Abhanga 1481
Keep outward needs minimal, keep the heart full and the mind unbound, and free yourself moment by moment from the tangle of restless instincts and moods.
The verse
निर्वाहापुरतें अन्न आच्छादन । आश्रमासी स्थान कोंपी गुहा ॥१॥ कोठें ही चित्तासी नसावें बंधन । हृदयीं नारायण सांटवावा ॥ध्रु.॥ नये बोलों फार बैसों जनामधीं । सावधान बुद्धी इंद्रियें दमी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे घडी घडीनें साधावी । त्रिगुणांची गोवी उगवूनि ॥३॥
Literal translation
Just-enough nirvāha-anna-ācchādana — for āśrama, kōmpī or guhā as sthāna. Nowhere should citta have bandhana — Nārāyaṇa in hṛdaya, stored. Don't talk much, don't sit among jana — sāvadhāna buddhi, indriyas dami. Tuka says: every ghaḍī should be sādhāvī — by unweaving tri-guṇa's gōvī.
मराठी: निर्वाहा-पुरतें — अन्न — आच्छादन; — आश्रमासी — स्थान — कोंपी — गुहा. कोठें — ही — चित्तासी — नसावें — बंधन; — हृदयीं — नारायण — सांटवावा. नये — बोलों — फार — बैसों — जना-मधीं; — सावधान — बुद्धी — इंद्रियें — दमी. Tukā म्हणे — घडी — घडीनें — साधावी; — त्रि-गुणांची — गोवी — उगवूनि.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| निर्वाहापुरतें अन्न आच्छादन | "nirvāhā (subsistence) — sufficient (puratēm) — anna (food), ācchādana (clothing)" |
| आश्रमासी स्थान कोंपी गुहा | "for āśrama — sthāna (place) — kōmpī (= small-hut), guhā (cave)" |
| कोठें ही चित्तासी नसावें बंधन | "nowhere — should citta — have bandhana (binding)" |
| हृदयीं नारायण सांटवावा | "in (the) hṛdaya — Nārāyaṇa — should be stored (sāṭavāvā)" |
| नये बोलों फार बैसों जनामधीं | "don't speak much (bōlōm phāra) — don't sit (baisōm) — among the jana" |
| सावधान बुद्धी इंद्रियें दमी | "sāvadhāna (alert) — buddhi; — indriyas — damī (control)" |
| तुका म्हणे घडी घडीनें साधावी | "Tuka says — ghaḍī (= moment) — by every ghaḍī — should be gained (sādhāvī)" |
| त्रिगुणांची गोवी उगवूनि | "of tri-guṇas — gōvī (= entanglement / weave) — ugavūnī (= unweaving)" |
What it means
Inner-samnyāsa-routine abhang. A practical-companion to 1480's self-portrait. The opening: nirvāhāpuratēm anna ācchādana — āśramāsī sthāna kōmpī guhā — just-enough —anna(food),ācchādana(clothing); — for theāśrama—sthāna(place) —kōmpī(small hut) orguhā(cave). The minimal-needs principle: only what subsistence requires — food, clothing, hut.
The interior-rule: kōṭhēm hī cittāsī nasāvēm bandhana — hṛdayīm Nārāyaṇa sāṭavāvā — nowhere should thecittahavebandhana; — in thehṛdaya—Nārāyaṇa— should be stored. No citta-binding anywhere; Hari stored in the heart. (= outer-minimum + inner-fullness formula.)
The behavior-rule: nayē bōlōm phāra baisōm janā-madhī — sāvadhāna buddhī indriyēm damī — don't talk much, don't sit much among people; —alert buddhi— controls theindriyas. Minimal social-engagement + alert-buddhi (= active-self-discipline). (Compare 1410's sāvadhāna-buddhī — same alert-buddhi prescription.)
The closing-discipline: ghaḍī ghaḍīnēm sādhāvī — tri-guṇāñcī gōvī ugavūnī — everyghaḍī(24-minute unit) — should begained(sādhāvī); — thetri-guṇa'sgōvī(= entanglement / weave) —unweaving. Moment-by-moment, gain — by unweaving the three-guṇa-knot. The gōvī-image: the three-guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas) form agōvī(interlaced fabric / knot) that the bhakta unweaves moment-by-moment. (Compare Bhagavad-Gītā 14.5 onward — the triguṇa-bondage. Sādhanā-as-unweaving is a distinctive Tukaram-image.)
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For someone today
For today: just-enough food-clothing-hut for living; no citta-bondage anywhere — Hari stored in the heart; don't talk much, don't sit among people, keep alert buddhi controlling the indriyas; every ghaḍī gained by unweaving the three-guṇa fabric.
Where this applies
- When you're overwhelmed by wanting more possessions, comfort, or status than you actually need
- When you notice your mind getting entangled in a person, outcome, or habit and losing its freedom
- When you've spent too much time talking or socializing and feel scattered afterward
- When you want a simple daily practice instead of one big dramatic gesture