Abhanga 1656
When devotion becomes complete, even basic needs and lesser duties fall away, and a person willingly stakes everything on that one overriding love.
The verse
नको ऐसें जालें अन्न । भूक तान ते गेली ॥१॥ गोविंदाची आवडी जीवा । करीन सेवा धणीवरी ॥ध्रु.॥ राहिलें तें राहो काम । सकळ धर्म देहीचे ॥२॥ देह घरिला त्याचें फळ । आणीक काळ धन्य हा ॥३॥ जाऊं नेदीं करितां सोस । क्षेमा दोष करवीन ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे या च पाठी । आता साटी जीवाची ॥५॥
Literal translation
Food has become not-wanted — hunger-thirst has gone. Govinda's longing in soul — will do sēvā till sated. What's left, let it stay — all dharma of the body. Body taken, its fruit — another time, this is blessed. Won't let it go in pursuit — will set up kṣemā-doṣa. Tuka says: behind this, now — life-stake.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नको ऐसें जालें अन्न | "not-wanted — has become — food" |
| भूक तान ते गेली | "hunger-thirst — that has gone" |
| गोविंदाची आवडी जीवा | "Govinda's longing — to soul" |
| करीन सेवा धणीवरी | "will do sēvā — till sated" |
| राहिलें तें राहो काम | "what's left — let it stay — work" |
| सकळ धर्म देहीचे | "all dharma — of body" |
| देह घरिला त्याचें फळ | "body taken — its fruit" |
| आणीक काळ धन्य हा | "another time — blessed — this" |
| जाऊं नेदीं करितां सोस | "won't let — go — making-pursuit" |
| क्षेमा दोष करवीन | "kṣemā-doṣa — will set up" |
| तुका म्हणे या च पाठी | "Tuka says — behind this" |
| आता साटी जीवाची | "now — life-stake" |
What it means
Food-rejected + life-staked-on-bhakti abhang. A radical-renunciatory pre-vaikuṇṭha declaration.
The food-rejection: nakō aisēm jālēm anna — bhūka tāna tē gēlī — food has become not-wanted — hunger-thirst has gone. The bodily-needs themselves have gone; food no longer interests.
The Govinda-sēvā: Govindācī āvaḍī jīvā — karīna sēvā dhaṇī-varī — Govinda's longing in the soul — will do sēvā till sated (dhaṇī-varī = until-the-fill, until-satisfied). Will perform service until completely-sated.
The let-rest-stay: rāhilēm tē rāhō kāma — sakaḷa dharma dēhīcē — what's left, let it stay — all body-dharmas. Whatever-remains-to-do, let it remain (= not pursuing other body-duties further).
The body-fruit: dēha gharilā tyācēm phaḷa — āṇīka kāḷa dhanya hā — body taken — its fruit — this time blessed. The fruit of having-taken-this-body is now-being-realized; this very time is blessed.
The kṣemā-doṣa: jā'ūm nēdī karitām sōsa — kṣēmā dōṣa karavīna — won't let go in pursuit — will set up kṣemā-doṣa. Sōsa = bearing-effort, pursuit; kṣemā-doṣa = the kṣema-and-the-fault (= a bipolar accounting setup — good vs. fault; or alternatively: kṣemā-doṣa = will create a kṣema-and-call-it-a-doṣa = will own up to whatever fault is needed). Cryptic-folk-line: I will not let-it-go-in-effort; I will own-up-and-establish-the-accounting-of-kṣema-and-doṣa.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē yā chi pāṭhī — ātām sāṭī jīvācī — Tuka says: behind this — now, life-stake. Sāṭī = the stake / the wager / the deposit. Behind this (cause), my very life is now staked.
This abhang reads as a pre-vaikuṇṭha-departure declaration: body-needs gone; will serve till sated; let body-dharmas remain; body's-fruit realized; life-staked behind it. The radical-renunciation is the threshold-of-ascension-state.
[T]
For someone today
For today: food has become not-wanted — hunger-and-thirst have gone; Govinda's longing has filled my soul — I will do service until I am sated; whatever else is left to do, let it stay — all the body-dharmas; the body has been taken, this is its fruit — and this time is blessed; I won't let it go even with pursuit — I'll set up the accounting of kṣema-and-doṣa; Tuka says — behind this, my very life is now staked.
Where this applies
- When a passion or calling has grown so strong that everyday comforts and needs start to feel unimportant.
- When you decide to let lesser tasks and obligations wait so you can give yourself fully to what matters most.
- When you feel that simply being alive right now, in this moment, already feels like enough of a gift.
- When you commit to something so completely that you're willing to stake your whole effort and life on it.