Abhanga 1731
When the restless mind cannot be steadied by your own effort, admit it honestly and lean on hope in God rather than pretending you have it under control.
The verse
मन माझें चपळ न राहे निश्चळ । घडी एकी पळ स्थिर नाहीं ॥१॥ आतां तूं उदास नव्हें नारायणा । धांवें मज दीना गांजियेलें ॥ध्रु.॥ धांव घालीं पुढें इंद्रियांचे ओढी । केलें तडातडी चत्ति माझें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माझा न चले सायास । राहिलों हे आस धरुनी तुझी ॥३॥
Literal translation
My mind is restless, doesn't stay steady — no ghaḍī, no paḷa, no stability. Now you don't be udāsa, Nārāyaṇa — run, the dīna is tormented. Draws ahead by indriyas' pull — my chitta has been jolted. Tuka says: my effort doesn't run — I have stayed holding only this hope of yours.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मन माझें चपळ न राहे निश्चळ | "my mind — restless — doesn't stay steady" |
| घडी एकी पळ स्थिर नाहीं | "for one ghaḍī or paḷa — no stability" |
| आतां तूं उदास नव्हें नारायणा | "now you — don't be udāsa, Nārāyaṇa" |
| धांवें मज दीना गांजियेलें | "run — the dīna — tormented" |
| धांव घालीं पुढें इंद्रियांचे ओढी | "draws ahead — by indriyas' pull" |
| केलें तडातडी चत्ति माझें | "made jolted — my chitta" |
| तुका म्हणे माझा न चले सायास | "Tuka says — my effort doesn't run" |
| राहिलों हे आस धरुनी तुझी | "stayed — holding hope of yours" |
What it means
Restless-mind-petition + I-stay-only-by-your-hope abhang.
The opening: mana mājhēm capaḷa na rāhē niścaḷa — ghaḍī ēkī paḷa sthira nāhīm — my mind is restless — doesn't stay steady — no ghaḍī, paḷa, no stability. Capaḷa-mana = restless / fickle mind; ghaḍī and paḷa are short time-units (ghaḍī ~24 minutes, paḷa ~24 seconds). No-stability for even-the-shortest-time.
The petition: ātām tūm udāsa navhē Nārāyaṇā — dhāvēm maja dīnā gāmjiyēlēm — now you, don't be udāsa, Nārāyaṇa — run, the dīna is tormented. Don't be indifferent now.
The indriyas-pull: dhāva ghālīm puḍhē indriyāñcē ōḍhī — kēlēm taḍā-taḍī chitti mājhēm — (it) runs ahead by indriyas' pull — my chitta has been jolted. Taḍā-taḍī = jolted, snapped, broken-up.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē mājhā na cālē sāyāsa — rāhilōm hē āsa dharunī tujhī — Tuka says: my effort doesn't run — I have stayed holding hope of yours. My own-effort fails; I am only-staying because-of-the-hope-of-you.
[T]
For someone today
For today: my mind is restless, it doesn't stay steady — for even one ghaḍī or paḷa, no stability; now you, don't be indifferent, Nārāyaṇa — run, the dīna is tormented; (the mind) runs ahead drawn by the pull of the senses — my chitta has been jolted; Tuka says — my own-effort doesn't run — I have stayed only by holding this hope of yours.
Where this applies
- When you sit down to meditate or pray and your mind refuses to stay still for even a minute
- When you feel abandoned or unnoticed and want to ask for help without pretending you're fine
- When your senses and cravings keep dragging your attention away from what you meant to focus on
- When your own willpower keeps failing and the only thing left holding you together is hope