Abhanga 1550
For today: Hari doesn't hold his own shame to accomplish bhakti's cause; take refuge in him — he doesn't withhold power or life; in the Mahābhārata, he made Bhīṣma's vow true while protecting Arjuna (sacrificing his own vow); the pledge is in his hand, I've held him in my citta.
The verse
साधावया भक्तिकाज । नाहीं लाज हा धरीत ॥१॥ ऐसियासी शरण जावें । शक्ती जीवें न वंची ॥ध्रु.॥ भीष्मपण केला खरा । धनुर्धरा रक्षीलें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे साक्ष हातीं । तो म्यां चित्ती धरियेला ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: To accomplish bhakti-kāja — Hari doesn't hold lāja. To such (a one), take refuge — śakti-jīvēm doesn't deceive. Bhīṣma's vow was made true — dhanur-dhara was protected. Tuka says: sākṣa is in his hand — that one I've held in citta.
मराठी: साधावया — भक्ति-काज; — नाहीं — लाज — हा — धरीत. ऐसियासी — शरण — जावें; — शक्ती — जीवें — न — वंची. भीष्म-पण — केला — खरा; — धनुर्-धरा — रक्षीलें. Tukā म्हणे — साक्ष — हातीं; — तो — म्यां — चित्ती — धरियेला.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| साधावया भक्तिकाज | "to accomplish — bhakti-kāja (bhakti-cause)" |
| नाहीं लाज हा धरीत | "does not — hold — lāja (= shame / face)" |
| ऐसियासी शरण जावें | "to such (a one) — take refuge" |
| शक्ती जीवें न वंची | "by śakti, jīva — does not deceive (vañcī)" |
| भीष्मपण केला खरा | "Bhīṣma's vow — made — true" |
| धनुर्धरा रक्षीलें | "the dhanur-dhara (bow-bearer, Arjuna) — was protected" |
| तुका म्हणे साक्ष हातीं | "Tuka says — sākṣa (proof / pledge) — in (his) hand" |
| तो म्यां चित्ती धरियेला | "that one — by me — held — in citta" |
What it means
Bhīṣma-vow-and-Arjuna-protected paradox abhang. The opening: sādhāvayā bhakti-kāja — nāhīm lāja hā dharīta — to accomplish — bhakti-kāja — Hari does not hold — lāja (= shame / loss-of-face). Hari sets aside personal-honor / shame to accomplish the bhakta's cause. (Compare 1549 (just-prior)'s āpuliyā-lājā-dhāvē-bhakta-kāja — there: runs FOR his honor; here: abandons his honor. The pair: Hari acts both for-and-against his own face for the bhakta's sake.)
The instruction: aisiyāsī śaraṇa jāvēm — śakti jīvēm na vañcī — to such (a one), take refuge; — by śakti, jīva — does not deceive. Take refuge in such a one — he doesn't withhold strength or life. Vañcī — deceive / withhold; Hari doesn't withhold his power or life-energy* from the bhakta.
The famous-paradox: Bhīṣma-paṇa kēlā kharā — dhanur-dharā rakṣīlēm — Bhīṣma's vow — was made true; — the dhanur-dhara (= Arjuna) — was protected. The classical Mahābhārata paradox: In the war, Bhīṣma had vowed "I will not allow Arjuna to live" — and Kṛṣṇa had vowed "I will not bear arms"; — at the climax, Kṛṣṇa took up a chariot-wheel as weapon, contradicting his own vow, to make Bhīṣma's vow effectively-true (Bhīṣma had vowed Arjuna would either die or Kṛṣṇa would take arms; by taking arms, Kṛṣṇa fulfilled the vow on Bhīṣma's terms while protecting Arjuna). Both vows kept; bhakta protected. Hari sacrifices his own vow to make the bhakta's-enemy's vow true while saving the bhakta*.
The closing-pledge: sākṣa hātīm — tō myām cittī dhariyēlā — the sākṣa (= proof / pledge) — in (his) hand; — that one — by me — held — in citta. He has the pledge in his hand; I've held him in my citta.
[T]
For someone today
For today: Hari doesn't hold his own shame to accomplish bhakti's cause; take refuge in him — he doesn't withhold power or life; in the Mahābhārata, he made Bhīṣma's vow true while protecting Arjuna (sacrificing his own vow); the pledge is in his hand, I've held him in my citta.
Where this applies
- Hari-no-shame-for-bhakti-cause.* Sādhāvayā-bhakti-kāja-lāja-na.
- Take-refuge-doesn't-withhold-power.* Śaraṇa-śakti-jīvēm-na-vañcī.
- Bhīṣma-vow-true-Arjuna-protected.* Bhīṣma-paṇa-kharā-dhanur-dhara-rakṣīlēm.
- Pledge-in-hand-held-in-citta.* Sākṣa-hātīm-cittī-dhariyēlā.