Abhanga 1583
For today: I let myself be called a servant, but inwardly I am detached; this very firm-decision is mine, yet I am other than the decision; doership proceeds through my will, but I am distinct from that doership too.
The verse
म्हणवितों दास । परि मी असें उदास ॥१॥ हा चि निश्चय माझा । परि मी निश्चयाहुनि दुजा ॥ध्रु.॥ सरतें कर्तुत्व माझ्यानें । परि मी त्याही हून भिन्न ॥२॥
Literal translation
I let myself be called dāsa — but I am udāsa. This very niścaya is mine — but I am other than the niścaya. Kartutva passes by my will — but I am distinct from that too.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| म्हणवितों दास | "I let myself be called — dāsa (servant)" |
| परि मी असें उदास | "but — I am — udāsa (= detached / indifferent)" |
| हा चि निश्चय माझा | "this very — niścaya (decision) — is mine" |
| परि मी निश्चयाहुनि दुजा | "but — I — am other (dujā) — than the niścaya" |
| सरतें कर्तुत्व माझ्यानें | "kartutva (doership) — passes (saratēm) — by my (will)" |
| परि मी त्याही हून भिन्न | "but — I — from that too — am distinct (bhinna)" |
What it means
Jīvan-mukta-distinct-from-action abhang. Three paradox-statements of the post-realization-self.
Para. 1: mhaṇavitōm dāsa — parī mī asēm udāsa — I let myself be called dāsa (= servant) — but I am udāsa (= detached, indifferent). The outer-role is dāsa (the bhakti-servant); the inner-state is udāsa (the witnessing-detachment). Mhaṇavitōm — I let people call me / I get myself called. Tukaram acknowledges his public-identity as dāsa but distinguishes his inner-state.
Para. 2 (dhṛuva): hā chi niścaya mājhā — parī mī niścayā-huni dujā — this very niścaya (decision / certainty) is mine — but I am other than the niścaya. Even his firm-resolution is something he is other than. The I behind the niścaya is not the niścaya.
Para. 3: saratēm kartutva mājhyānēm — parī mī tyāhī huna bhinna — kartutva passes by my will / through me — but I am distinct from that too. Saratēm kartutva mājhyānēm — doership passes off / proceeds from my (agent-side). But I am distinct from that doership too. The witness-stands-apart-from-doership — classical Bhagavad-Gītā 3.27 pattern (the ahankāra-vimūḍha thinks "I am the doer"; in truth, all action is prakṛti's).
The triadic-pattern: role (dāsa), certainty (niścaya), action (kartutva) — for each, outer-form yes, but I-am-other. The jīvan-mukta-self is behind all three layers.
[T]
For someone today
For today: I let myself be called a servant, but inwardly I am detached; this very firm-decision is mine, yet I am other than the decision; doership proceeds through my will, but I am distinct from that doership too.
Where this applies
- When you play a role like employee or caregiver fully but know your inner sense of self is bigger than that title
- When you hold a strong opinion but stay open enough to notice that you are not the same as the opinion
- When you take credit or blame for something you did while quietly knowing you are more than the sum of your actions
- When someone tries to define you entirely by your job, decision, or past action, and you sense that is not the whole truth