Abhanga 1417
A single firm resolve, to speak only of God and hand over anger and lust, can shape your whole mind and gaze.
The verse
बोलणें चि नाहीं । आतां देवाविण कांहीं ॥१॥ एकसरें केला नेम । देवा दिले क्रोध काम ॥ध्रु.॥ पाहेन ते पाय । जोंवरि हे दृष्टी धाय ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मनें । हे चि संकल्प वाहाणें ॥३॥
Literal translation
No more talk now — except about Deva. With one stroke, the nēma was made — to Deva, (I) gave krōdha-kāma. I will look at those pāya — until this dṛṣṭi has its dhāya. Tuka says: by the mana — this very is the samkalpa to vāhāṇē.
मराठी: बोलणें — चि — नाहीं; — आतां — देवाविण — कांहीं. एकसरें — केला — नेम; — देवा — दिले — क्रोध — काम. पाहेन — ते — पाय; — जोंवरि — हे — दृष्टी — धाय. Tukā म्हणे — मनें; — हे — चि — संकल्प — वाहाणें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बोलणें चि नाहीं | "bōlaṇē (talking) alone (chi) — there is none" |
| आतां देवाविण कांहीं | "now (ātām) — except for Deva (Devāviṇa) — anything (kāhīm)" |
| एकसरें केला नेम | "with one stroke (ēka-sarēm) — nēma (= rule / vow) was made" |
| देवा दिले क्रोध काम | "to Deva — gave (dilē) — krōdha (anger) — kāma (lust)" |
| पाहेन ते पाय | "I will look (pāhēna) — at those pāya (feet)" |
| जोंवरि हे दृष्टी धाय | "until (jōmvarī) — this — dṛṣṭi (sight) — has its fill (dhāya)" |
| तुका म्हणे मनें | "Tuka says — by the mana" |
| हे चि संकल्प वाहाणें | "this very (hē chi) — samkalpa (resolution) — to vāhāṇē (= bear / carry / drive forth)" |
What it means
No-more-talk-except-of-Deva abhang. The opening declaration: bōlaṇē chi nāhīm — ātām Devāviṇa kāhīm — there is nobōlaṇē(talking) — now — anything — except aboutDeva. The bhakta's speech-vow: no other-talk anymore. (Compare 1407's let-ears-hear-as-if-not-hearing; here let-the-mouth-not-talk-of-anything-else.)
The decisive single-act: ēka-sarēm kēlā nēma — Devā dilē krōdha-kāma — withone stroke(ēka-sarēm) — thenēma(= rule / vow) was made; — to Deva — (I)gave—krōdha-kāma(anger and lust). The one-stroke nēma: handing the inner enemies over to Hari. Krōdha and kāma (the two of the ṣaḍ-ripu = six-enemies) are given to Hari (= no longer my responsibility — they're his now). (Tuka's typical give-it-to-Hari move; compare 1414's tumacē māthām — let it be on your head.)
The eye-vow: pāhēna tē pāya — jōmvarī hē dṛṣṭi dhāya — I will look (pāhēna) — at thosepāya(feet); — until (jōmvarī) — this —dṛṣṭi(sight / faculty-of-seeing) — has itsdhāya(= fill / satisfaction). The dṛṣṭi — the seeing-faculty — must drink-its-fill of Hari's feet. (Compare dṛṣṭi-pāna = drinking-with-the-eyes — seeing-as-drinking, classical bhakti-trope.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē manēm — hē chi samkalpa vāhāṇē — Tuka says — by themana— this very (is) thesamkalpa— tovāhāṇē(= bear / carry / drive forth). The mind's resolution-to-bear-forward is just this: no other talk; krōdha-kāma given to Hari; sight drinks his feet.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no more talk now except of Deva; with one stroke, the vow was made — gave Hari krōdha-kāma; will look at those feet until sight has its fill; this is the mind's samkalpa to bear forward.
Where this applies
- When you decide to stop dwelling on gossip or negativity and want your speech to center on something higher
- When anger or craving keeps returning and you want to consciously hand that struggle over instead of fighting it alone
- When you long to fix your attention on one thing so completely that nothing else can distract your gaze
- When you need the clarity of a single, decisive resolve rather than a vague wish to change