Abhanga 1890
For today: the mind moves by sattā — keeps Viṭhṭhal's command; carrying the order on the head — does what is told; the running has stopped — no need to expand desire; what is and isn't his — Tuka says — known truly.
The verse
सत्तावर्त्ते मन । पाळी विठ्ठलाची आन ॥१॥ आज्ञा वाहोनियां शिरीं । सांगितलें तें चि करीं ॥ध्रु.॥ सरलीसे धांव । न लगे वाढवावी हांव ॥२॥ आहे नाहीं त्याचें । तुका म्हणे कळे साचें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: The mind moves by sattā — (it) keeps Viṭhṭhal's command. Carrying the order on the head — does what is told. The running has stopped — no need to expand desire. What is and isn't his — Tuka says — known truly.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सत्तावर्त्ते मन | "the mind — moves by sattā" |
| पाळी विठ्ठलाची आन | "(it) keeps — Viṭhṭhal's command" |
| आज्ञा वाहोनियां शिरीं | "carrying the order on the head" |
| सांगितलें तें चि करीं | "does what is told" |
| सरलीसे धांव | "the running has stopped (saralī-sē dhāmva)" |
| न लगे वाढवावी हांव | "no need — to expand desire (hāmva)" |
| आहे नाहीं त्याचें | "what is and isn't his" |
| तुका म्हणे कळे साचें | "Tuka says — known truly" |
What it means
Closes-Śivājī-cluster + carry-Viṭhṭhal's-command-on-head abhang. This is the 14th and final abhang of the Śivājī-Tukārām cluster (1877-1890).
Historical context: This closes the 14-abhang cluster sparked by Śivājī Mahārāj's emissary inviting Tukārām to court with royal-honors. The cluster opened with renunciation-of-honors (1877) and-closes here with carrying-only-Viṭhṭhal's-command.
The opening: sattā-vartē mana — pāḷī Viṭhṭhalācī āna — the mind moves by sattā — keeps Viṭhṭhal's command. Sattā-vartē = moves by sattā / under sovereign-power; āna = command, oath. The mind operates-only under-Viṭhṭhal's-sovereign-command (= not under royal-orders or worldly-commands).
The order-on-head: ājñā vāhōniyām śirī — sāngitalē tē chi karī — carrying the order on the head — does what is told. Ājñā vāhōniyām śirī = bearing the order on the head (= the classical-Indian gesture of accepting-an-order with-utmost-reverence — the order-tied-to-the-head). Only Viṭhṭhal's-order, not Śivājī's.
The running-stopped: saralīsē dhāmva — na lagē vāḍhavāvī hāmva — the running has stopped — no need to expand desire. Saralī = stopped, ended; hāmva = desire, ambition. No-more running-after worldly-things; no-need to-expand-ambition.
The closing: āhē nāhīm tyāce — Tukā mhaṇē kaḷē sācē — what is and isn't his — Tuka says — known truly. What-is and what-isn't is-determined-by-the-Lord; the bhakta knows-this-truly.
This abhang brings the Śivājī-cluster to a quiet close — after-all-the-rejection-of-royal-honors, the bhakta-settles into-the-state-of-carrying-only-Viṭhṭhal's-command, with-the-running-stopped.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the mind moves by sattā — keeps Viṭhṭhal's command; carrying the order on the head — does what is told; the running has stopped — no need to expand desire; what is and isn't his — Tuka says — known truly.
Where this applies
- Mind-moves-by-sattā-keeps-Viṭhṭhal-command.* Sattā-vartē-mana-Viṭhṭhal-āna.
- Order-on-head-does-as-told.* Ājñā-śirī-sāngitalē-karī.
- Running-stopped-no-desire-to-expand.* Dhāmva-saralī-hāmva-na.
- What-is-and-isn't-his-known-truly.* Āhē-nāhīm-kaḷē-sācē.