Abhanga 1624
English: When it comes to Deva's mind — there no one's will runs.
The verse
आलें देवाचिया मना । तेथें कोणाचें चालेना ॥१॥ हरिश्चंद्र ताराराणी । वाहे डोंबा घरीं पाणी ॥ध्रु.॥ पांडवांचा साहाकारी । राज्यावरोनि केले दुरी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे उगेचि राहा । होईंल तें सहज पाहा ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: When it comes to Deva's mind — there no one's will runs. Hariścandra and Tārā-rāṇī — bear water at the Ḍoma's house. The helper-of-Pāṇḍavas — was made distant from rājya. Tuka says: just stay quiet — see what will be naturally.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आलें देवाचिया मना | "when come — to Deva's mind" |
| तेथें कोणाचें चालेना | "there — no one's — runs" |
| हरिश्चंद्र ताराराणी | "Hariścandra — Tārā-rāṇī" |
| वाहे डोंबा घरीं पाणी | "bear — at Ḍoma's house — water" |
| पांडवांचा साहाकारी | "the helper-of-Pāṇḍavas" |
| राज्यावरोनि केले दुरी | "from rājya — was made distant" |
| तुका म्हणे उगेचि राहा | "Tuka says — just stay quiet" |
| होईंल तें सहज पाहा | "what will be — naturally — see" |
What it means
Deva-mind-determines abhang. Two famous mythic-precedents.
The opening principle: ālēm Devāciyā manā — tēthē kōṇācēm cālēnā — when something comes to Deva's mind — there no one else's will runs. Cālēnā = doesn't run / doesn't proceed. Once Deva has decided, no other will moves there.
Precedent 1 — Hariścandra: Hariścandra Tārā-rāṇī — vāhē Ḍombā gharīm pāṇī — Hariścandra and Tārā-rāṇī bear water at the Ḍoma's house. The Hariścandra story: King Hariścandra (= truth-king of pre-Mahābhārata legend) was tested by Viśvāmitra: he gave away his entire kingdom, then his wife (Tārā-rāṇī, more commonly Tārāmatī), then their son, then sold himself to a Ḍoma (= a low-caste cremation-ground attendant). The royal-king and royal-queen carried-water at the Ḍoma's-house — the highest royals reduced to lowest service. Despite their dharma, their Deva-determined-fate placed them in the Ḍoma's-water-bearing.
Precedent 2 — Pāṇḍavas: Pāṇḍavāñcā sāhakārī — rājyā-varōni kēlē durī — the helper-of-Pāṇḍavas was made distant from rājya. The Mahābhārata story: Even with Kṛṣṇa as their helper, the Pāṇḍavas were exiled from the kingdom for 13 years (the vana-vāsa + ajñāta-vāsa). Even Kṛṣṇa-as-helper could not prevent their displacement. (Or alternatively: even they who were the Pāṇḍavas' helper got distanced — Kṛṣṇa himself eventually was kept at a distance from the Yadava-kingdom before Mausala-parva.)
The lesson: Tukā mhaṇē ugē-chi rāhā — hō'īla tēm sahaja pāhā — Tuka says: just stay quiet — see what will be naturally. Ugē-chi rāhā = just stay quiet, just sit still. What will happen will happen naturally.
This abhang is one of Tukaram's strongest fate-acceptance statements, anchored in two of the most-famous mythic-displacement-stories: a truth-king reduced to water-carrier, and the rightful-heirs exiled from kingdom. Even the highest are subject to Deva's-decree.
[T]
For someone today
For today: when something comes into Deva's mind — there, no one else's will can run; even Hariścandra-the-truth-king and Tārā-rāṇī had to bear water at the Ḍoma's house; even the Pāṇḍavas, who had Kṛṣṇa as their helper, were distanced from their kingdom; Tuka says — just stay quiet — see what will be, naturally.
Where this applies
- Deva's-mind-no-one-else's-will-runs.* Devāciyā-manā-kōṇācēm-cālēnā.
- Hariścandra-Tārā-rāṇī-water-at-Ḍoma-house.* Hariścandra-Tārā-rāṇī-Ḍombā-gharīm-pāṇī.
- Pāṇḍavas'-helper-distant-from-rājya.* Pāṇḍava-sāhakārī-rājyā-durī.
- Stay-quiet-see-naturally.* Ugē-chi-rāhā-sahaja-pāhā.