Abhanga 1526

For today: sense-objects forgotten without remainder, Brahma-rasa imprinted in the very body; speech becomes unmanageable to me — the name's spell has taken over; mind chases the gain like a miser chases wealth; at the Gangā-sea confluence, all the waves became one-substance.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Brahma-rasa-imprinted-in-body abhang. The opening: viṣayīm visara paḍilā niḥśēṣa — angīm Brahma-rasa ṭhasāvalā — inviṣayas —forgetting— has fallen —niḥśēṣa(= without remainder); — in (the) body —Brahma-rasa— has beenimprinted. Sense-objects entirely forgotten; Brahma-rasa imprinted into the very body. The ṭhasāvalā — imprinted, stamped-in — like a seal-mark; Brahma-rasa is now part of the body. (Compare 1510's angā ālā Śrī-ranga — same body-level claim.)

The speech-state: mājhī maja jhālī anāvara vācā — chanda yā nāmācā ghētalāsē — my own — to me — has become —unmanageable—vācā; —chanda(spell / addiction) of thisnāma— has beentaken. My own speech has become unmanageable for me; the name's spell has taken-over. (Compare 1412's vācā guṇīm lāñcāvalī — speech bribed by virtues; same theme. Tuka's-mouth-no-longer-his-own.)

The miser-image: lābhāciyā sōsē puḍhēm cālī manā — dhanācā kṛpaṇā lōbha jaisā — by thesōsaoflābha—manā walks ahead—likethemiser's —lōbha— fordhana. The mind chases-after-the-gain (= bhakti-gain) —like a miser running after wealth. (Striking-comparison: bhakti-craving paralleled to miser's-greed.)

The closing-Gangā-sea-image: Gangā-sāgara-sangamīm — avaghyā jālyā ūrmi ēka-maya — at theGangā-sāgara-sangama(= confluence of Gangā with sea); — allūrmis — have becomeēka-maya(= one-substance). At the confluence, all waves become one-substance. (= the bhakta has reached the sangama where bhakti-waves and Brahman-sea become one. Compare 1469's viśva-Viśvambharīm-sāmāvalēm — cosmos-merged; same merger-mode.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: sense-objects forgotten without remainder, Brahma-rasa imprinted in the very body; speech becomes unmanageable to me — the name's spell has taken over; mind chases the gain like a miser chases wealth; at the Gangā-sea confluence, all the waves became one-substance.

Where this applies

• When a practice or love becomes so central that other pleasures stop competing for your attention
• When you find yourself repeating a name or phrase almost without meaning to
• When you notice you are chasing something meaningful the way others chase money, single mindedly
• When separate parts of your life start to feel like they are merging into one larger whole

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with