Abhanga 1863
For today: let's see deva, let's see deva — let's stand in a high place; deva is seen, is seen — (he) is afraid of no one; let's ask deva for something — let's tell him jīva-bhāva; deva knows, deva knows — fulfills the heart's signs; deva is a cutter, a cutter — Tuka says — the inner-realm.
The verse
देव पाहों देव पाहों । उंचे ठायीं उभे राहों ॥१॥ देव देखिला देखिला । तो नाहीं कोणां भ्याला ॥ध्रु.॥ देवा कांहीं मागों मागों । जीव भाव त्यासी सांगों ॥२॥ देव जाणे देव जाणे । पुरवी मनींचिये खुणे ॥३॥ देव कातर कातर । तुका म्हणे अभ्यंतर ॥४॥
Literal translation
Let's see deva, let's see deva — let's stand in a high place. Deva is seen, is seen — (he) is afraid of no one. Let's ask deva for something — let's tell him jīva-bhāva. Deva knows, deva knows — fulfills the heart's signs. Deva is a cutter, a cutter — Tuka says — the inner-realm.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| देव पाहों देव पाहों | "let's see deva — (repeated)" |
| उंचे ठायीं उभे राहों | "let's stand — in a high place" |
| देव देखिला देखिला | "deva is seen, is seen" |
| तो नाहीं कोणां भ्याला | "(he) is not — afraid of anyone" |
| देवा कांहीं मागों मागों | "let's ask deva for something — (repeated)" |
| जीव भाव त्यासी सांगों | "jīva-bhāva — let's tell him" |
| देव जाणे देव जाणे | "deva knows, deva knows" |
| पुरवी मनींचिये खुणे | "fulfills — the heart's signs" |
| देव कातर कातर | "deva is kātara (a-cutter) — (repeated)" |
| तुका म्हणे अभ्यंतर | "Tuka says — the inner-realm (abhyantara)" |
What it means
Deva-deva-litany — let's-go-see + cuts-the-inner abhang. Continues 1858-1865 cluster — collective-bhakti mood.
Verse 1 — let's-see: deva pāhōm — uñcē ṭhāyī ubhē rāhōm — let's see deva — let's stand in a high place. The collective-bhakti voice: let-us-(plural) go-see-deva — stand-on-a-high-place-to-glimpse-him. (Echoes the Vārkarī's-watching-for-the-temple-spire.)
Verse 2 — seen: deva is seen — afraid of no one. The deva, when-seen, is fearless.
Verse 3 — let's-ask: let's-ask-deva-for-something — let's-tell-him-our-jīva-bhāva.
Verse 4 — knows: deva knows — fulfills heart's signs. Khuṇa = signs / marks. The deva fulfills-the-bhakta's-heart-signs without-needing-explicit-asking.
Verse 5 — kātara: deva is a kātara — Tuka says — abhyantara. Kātara = cutter, scissors; abhyantara = the inner-realm. The deva-is-a-cutter-of-the-inner-realm (= cuts-through-inner-knots / inner-bonds).
The progression: go-see → see → ask → know → cut. The whole-bhakti-path in five short verses.
[T]
For someone today
For today: let's see deva, let's see deva — let's stand in a high place; deva is seen, is seen — (he) is afraid of no one; let's ask deva for something — let's tell him jīva-bhāva; deva knows, deva knows — fulfills the heart's signs; deva is a cutter, a cutter — Tuka says — the inner-realm.
Where this applies
- When you feel like you have to actively search for God rather than wait for him to appear
- When you finally sense God's presence and it removes your fear instead of adding to it
- When you want to speak to God plainly, saying exactly what is in your heart instead of using formal words
- When you feel tangled up inside and need something to cut through old inner knots