Abhanga 1879
For today: what doesn't please the chitta — that's exactly what you fulfill; why have you pursued me on the back — staked my jīva?; no company should be made — I want to distance the world; ekānta should be served — I don't want to speak the matter; people, wealth, body — I want to count as vomit; Tuka says — the sattā is in your hand, Pandhari-nātha.
The verse
नावडे जें चित्ती । तें चि होसी पुरविता ॥१॥ कां रे पुरविली पाठी । माझी केली जीवेसाटीं ॥ध्रु.॥ न करावा संग । वाटे दुरावावें जग ॥२॥ सेवावा एकांत । वाटे न बोलावी मात ॥३॥ जन धन तन । वाटे लेखावें वमन ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे सत्ता । हातीं तुझ्या पंढरिनाथा ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: What doesn't please the chitta — that's exactly what you fulfill. Why have you pursued me on the back — staked my jīva? No company should be made — I want to distance the world. Ekānta should be served — I want not to speak the matter. People, wealth, body — I want to count as vomit. Tuka says: the sattā is in your hand, Pandhari-nātha.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नावडे जें चित्ती | "what doesn't please the chitta" |
| तें चि होसी पुरविता | "that's exactly what you fulfill" |
| कां रे पुरविली पाठी | "why — have you pursued me — on the back" |
| माझी केली जीवेसाटीं | "staked my jīva" |
| न करावा संग | "no company should be made" |
| वाटे दुरावावें जग | "I want — to distance the world" |
| सेवावा एकांत | "ekānta should be served" |
| वाटे न बोलावी मात | "I want — not to speak the matter" |
| जन धन तन | "people, wealth, body" |
| वाटे लेखावें वमन | "I want to count — as vomit (vamana)" |
| तुका म्हणे सत्ता | "Tuka says — the sattā" |
| हातीं तुझ्या पंढरिनाथा | "is in your hand — Pandhari-nātha" |
What it means
Anti-sanga + ekānta-petition + jana-dhana-tana-as-vamana abhang. Part of the Śivājī-cluster (1877-1890).
The opening: nāvaḍē jē chittī — tē chi hōsī puravitā — what doesn't please the chitta — that's exactly what you fulfill. Sharp irony: the Lord-fulfills exactly-what-the-bhakta-doesn't-want (= the bhakta doesn't-want-royal-honors but the Lord-has-given them anyway).
The pursued-line: kām rē puravilī pāṭhī — mājhī kēlī jīvē-sāṭīm — why have you pursued me on the back — staked my jīva?. The bhakta's-jīva is being-staked-as-collateral against-the-bhakta's-will.
The triple-rejection: na karāvā sanga — vāṭē durāvāvē jaga (no company should be made — I want to distance the world); sēvāvā ēkānta — vāṭē na bōlāvī māta (ekānta should be served — I want not to speak the matter); jana dhana tana — vāṭē lēkhāvē vamana (people, wealth, body — I want to count as vomit). Three-fold renunciation-petition: no-sanga, ekānta, jana-dhana-tana-as-vamana.
Vamana = vomit (= the most-disgusting bodily-product). People, wealth, body — equate-them-with-vomit. Foundational rejection-of-the-three-pillars-of-worldly-life.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē sattā — hātīm tujhyā Pandhari-nāthā — Tuka says: the sattā is in your hand, Pandhari-nātha. The sovereign-power is in-your-hand — grant-me-this-renunciation.
This abhang directly-responds to the Śivājī-context: the bhakta-petitions-the-Lord to-grant-renunciation, not-the-royal-attentions-being-offered.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what doesn't please the chitta — that's exactly what you fulfill; why have you pursued me on the back — staked my jīva?; no company should be made — I want to distance the world; ekānta should be served — I don't want to speak the matter; people, wealth, body — I want to count as vomit; Tuka says — the sattā is in your hand, Pandhari-nātha.
Where this applies
- What-doesn't-please-chitta-is-what-you-fulfill.* Nāvaḍē-chittī-puravitā.
- No-sanga-distance-world.* Sanga-na-durāvāvē-jaga.
- Want-ekānta-no-speech.* Ekānta-bōlāvī-na.
- Jana-dhana-tana-count-as-vomit.* Jana-dhana-tana-vamana.
- Sattā-in-your-hand.* Sattā-Pandhari-nātha.