Abhanga 1525
For today: the cupped-hand is the water-vessel for the digambara; Deva is essential in the mana, attentive only in contemplation; alms like the wish-cow, sleep in the open-air; the directions are wrapped around me, dwelling in the unmarked.
The verse
पाणिपात्र दिगांबरा । हस्त करा सारिखे ॥१॥ आवश्यक देव मनीं । चिंतनींच सादर ॥ध्रु.॥ भिक्षा कामधेनुऐशी । अवकाशीं शयन ॥२॥ पांघरोनि तुका दिशा । केला वास अलक्षीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Water-vessel for the digambara — hasta-as-kara. Āvaśyaka Deva in mana — sādara only in cintana. Bhikṣā like kāmadhenu — śayana in avakāśa. Tuka wrapping the diśā — made vāsa in alakṣa.
मराठी: पाणि-पात्र — दिगांबरा; — हस्त — करा — सारिखे. आवश्यक — देव — मनीं; — चिंतनीं — च — सादर. भिक्षा — कामधेनु-ऐशी; — अवकाशीं — शयन. पांघरोनि — Tukā — दिशा; — केला — वास — अलक्षीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पाणिपात्र दिगांबरा | "water-vessel — for the digambara (sky-clad)" |
| हस्त करा सारिखे | "hasta (hand) — equal to — the kara (= cup-of-the-hand)" |
| आवश्यक देव मनीं | "āvaśyaka (= essential / indispensable) — Deva — in (the) mana" |
| चिंतनींच सादर | "in cintana alone (chi) — sādara (= attentively / reverently)" |
| भिक्षा कामधेनुऐशी | "bhikṣā (alms) — like — kāma-dhenu (= wish-fulfilling cow)" |
| अवकाशीं शयन | "in avakāśa (= open-air / sky) — śayana (sleep)" |
| पांघरोनि तुका दिशा | "covering / wrapping — Tuka — the diśās" |
| केला वास अलक्षीं | "made dwelling — in alakṣa (= unmarked / unseen)" |
What it means
Digambara-internal-samnyāsi portrait abhang. A minimalist-portrait of the realized renouncer. The opening: pāṇi-pātra digāmbarā — hasta karā sārikhē — the water-vessel — for thedigambara(= naked / sky-clad); — thehasta(hand) — equal to thekara(= cupped-palm). The naked-renouncer's water-vessel is just his cupped-hand. (Minimalism: even the clay-vessel is unnecessary; the body itself provides.)
The Hari-essential: āvaśyaka Deva manīm — cintanīm chi sādara — theessential—Deva— in (the)mana; —attentiveonly — incintana. The only essential is Deva-in-the-mana; attention only in cintana.
The food-and-rest: bhikṣā kāma-dhēnu-aiśī — avakāśīm śayana — bhikṣā — like kāma-dhenu (= wish-fulfilling cow); — śayana (sleep) — in avakāśa (= open-air / sky).The bhikṣā-alms are like the kāmadhenu (= they fulfill all wishes); sleep is in the open-sky.
The closing-cosmic-portrait: pāngharōnī Tukā diśā — kēlā vāsa alakṣīm — Tuka —wrapping / putting-around-himself— thediśās (directions); —has made dwelling— inalakṣa(= unmarked / unseen / non-defined). The four-directions are Tuka's wraparound-cloak; his dwelling is in the unmarked. Beautiful image: the directions themselves are his garment; his abode is in the formless / non-located. Compare 1480's bahir-vāsa-au-ṭhaḍē — sky-bare outer-garment; same theme of cosmic-dimensions as wraparound.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the cupped-hand is the water-vessel for the digambara; Deva is essential in the mana, attentive only in contemplation; alms like the wish-cow, sleep in the open-air; the directions are wrapped around me, dwelling in the unmarked.
Where this applies
- When you are drawn to owning less and needing less to feel whole
- When you want to notice how little is actually necessary for a good day
- When you feel at home anywhere rather than tied to one place or possession
- When you want your attention on what matters most instead of on comfort or accumulation