Abhanga 1757
Some consequences are fixed and even God can't undo them, so instead of begging for rescue, hold onto your devotion without hesitation, whatever family or circumstance you're born into.
The verse
माझिया संचिता । दृढ देखोनि बळिवंता । पळसी पंढरिनाथा । भेणे आतां तयाच्या ॥१॥ तरि मज कळलासी । नव्हतां भेटी जाणीवेसी । एक संपादिसी । मान करिसी लोकांत ॥ध्रु.॥ तरि हें प्रारब्ध जी गाढें । कांहीं न चले तयापुढें । काय तुज म्यां कोंडें । रें सांकडें घालावें ॥२॥ भोगधीपति क्रियमाण । तें तुज नांगवे अजून । तरि का वांयांविण । तुज म्यां सीण करावा ॥३॥ तुज नव्हतां माझें कांहीं । परि मी न संडीं भक्तिसोईं । हो कां भलत्या ठायीं । कुळीं जन्म भलतैसा ॥४॥ तूं भितोसि माझिया दोषा । कांहीं मागणें ते आशा । तुका म्हणे ऐसा । कांहीं न धरीं संकोच ॥५॥
Literal translation
Seeing my samcita firm and powerful — you flee, Paṇḍhari-nātha — out of fear of it now. Then I have known you — without meeting, by awareness — you secure one — make māna among people. This prārabdha is hard — nothing runs before it — what (am I, mere-bran), should I press anguish on you? Bhōga's-lord, kriyamāṇa — that's not yet tamed for you — then why should I make you weary in vain? Without you, nothing of mine — but I won't abandon the bhakti-side — let it be anywhere — birth in any kuḷa. You fear my doṣa — what am I asking — that hope? Tuka says: such — don't hold any sankōca.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| माझिया संचिता । दृढ देखोनि बळिवंता | "my samcita — seeing firm and powerful" |
| पळसी पंढरिनाथा । भेणे आतां तयाच्या | "you flee — Paṇḍhari-nātha — out of fear of it now" |
| तरि मज कळलासी । नव्हतां भेटी जाणीवेसी | "I have known you — without meeting, by awareness" |
| एक संपादिसी । मान करिसी लोकांत | "you secure one — make māna among people" |
| तरि हें प्रारब्ध जी गाढें । कांहीं न चले तयापुढें | "this prārabdha is hard — nothing runs before" |
| काय तुज म्यां कोंडें । रें सांकडें घालावें | "what to you (= the bran of me) — should I press anguish" |
| भोगधीपति क्रियमाण । तें तुज नांगवे अजून | "bhōga's lord — kriyamāṇa — not yet tamed for you" |
| तरि का वांयांविण । तुज म्यां सीण करावा | "then why in vain — should I make you weary" |
| तुज नव्हतां माझें कांहीं | "without you — nothing of mine" |
| परि मी न संडीं भक्तिसोईं | "but I won't abandon — bhakti-soya" |
| हो कां भलत्या ठायीं । कुळीं जन्म भलतैसा | "let it be anywhere — birth in any kuḷa" |
| तूं भितोसि माझिया दोषा | "you fear my doṣa" |
| कांहीं मागणें ते आशा | "what (am I) asking — that hope" |
| तुका म्हणे ऐसा । कांहीं न धरीं संकोच | "Tuka says — such — don't hold any — sankōca" |
What it means
Bold-petition: you-flee-from-my-samcita + I-don't-care-which-kuḷa-as-long-as-bhakti-stays abhang.
The opening provocation: mājhiyā samcitā — dṛḍha dēkhōni baḷivantā — paḷasī Paṇḍhari-nāthā — bhēṇē ātām tayācyā — seeing my samcita firm and powerful — you flee, Paṇḍhari-nātha — out of fear of it now. The provocative-opening: Lord-flees-out-of-fear of my-firm-samcita-karma.
The known-without-meeting: tari maja kaḷalāsī — navhatām bhēṭī jāṇīvēsī — ēka sampādisī — māna karisī lōkāmta — then I have known you — without meeting, by awareness — you secure one (= some other), make māna among people. (But) I have known you (just by awareness, no meeting); you save-some-other and make a name in the world.
The prārabdha-hard: tari hēm prārabdha jī gāḍhē — kāhīm na cālē tayāpuḍhē — kāya tuja myām kōṇḍē — rē sānkaḍēm ghālāvēm — this prārabdha is hard — nothing runs before it — what (am I, mere-bran), should I press anguish on you? Kōṇḍē = bran, husk (= the worthless-residue). I, mere-bran, why should I press hardship on you?
The kriyamāṇa-not-tamed: bhōga-dhīpati kriyamāṇa — tēm tuja nāngavē ajūna — tari kā vāyām-vīṇa — tuja myām sīṇa karāvā — bhōga's lord, kriyamāṇa — not yet tamed for you — then why should I make you weary in vain. The radical-claim: kriyamāṇa-karma (active-now-being-done karma) is not-yet-tamed even by the Lord; therefore why bother him?
The unconditional-bhakti: tūm navhatām mājhēm kāhīm — parī mī na saṇḍīm bhakti-sō'īm — hō kām bhalatyā ṭhāyīm — kuḷīm janma bhalataisā — without you, nothing of mine — but I won't abandon bhakti-soya — let it be anywhere, birth in any kuḷa. The crucial-claim: I won't abandon bhakti-side; let me be born in any-kuḷa whatsoever. (= unconditional-bhakti irrespective-of-rebirth-in-any-caste. Joins 1751 in anti-caste.)
The closing: tūm bhitōsi mājhiyā dōṣā — kāhīm māgaṇēm tē āśā — Tukā mhaṇē aisā — kāhīm na dharīm sankōca — you fear my doṣa — what am I asking? — that hope; Tuka says — such — don't hold any sankōca. Sankōca = hesitation, contraction. Don't hesitate.
[T]
For someone today
For today: seeing my samcita firm and powerful, you flee, Paṇḍhari-nātha, out of fear of it now; then I have come to know you — without meeting, just by awareness — you secure some-other and make a name among people; this prārabdha is hard — nothing runs before it — what am I, mere bran, to press hardship on you?; the bhōga-lord (= kriyamāṇa-karma) is not yet tamed even for you — then why should I make you weary in vain?; without you, nothing of mine — but I won't abandon the bhakti-side — let me be born in any place, in any kuḷa; you fear my doṣa — what am I asking? what hope?; Tuka says — such (a one) — don't hold any hesitation.
Where this applies
- When you're waiting for a hardship or consequence to lift and it just won't, no matter how much you pray or bargain
- When you feel embarrassed about your family background or social status and wonder if it disqualifies you from a spiritual life
- When you hesitate to fully commit to something you love because you're afraid of being judged
- When you catch yourself demanding quick fixes from God or life instead of accepting what's already set in motion