Abhanga 1410
The body exists to reach love and grace, so do the duty in front of you, call out honestly without needing ritual, accept what cannot be changed, and stay alert since there is no resting place along the way.
The verse
काय शरीरापें काम । कृपा साधावया प्रेम । उचिताचे धर्म । भागा आले ते करूं ॥१॥ देईन हाक नारायणा । तें तों नाकळे बंधना । पंढरीचा राणा । आइकोन धांवेल ॥ध्रु.॥ सातांपांचांचें गोठलें । प्रारब्धें आकारलें । आतां हें संचलें । असो भोगा सांभाळीं ॥२॥ फावली ते बरवी संधि । सावधान करूं बुद्धी । तुका म्हणे मधीं । कोठें नेघें विसावा ॥३॥
Literal translation
What kāma is for the body? — for accomplishing kṛpā-prēma; the ucita-dharma — what came to (our) bhāga — let us do. I will give a hāka to Nārāyaṇa — that doesn't get caught in bandhana — the Paṇḍharī-rāṇā will run on hearing. The gōṭha of sāta-pāñca — has been given form by prārabdha — now this samcita — let it be — keep watch in bhōga. The sandhi that has presented is good — let us make the buddhi sāvadhāna. Tuka says: in the middle — anywhere — I won't take viśāvā.
मराठी: काय — शरीरापें — काम? — कृपा — साधावया — प्रेम; — उचिताचे — धर्म; — भागा — आले — ते — करूं. देईन — हाक — नारायणा; — तें-तों — नाकळे — बंधना; — पंढरीचा — राणा; — आइकोन — धांवेल. सातां-पांचांचें — गोठलें; — प्रारब्धें — आकारलें; — आतां — हें — संचलें; — असो — भोगा — सांभाळीं. फावली — ते — बरवी — संधि; — सावधान — करूं — बुद्धी; — Tukā म्हणे — मधीं; — कोठें — नेघें — विसावा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय शरीरापें काम | "what — kāma (use / work) — śarīrāpēm (= for the body)?" |
| कृपा साधावया प्रेम | "kṛpā (grace) — to accomplish (sādhāvayā) — prēma (love)" |
| उचिताचे धर्म | "the ucita (fitting / proper)'s dharma" |
| भागा आले ते करूं | "what came to (our) bhāga (share) — let us do" |
| देईन हाक नारायणा | "I will give (dē'īna) — hāka (loud call) — to Nārāyaṇa" |
| तें तों नाकळे बंधना | "that — nākaḷē (= isn't caught) — by bandhana (binding)" |
| पंढरीचा राणा | "Paṇḍharī's rāṇā (king)" |
| आइकोन धांवेल | "hearing (āikōna) — will run (dhāvēla)" |
| सातांपांचांचें गोठलें | "of sāta-pāñca (= the seven (dhātus) and the five (mahābhūtas / sense-aggregates)) — what's gōṭha (= curd-clumped / coagulated)" |
| प्रारब्धें आकारलें | "by prārabdha — has ākāralēm (= taken form / been given shape)" |
| आतां हें संचलें | "now — this — samcalēm (= accumulated / amassed)" |
| असो भोगा सांभाळीं | "let it be (asō) — in bhōga (experience) — keep watch (sāmbhāḷīm)" |
| फावली ते बरवी संधि | "what has phāvalī (presented itself) — that — is a good sandhi (juncture / opportunity)" |
| सावधान करूं बुद्धी | "sāvadhāna (alert) — let us make — the buddhi" |
| तुका म्हणे मधीं | "Tuka says — in the madhīm (= middle / along the way)" |
| कोठें नेघें विसावा | "anywhere (kōṭhēm) — I won't take (nēghēm) — viśāvā (rest / pause)" |
What it means
Hari-runs-from-Paṇḍharī-on-call abhang. The opening relativization: kāya śarīrāpēm kāma — kṛpā sādhāvayā prēma — ucitācē dharma — bhāgā ālē tē karūm — whatkāmais the body for? — for accomplishingkṛpā-prēma(grace-love); — theucita-dharma— what came to one'sbhāga(share / portion) — let usdoit. Body's only-purpose is kṛpā-prēma-sādhana; what bhāga brings is what we just do. (Compare the Bhagavad-Gītā's niyatam kuru karma tvam — do your appointed work — same idea.)
The famous middle: dē'īna hāka Nārāyaṇā — tēm tōm nākaḷē bandhanā — Paṇḍharīcā rāṇā āikōna dhāvēla — I will give ahāka(loud-call) to Nārāyaṇa; — that —doesn't get caughtinbandhana(= binding); — thePaṇḍharī-rāṇā—will runonhearing. The hāka (call) isn't bound by anything; — the Paṇḍharī-king hears and runs. (Classic call-and-Hari-comes warkari trope; compare Draupadī-rakṣaṇa, Gajēndra-mōkṣa.)
The body-acceptance: sātām-pāñcāñcēm gōṭhalēm — prārabdhēm ākāralēm — ātām hēm samcalēm — asō bhōgā sāmbhāḷīm — thegōṭha(= curd-clumping) ofsāta-pāñca(= seven dhātus + five mahābhūtas/indriyas) — hastaken form by prārabdha; — now this issamcita(accumulated) — let it be —keep watch in bhōga(experiencing). The body's prārabdha-form is fixed; just keep alert in the bhōga (don't fight the body's prārabdha-form, don't fall asleep in the bhōga).
The closing alertness: phāvalī tē baravī sandhi — sāvadhāna karūm buddhī — Tukā mhaṇē madhīm — kōṭhēm nēghēm visāvā — thesandhi(= juncture / window) that has presented — isbaravī(good); — let us make thebuddhisāvadhāna(alert); — Tuka says —along-the-way(in the middle) —anywhere— I won't takeviśāvā(rest). The sandhi (= human-birth-window) is the bhakta's opportunity; no resting along-the-way. (Compare 1393's vāḍhaliyām-māna-niścinti-na — when honor grows, don't relax; here don't rest in the middle.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: what's the body for? — to accomplish kṛpā-prēma; do what came to your bhāga; call out — Hari runs from Paṇḍharī unbound; the body's prārabdha-form is fixed, keep watch in bhōga; the human-window is your sandhi — keep buddhi alert, take no rest along the way.
Where this applies
- When you keep questioning what your life is really for and forget it is meant for love, not just accumulation.
- When a duty in front of you feels small or beneath you, yet it is simply what has come to your share today.
- When you hesitate to pray because you feel you first need the right words, place, or ritual.
- When you are resisting a health condition or life circumstance you genuinely cannot change.