Abhanga 1813
For today: let what's past be — what comes ahead, sweet, that is good; now in my mind — don't hold any aparādha; I won't allow lapse while doing Nāma-cintana; Tuka says — speaking — you have already been bound.
The verse
असो मागें जालें । पुडें गोड तें चांगलें ॥१॥ आतां माझे मनीं । कांहीं अपराध न मनीं ॥ध्रु.॥ नेदीं अवसान । करितां नामाचें चिंतन ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बोले । तुज आधीं च गोविलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Let what's past be — what comes ahead, sweet, that is good. Now in my mind — don't hold any aparādha. I won't allow lapse while doing Nāma-cintana. Tuka says: speaking — you have already been bound.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| असो मागें जालें | "let it be — what's past" |
| पुडें गोड तें चांगलें | "what comes ahead — sweet, that is good" |
| आतां माझे मनीं | "now — in my mind" |
| कांहीं अपराध न मनीं | "don't hold — any aparādha" |
| नेदीं अवसान | "I won't allow — lapse (avasāna)" |
| करितां नामाचें चिंतन | "while doing — Nāma-cintana" |
| तुका म्हणे बोले | "Tuka says — speaking" |
| तुज आधीं च गोविलें | "you — already — (I have) bound" |
What it means
Past-let-be + Nāma-cintana-no-lapse + already-bound-you abhang.
The opening: asō māgē jālē — puḍhē gōḍa tē cāngalē — let what's past be — what comes ahead, sweet, that is good. Forgiveness-of-the-past + commitment-to-sweet-future. The bhakta requests the Lord to draw a line under the past.
The aparādha-line: ātām mājhē manī — kāhīm aparādha na manī — now in my mind — don't hold any aparādha. Mājhē manī = in my mind / for me; na manī = don't hold. (Lord), do-not-hold-against-me any aparādha (= offense).
The no-lapse pledge: nēdīm avasāna — karitām nāmācē cintana — I won't allow lapse while doing Nāma-cintana. Avasāna = the falling-off, lapse, slip; Nāma-cintana = the contemplation-of-the-Name. The bhakta's pledge: I won't let-Nāma-cintana lapse anymore. (= the past-aparādhas were due-to-lapse-in-Nāma; now I won't lapse, so no-more-aparādhas.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē bōlē — tuja ādhī chi gōvilē — Tuka says: speaking — you have already been bound. Gōvilē = bound, tied, captured. The triumph-line: by-my-Nāma-cintana, you have-already-been-bound; you-cannot-escape-now. (= the Lord-is bound-by-the-Nāma-recitation of the bhakta; the bhakta's-Nāma-discipline has-already-secured the Lord's-grace.)
The implicit-logic: the past was-aparādha because-of-lapse; I won't-lapse-anymore (no-future-aparādha); and even-if-you-tried-to-leave, you-are-already-bound-by-my-Nāma; therefore-don't-hold-the-past-against-me-now.
This abhang is one of Tuka's tightest theological compressions: amnesty-petition + future-pledge + Lord-already-bound-by-Nāma — all in 8 lines.
[T]
For someone today
For today: let what's past be — what comes ahead, sweet, that is good; now in my mind — don't hold any aparādha; I won't allow lapse while doing Nāma-cintana; Tuka says — speaking — you have already been bound.
Where this applies
- Let-past-be-future-sweet-good.* Māgē-jālē-puḍhē-gōḍa.
- Don't-hold-any-aparādha-in-mind.* Aparādha-na-manī.
- No-lapse-while-Nāma-cintana.* Avasāna-na-Nāma-cintana.
- You-already-bound-by-the-Nāma.* Tuja-ādhī-gōvilē.