Abhanga 1948
Let go of what your mind merely wishes for and accept what destiny has actually given you, then once you commit to a path, move forward without looking back.
The verse
काय करावें म्यां केले ते विचार । घडेल साचार काय पाहों ॥१॥ काय मन नाहीं धरीत आवडी । प्रारब्धीं जोडी ते चि खरी ॥ध्रु.॥ काय म्यां तेथींचें रांधिलें चाखोनि । तें हें करीं मनीं विवंचना ॥२॥ आणीक ही त्यासी बहुत कारण । बहु असे जिणें ओढीचें ही ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे आम्हां बोळविल्यावरी । परती माघारी केली नाहीं ॥४॥
Literal translation
What to do — what I considered — what will truly happen, what to watch? Does mind not hold love? — what's joined in prārabdha is the true. Did I cook-and-taste from there? — I make this discrimination in mind. For him also many causes — much pulling-life. Tuka says: after he sent us off — no looking-back was made.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय करावें म्यां केले ते विचार | "what to do — what I considered" |
| घडेल साचार काय पाहों | "what will truly happen — what to watch" |
| काय मन नाहीं धरीत आवडी | "does mind not hold love" |
| प्रारब्धीं जोडी ते चि खरी | "what's joined in prārabdha — is the true" |
| काय म्यां तेथींचें रांधिलें चाखोनि | "did I cook-and-taste from there" |
| तें हें करीं मनीं विवंचना | "I make this discrimination in mind" |
| आणीक ही त्यासी बहुत कारण | "for him also — many causes" |
| बहु असे जिणें ओढीचें ही | "much is — pulling-life" |
| तुका म्हणे आम्हां बोळविल्यावरी | "Tuka says — after he sent us off" |
| परती माघारी केली नाहीं | "no looking-back made" |
What it means
Prārabdha-joining + Lord-doesn't-look-back abhang.
The opening: kāya karāvē myām kēlē tē vichāra — ghaḍēla sāchāra kāya pāhōm — what to do, what I considered — what will truly happen, what to watch?. The bhakta wonders-what-actually-happens versus-what-was-planned.
The prārabdha-line: kāya mana nāhīm dharīta āvaḍī — prārabdhīm jōḍī tē chi kharī — does mind not hold love? — what's joined in prārabdha is the true. Mind-loves; but-only-prārabdha-joining is-real.
The cooking-and-tasting: kāya myām tēthīñcē rāndhilē chākhōni — tē hē karī manī vivanchanā — did I cook-and-taste from there? — I discriminate in mind. The bhakta-questions if-he-actually-experienced or-only-imagined.
The closing — a striking-reversal: Tukā mhaṇē āmhām bōḷavilyāvarī — paratī māghārī kēlī nāhīm — Tuka says: after he sent us off, no looking-back was made. The Lord-sent-us-off (back to Dehu) but didn't-look-back (= didn't follow with messages?). Or: we (the bhakta-souls) were-sent-off and didn't-turn-back.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what to do — what I considered, what will truly happen?; does mind not hold love? — prārabdha-joining is true; did I cook-and-taste from there? — I discriminate in mind; many causes for him — much pulling-life; Tuka says — after he sent us off, no looking-back was made.
Where this applies
- When your carefully made plans do not turn out the way you expected, and you must accept what actually happened instead
- When you catch yourself wondering whether a spiritual or emotional experience was real or something you only imagined
- When you are tempted to keep second-guessing a big decision after you have already committed to it
- When you notice your mind clinging to its own preferences instead of accepting what life has actually brought you