥
Literal translation
All toil is mithyā — until Rāma is in the throat. Sāvadhāna sāvadhāna — unwind this mind from sankalpa. What was abandoned is māṇḍē — what's left, kāḷa daṇḍē. Tuka says: what came as bhāga — give — meditate Pāṇḍuranga.
मराठी: अवघी आटी मिथ्या-च — कंठीं राम नाहीं तोपर्यंत. सावधान, सावधान — संकल्पांतून हें मन उगवी. सांडलें तें मांडें — उरलेलें — कालानें-च दंडें. Tukā म्हणे — भागा-तें आलें — देऊन — पांडुरंग-च चिंतीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अवघी मिथ्या आटी | "all (avaghī) — āṭī (toil) — is mithyā" |
| राम नाहीं तंव कंठीं | "until (tamva) — Rāma — is not in the kaṇṭha (throat)" |
| सावधान सावधान | "sāvadhāna — sāvadhāna" |
| उगवीं संकल्पीं हें मन | "ugavī (open / unwind) — this mind — from sankalpa" |
| सांडिलें तें मांडे | "what was abandoned (sāṇḍilēm) — is māṇḍē (display)" |
| आघ्र उरल्या काळें दंडे | "what's left (uralyā) — kāḷē — daṇḍē (punishes / strikes)" |
| आलें भागा देउनि चिंतीं पांडुरंगा | "what came as bhāga — give (dē'unī) — meditate Pāṇḍuranga" |
What it means
Sāvadhāna-unwind-mind-from-sankalpa abhang. The opening: avaghī mithyā āṭī — Rāma nāhīm tamva kaṇṭhīm — all theāṭī(toil) is mithyā — until Rāma is in thekaṇṭha(throat). Until the name is on the tongue, all spiritual-toil is vain. The criterion: kaṇṭha-Rāma.
The repeated wake-call: sāvadhāna sāvadhāna — ugavī sankalpīm hē mana — wake! wake! —ugavī(=unwind / dis-engage / extricate) —this mind from sankalpa. Sankalpa (= the formal-resolve / the I'll-do-this-for-this-result declaration) is the binding-mechanism; unwind from it.
Sāṇḍilē tē māṇḍē — āghra uralyā kāḷē daṇḍē — what wasabandonedismāṇḍē(= ostentation, display); whatremains,kāḷa daṇḍē(= kālastrikes / punishes). The sannyāsi who displays renunciation isn't really renouncing; what he didn't fully renounce, kāla will strike. The display-of-tyāga doesn't fool kāla.
The closing: ālēm bhāgā — dē'unī cintīm Pāṇḍurangā — what came asbhāga(one's share) —give(= offer, transmit) —meditate Pāṇḍuranga. Whatever came to your share — give it forward, and meditate Pāṇḍuranga.
[T]
For someone today
For today: all toil is mithyā until Rāma is in the throat; sāvadhāna — unwind the mind from sankalpa; abandonment-as-display gets struck by kāla; give your share, meditate Pāṇḍuranga.
Where this applies
- When you are working hard at spiritual practice but it still feels hollow because your mind is not really present
- When you are caught up in rigid plans or fixed resolutions and need to loosen your grip on them
- When you are performing renunciation or humility for others to see rather than actually living it
- When something has come your way, like time, resources, or a role, and you are not sure what to do with it