Abhanga 1681
Since God already knows your whole story and your own effort accomplishes little, the wise response is humble surrender, trusting that whatever the generous giver decides will simply happen.
The verse
आदि वर्तमान जाणसी भविष्य । मागें पुढें नीस संचिताचा ॥१॥ आतां काय देऊं पायांपें परिहार । जाणां तो विचार करा देवा ॥ध्रु.॥ आपुलें तें येथें काय चाले केलें । जोडावे ते भले हात पुढें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे फिके बोल माझे वारा । कराल दातारा होईंल तें ॥३॥
Literal translation
You know ādi-vartamāna-bhaviṣya — behind, ahead, the rope of samcita. Now what to give at feet as parihāra — do the vicāra you know, Devā. What works here by one's-own doing? — the good ones join hands ahead. Tuka says: my fading words are air — what dātāra makes, will happen.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आदि वर्तमान जाणसी भविष्य | "ādi-vartamāna — you know — bhaviṣya" |
| मागें पुढें नीस संचिताचा | "behind, ahead — rope — of samcita" |
| आतां काय देऊं पायांपें परिहार | "now — what to give — at feet — as parihāra" |
| जाणां तो विचार करा देवा | "the vicāra you know — do, Devā" |
| आपुलें तें येथें काय चाले केलें | "one's-own — what works — here — done" |
| जोडावे ते भले हात पुढें | "the good (ones) — join — hands ahead" |
| तुका म्हणे फिके बोल माझे वारा | "Tuka says — fading — my words — air" |
| कराल दातारा होईंल तें | "what dātāra makes — will happen" |
What it means
Past-present-future-known-to-Lord + leave-it-to-dātāra abhang.
The opening: ādi vartamāna jāṇasī bhaviṣya — māgē puḍhē nīsa samcitācā — you know ādi (past), vartamāna (present), bhaviṣya (future); behind and ahead, the rope of samcita. Nīsa = rope, line. The rope-of-samcita stretches both behind and ahead — the Lord sees the whole-rope.
The remedy-question: ātām kāya dē'ūm pāyāmpē parihāra — jāṇām tō vicāra karā Devā — now what to give at feet as parihāra (= remedy / settlement)? — do the vicāra you know, Devā. Parihāra = remedy, settlement, way-to-clear-debt. I have nothing to give as parihāra; you do the vicāra (consideration / judgment) which you know.
The good-ones-fold-hands: āpulēm tēm yēthē kāya cālē kēlēm — jōḍāvē tē bhalē hāta puḍhē — what works here by one's-own doing? — the good-ones (bhalē) join hands ahead. Bhalē = the good-people / the wise. The wise simply join their hands in supplication and let the dātāra act.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē phikē bōla mājhē vārā — karāla dātārā hō'īla tēm — Tuka says: my fading words are air — what dātāra makes, will happen. Phikē = fading, weakening; vārā = air, breath. My weak-fading words are mere-air; whatever the dātāra (giver) does, will happen. (= complete-surrender of effort; my-words-as-air-and-dātāra-as-effective-agent.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: you know my past, present, and future — the whole rope of accumulated-karma stretching behind and ahead; what can I now give at your feet as remedy? — do the consideration you yourself know, Devā; what works here by my own-doing? — the wise simply join hands ahead in supplication; Tuka says — my fading words are mere-air — whatever the giver makes happen, will happen.
Where this applies
- When you are facing a life outcome you cannot control and keep trying to bargain your way out of it
- When you feel ashamed of your past mistakes and don't know what you could offer to make up for them
- When you have done all you can and the only thing left is to wait humbly for the result
- When your own words of promise or effort start to feel small and powerless against what actually happens