Abhanga 1680
For today: if such inner-truth actually comes into me — then grant me grace, Devā; when the chitta agitates following the words, the outer-words very-much become the inner-bhāva; then give me a place near your feet — truly you know the real servant; Tuka says — only to the true-near servant should the bhātukē-prema-package be given.
The verse
ऐसें सत्य माझें येईंल अंतरा । तरि मज करा कृपा देवा ॥१॥ वचनांसारिखें तळमळी चत्ति । बाहेरि तो आंत होइल भाव ॥ध्रु.॥ तरि मज ठाव द्यावा पायांपाशीं । सत्यत्वें जाणसी दास खरा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सत्य निकट सेवकें । तरि च भातुकें प्रेम द्यावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
If such truth comes to my inner, then make me kṛpā, Devā. Following the words, chitta agitates — the outer that-very will become inner bhāva. Then give me a place near your feet — truly you know the real dāsa. Tuka says: true-near sēvaka — only then should bhātukē-prema be given.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐसें सत्य माझें येईंल अंतरा | "such truth — if it comes — to my inner" |
| तरि मज करा कृपा देवा | "then — make me — kṛpā — Devā" |
| वचनांसारिखें तळमळी चत्ति | "following the words — agitates — chitta" |
| बाहेरि तो आंत होइल भाव | "outer — that-very — inside — will be — bhāva" |
| तरि मज ठाव द्यावा पायांपाशीं | "then — give me a place — near (your) feet" |
| सत्यत्वें जाणसी दास खरा | "truly — you know — the real dāsa" |
| तुका म्हणे सत्य निकट सेवकें | "Tuka says — true-near sēvaka" |
| तरि च भातुकें प्रेम द्यावें | "only then — bhātukē-prema — should be given" |
What it means
Test-of-truth-of-bhakta + bhātukē-prema-only-to-true-sēvaka abhang.
The conditional: aisēm satya mājhēm yē'īla antarā — tari maja karā kṛpā Devā — if such truth comes to my inner — then make me kṛpā, Devā. The conditional-petition: grace only conditional on truth-coming-into-inner.
The outer-inner: vacanām-sārikhēm taḷamaḷī chitti — bāhērī tō āmta hō'īla bhāva — following the words, chitta agitates — the outer-that-very inside will be bhāva. Taḷamaḷī = agitates restlessly. When chitta is agitated by following the words, the outer-becomes-inner-bhāva. (= the words spoken-aloud become inner-bhāva-after-internalization.)
The conditional-place: tari maja ṭhāva dyāvā pāyām-pāśīm — satyatvē jāṇasī dāsa kharā — then give me a place at feet — truly you know the real dāsa.
The closing principle: Tukā mhaṇē satya nikaṭa sēvakē — tari chi bhātukēm prēma dyāvēm — Tuka says: to true-near sēvaka — only then should bhātukē-prema be given. Bhātukē-prema = prema-as-snack-package (cf. 1652, 1657). Only to the genuinely-near servant should the bhātukē-prema be given — the Lord must distinguish the true from the false.
[T]
For someone today
For today: if such inner-truth actually comes into me — then grant me grace, Devā; when the chitta agitates following the words, the outer-words very-much become the inner-bhāva; then give me a place near your feet — truly you know the real servant; Tuka says — only to the true-near servant should the bhātukē-prema-package be given.
Where this applies
- When you catch yourself reciting prayers by rote without feeling anything inside
- When you wonder whether your devotion is genuine or just a performance for others to see
- When you feel restless and moved during worship and sense the words finally reaching your heart
- When you want closeness with God but know that closeness has to be earned through real sincerity, not just claimed