Abhanga 1970
Since there is nowhere to flee from God's one kingdom, the wisest choice is to stop resisting, stay put, and accept whatever is given.
The verse
करितां विचार अवघें एक राज्य । दुजा कोण मज पाठी घाली ॥१॥ कोण्या रीती जावें आम्ही वो पळोनि । मोकळ अंगणीं मागें पुढें ॥ध्रु.॥ काय तें गव्हाणें हिंडावीं वो किती । दूत ते लागती याच पाठी ॥२॥ कोठें याची करूं केलों कुळवाडी । आतां हा न सोडी जीवें आम्हां ॥३॥ होऊनि बेबाख येथें चि राहावें । देईंल तें खावें तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Considering — the whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me? By what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind? How long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us? We became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva. Tuka says: becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here — eat what he gives.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| करितां विचार अवघें एक राज्य | "considering — whole is one kingdom" |
| दुजा कोण मज पाठी घाली | "who else will shelter me" |
| कोण्या रीती जावें आम्ही वो पळोनि | "by what way should we flee" |
| मोकळ अंगणीं मागें पुढें | "open courtyard before-and-behind" |
| काय तें गव्हाणें हिंडावीं वो किती | "how long wander empty rice-fields" |
| दूत ते लागती याच पाठी | "his messengers chase us" |
| कोठें याची करूं केलों कुळवाडी | "we became his kuḷavāḍī (cultivator)" |
| आतां हा न सोडी जीवें आम्हां | "now he won't release my jīva" |
| होऊनि बेबाख येथें चि राहावें | "becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here" |
| देईंल तें खावें तुका म्हणे | "eat what he gives — Tuka says" |
What it means
Can't-flee-Lord's-kingdom + accept-what-he-gives abhang.
The opening reasoning: karitām vichāra avaghē ēka rājya — dujā kōṇa maja pāṭhī ghālī — considering — the whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me?. The whole-cosmos is-one-kingdom (the Lord's); no-other-shelter exists.
The flight-attempt: kōṇyā rītī jāvē āmhī vō paḷōni — mōkaḷa angaṇī māgē puḍhē — by what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind?. No-cover anywhere.
The chase: kāya tē gavhāṇē hiṇḍāvīm vō kitī — dūta tē lāgatī yācha pāṭhī — how long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us. Gavhāṇē = empty rice-/wheat-fields. The Lord's-messengers (= karma-yamadūta?) follow-us anywhere.
The kuḷavāḍī-bondage: kōṭhē yāchī karūm kēlōm kuḷavāḍī — ātām hā na sōḍī jīvē āmhām — we became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva. Kuḷavāḍī = tenant-cultivator (bound to the landlord). We bound-ourselves as-cultivator to-this-Lord; now he-won't-release-our-jīva.
The closing-resignation: hō'ūni bēbākha yēthē chi rāhāvē — dē'īla tē khāvē Tukā mhaṇē — Tuka says: becoming free-of-charge (bēbākha = free, without burden) let's stay right here — eat what he gives. Just-stay; eat-what-he-gives.
Tukārām's instruction-to-wife: no-escape-from-the-Lord's-kingdom; accept-what-he-gives — that's-the-only-way.
[T]
For someone today
For today: considering — whole is one kingdom — who else will shelter me?; by what way should we flee — open courtyard before-and-behind?; how long wander empty rice-fields — his messengers chase us?; we became his kuḷavāḍī — now he won't release my jīva; Tuka says — becoming free-of-charge — let's stay right here — eat what he gives.
Where this applies
- When you're exhausted from fighting a situation you can't actually escape or control
- When you keep trying to run from responsibilities or commitments that keep catching up with you
- When you're struggling with poverty or hardship and looking for a way to make peace with it
- When you realize resistance itself is causing more suffering than the situation you're resisting