Abhanga 1521

For today: like sun-in-pot reflected-yet-unattached, fire-in-wood latent-yet-real — so Nārāyaṇa is in the jīva, operating as witness; each body has its own bhoga and bhinna prārabdha; Gōsāvī himself takes color in the varied show; body is samkalpa-shaped, one strange to another, three-fold karmas — but Hari's judgment unwinds the contrivance.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Sun-in-pot-Hari-in-jīva abhang. The opening cluster of indwelling-images: ghaṭīm alipta asē ravi — agni kāṣṭhā-mājhī jēvī — taisā Nārāyaṇa jīvīm — jīva-sākṣī-vartanē — thesun is unattachedin theghaṭa(pot of water — i.e., the sun reflected-but-untouched); —fire is in wood—just so; —Nārāyaṇa in the jīva—operating as jīva-witness. Two classical indwelling-images: (1) sun-in-pot (the reflection, present-but-unattached); (2) fire-in-wood (latent-presence, manifest-on-friction). Hari in the jīva is just so — jīva-sākṣī-vartana: operating as the jīva's witness while remaining unattached.

The varied-prārabdha: bhōga jyācē tayā angī — bhinna prārabdha jagīm — vicitra yē rangīm — rangēm rangalā Gōsāvī — bhōga — belongs to whose body; — bhinna (varied) prārabdhas in the world; — vicitra in this ranga; — Gōsāvī — rangalā in ranga. Each body has its own bhoga; varied prārabdhas; theGōsāvī (Hari) himself takes on color in this varied-show. (= Hari's līlā-of-color-taking in the prārabdha-game.)

The body-formula: dēha samkalpā-sārikhēm — ēka ēkānsī pārikhēm — sukha āṇi duḥkhēm — angī karmēm tri-vidha — thedēha—like the samkalpa(= shaped-by-resolve); —one(body) —strangetoanother; —sukha and duḥkhas; — in body —three-fold karmas(samcita, prārabdha, kriyamāṇa). Each body is samkalpa-shaped (= manifested as resolve dictates); each is alien-to-the-other; each carries three-fold-karmas.

The closing-resolution: kōḍē — na kaḷē tayāsī sānkaḍē — tyāciyā nivāḍēm — ugavē kēlēm vindāna — to thekōḍa(= puzzle) — to that one —sānkaḍa(= constraint) — is not known; — byhis(= Hari's)nivāḍa(= judgment / settlement) — thekēlēm vindāna(= contrivance / set-up) —unwinds.The puzzle has no constraint for him; by his judgment, the contrivance untwists.

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For someone today

For today: like sun-in-pot reflected-yet-unattached, fire-in-wood latent-yet-real — so Nārāyaṇa is in the jīva, operating as witness; each body has its own bhoga and bhinna prārabdha; Gōsāvī himself takes color in the varied show; body is samkalpa-shaped, one strange to another, three-fold karmas — but Hari's judgment unwinds the contrivance.

Where this applies

• When you feel confused about why your life circumstances differ so much from someone else's
• When you're struggling with something that feels tangled and unsolvable
• When you want a way to picture God's presence as close but not overwhelmed by your suffering
• When you're comparing your fate to another's and feeling that life isn't fair

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is