Abhanga 1689
Put hypocrisy aside and serve with a pure heart in private longing, and don't waste your words judging others.
The verse
हित व्हावें तरी दंभ दुरी ठेवा । चित्त शुद्ध सेवा देवाची हे ॥१॥ आवडी विठ्ठल गाईंजे एकांतीं । अलभ्य ते येती लाभ घरा ॥ध्रु.॥ आणीकां अंतरीं निदावी वसति । करावी हे शांती वासनेची ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बाण हा चि निर्वाणींचा । वाउगी हे वाचा वेचूं नये ॥३॥
Literal translation
If you want hita, place damba far — pure-chitta-sēvā is of Deva. With longing, sing Viṭhṭhal in solitude — unattainable gains come home. Don't condemn others' inner dwelling — make the śānti of vāsanā. Tuka says: this very is the bāṇa of nirvāṇa — don't waste vain speech.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| हित व्हावें तरी दंभ दुरी ठेवा | "if you want hita — place damba — far" |
| चित्त शुद्ध सेवा देवाची हे | "chitta-śuddha — sēvā — of Deva" |
| आवडी विठ्ठल गाईंजे एकांतीं | "with longing — Viṭhṭhal — let us sing — in solitude" |
| अलभ्य ते येती लाभ घरा | "the unattainable — those gains — come home" |
| आणीकां अंतरीं निदावी वसति | "others' inner — don't condemn — the dwelling" |
| करावी हे शांती वासनेची | "make this śānti — of vāsanā" |
| तुका म्हणे बाण हा चि निर्वाणींचा | "Tuka says — the bāṇa (arrow) — this very — of nirvāṇa" |
| वाउगी हे वाचा वेचूं नये | "vain — this speech — don't waste" |
What it means
Anti-damba + arrow-of-nirvāṇa abhang.
The opening: hita vhāvēm tarī dambha durī ṭhēvā — chitta śuddha sēvā Devācī hē — if you want hita, place damba (hypocrisy) far — pure-chitta-sēvā is of Deva. Damba = religious-hypocrisy, sham-piety; chitta-śuddha = purity-of-mind. Real Deva-service is pure-chitta, not damba-display.
The solitude-singing: āvaḍī Viṭhṭhala gā'ījē ēkāntīm — alabhya tē yētī lābha gharā — with longing, sing Viṭhṭhal in solitude — unattainable gains come home. Solitary-bhakti (not display-bhakti) brings unattainable goods home.
The non-condemnation: āṇīkām antarīm nidāvī vasati — karāvī hē śāntī vāsanēcī — don't condemn others' inner-dwelling — make the śānti of vāsanā. Don't gossip-blame about others' inner-state (their dwelling); instead, make the śānti of your own vāsanā.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē bāṇa hā chi nirvāṇīñcā — vāugī hē vācā vēcūm nayē — Tuka says: this very is the arrow of nirvāṇa — don't waste vain speech. Bāṇa = arrow; nirvāṇīñcā = of nirvāṇa, of final-liberation. This (anti-damba-pure-chitta-solitude-non-condemnation-vāsanā-śānti) is the very-arrow-of-nirvāṇa; don't waste it on vain speech.
[T]
For someone today
For today: if you want true good, place hypocrisy far away — pure-chitta is the real service of Deva; with longing, sing Viṭhṭhal in solitude — and unattainable gains come home to you; don't condemn the inner-dwelling of others — instead, make the śānti of your own vāsanā; Tuka says — this very is the arrow of nirvāṇa — do not waste vain speech.
Where this applies
- When you're tempted to perform piety in public to look good
- When you catch yourself judging or gossiping about someone else's inner life
- When restless cravings keep pulling your attention away from peace
- When quiet, private devotion feels more real to you than public display