Abhanga 1581
For today: searching cannot find you, so I cling to your feet; now let me not be seen by people, Nārāyaṇa — do this for me; the mind, having returned, has dissolved into its very own place; Tuka has forgotten — in speaking and walking, he has become mute.
The verse
शोधितां चि नये । म्हणोनि वोळगतों पाये ॥१॥ आतां दिसों नये जना । ऐसें करा नारायणा ॥ध्रु.॥ परतोनि मन । गेलें ठायीं चि मुरोन ॥२॥ विसरला तुका । बोलों चालों जाला मुका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Searching cannot find you — therefore I cling to your feet. Now let me not be seen by people — do thus, Nārāyaṇa. Returning, the mind has gone, dissolved in its very place. Tuka has forgotten — in speaking-walking, has become mute.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| शोधितां चि नये | "searching — cannot (na yē, = doesn't come)" |
| म्हणोनि वोळगतों पाये | "therefore — I cling (vōḷagatōm) — (to your) feet" |
| आतां दिसों नये जना | "now — let me not be seen — by people" |
| ऐसें करा नारायणा | "do thus (aisēm karā) — O Nārāyaṇa" |
| परतोनि मन | "returning — the mind" |
| गेलें ठायीं चि मुरोन | "has gone — into the place itself — dissolved (murōn)" |
| विसरला तुका | "Tuka — has forgotten" |
| बोलों चालों जाला मुका | "in speaking-walking — has become — mute (mukā)" |
What it means
Jīvan-mukta-silence abhang. A short, intense description of the post-realization-state.
The opening admission: śōdhitām chi nayē — mhaṇōni vōḷagatōm pāyē — searching cannot find — therefore I cling to the feet. Vōḷagaṇē — to cling, take refuge. Since searching doesn't yield, I just cling to the feet. (= jñāna-mārga-failure → bhakti-mārga-resolution.)
The disappearance-prayer: ātām disōm nayē janā — aisēm karā Nārāyaṇā — now, let me not be seen by people; do thus, O Nārāyaṇa. Disappear me from people's gaze — the mauna-vow; let me become invisible in social-world. (Pattern: post-mukta-withdrawal.)
The mind-image: paratōni mana — gēlēm ṭhāyīm chi murōn — returning, the mind has gone — dissolved (murōn) in its very place. Murōn — from muraṇē (= to ferment, to settle, to dissolve into). The mind, having returned, has dissolved into its own place. (= the mind has stopped going-out and dissolved at its source; classical manō-laya image.)
The closing-state: visaralā Tukā — bōlōm cālōm jālā mukā — Tuka has forgotten — in speaking-walking, has become mute. Tuka has forgotten (himself); in speech and movement, he has become mute. The forgotten-mute-walking-Tuka — the jīvan-mukta still functioning bodily, but silent within. (Pattern P10: jīvan-mukta-silence-register.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: searching cannot find you, so I cling to your feet; now let me not be seen by people, Nārāyaṇa — do this for me; the mind, having returned, has dissolved into its very own place; Tuka has forgotten — in speaking and walking, he has become mute.
Where this applies
- When endless searching and questioning have not given you the answer you wanted, and you decide to simply let go instead
- When you find yourself no longer craving attention or recognition and prefer to stay unnoticed
- When your racing thoughts finally settle inward instead of chasing outward distractions
- When you realize you have grown quiet inside even while still going through the motions of daily life