Abhanga 1548
For today: mind, do only this one work — recite Rāma-Rāma; let only this spell cling — Govinda-Govinda; mind, give me, the poor one, the alms (of recitation).
The verse
करीं हें चि काम । मना जपें राम राम ॥१॥ लागो हा चि छंद । मना गोविंद गोविंद ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मना । मज भीक द्यावी दीना ॥३॥
Literal translation
Do just this work — manā, jap Rāma Rāma. Let only this chanda cling — manā, Gōvinda Gōvinda. Tuka says: manā — give bhīka to me, the dīna.
मराठी: करीं — हें — चि — काम; — मना — जपें — राम — राम. लागो — हा — चि — छंद; — मना — गोविंद — गोविंद. Tukā म्हणे — मना; — मज — भीक — द्यावी — दीना.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| करीं हें चि काम | "do — just this (hē chi) — work" |
| मना जपें राम राम | "manā — jap (recite) — Rāma Rāma" |
| लागो हा चि छंद | "let cling (lāgō) — just this (hā chi) — chanda (spell)" |
| मना गोविंद गोविंद | "manā — Gōvinda Gōvinda" |
| तुका म्हणे मना | "Tuka says — manā" |
| मज भीक द्यावी दीना | "to me — bhīka (alms) — should be given — dīna (poor one)" |
What it means
Mind-do-only-this-work abhang. A direct-command-to-one's-own-mind. The opening: karīm hē chi kāma — manā japēm Rāma Rāma — do —just this— work; —manā—jap—Rāma Rāma. Mind, do only this one work: recite Rāma-Rāma. (Compare 1417's bōlaṇē-Devāviṇa-na — no other talk; here as direct-mind-instruction.)
The single-spell: lāgō hā chi chanda — manā Gōvinda Gōvinda — let cling —just this—chanda(= spell / addiction); —manā—Gōvinda Gōvinda. Mind, let only this spell cling: Govinda-Govinda. (Compare 1526's chanda-yā-nāmācā-ghētalāsē — same nāma-chanda image; here as request to mind.)
The closing: manā — maja bhīka dyāvī dīnā — manā — to me — bhīka (alms) — should be given — to (the) dīna (poor).Mind, give me alms — to me, the poor one. Striking-self-image:Tuka begs alms from his own mind. (Inverse of usual usage:the bhakta-poet begs himself. Compare 1497'syācaka-bhīkārī-Hari-deva — same begging-mode, here directed at his own mind.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: mind, do only this one work — recite Rāma-Rāma; let only this spell cling — Govinda-Govinda; mind, give me, the poor one, the alms (of recitation).
Where this applies
- When your mind is scattered across a dozen worries and you need to give it one single, clear instruction
- When you notice you already fall into obsessive thinking and want to redirect that same intensity toward something worthwhile
- When you feel too weak-willed to pray steadily and want to plead with your own mind the way a beggar pleads for alms
- When you want a simple daily practice of repeating one name until it becomes second nature