Abhanga 2123
Gently turning your mind toward the good will draw criticism, and fear may make you pause along the way, but any sincere form of devotion is enough to bring you close to God.
The verse
मोहरोनी चित्ती । आणूं हळूं चि वरि हिता ॥१॥ तों हे पडती आघात । खोडी काढिती पंडित ॥ध्रु.॥ संवसारा भेणें । कांहीं उसंती तों पेणें ॥२॥ एखादिया भावें । तुका म्हणे जवळी यावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Moving the chitta — we bring slowly toward hita. Then blows fall — Paṇḍitas find faults. By fear of samsāra — some rest until the pēṇī. Tuka says: by some bhāva — come near.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मोहरोनी चित्ती | "moving the chitta" |
| आणूं हळूं चि वरि हिता | "we bring slowly toward hita" |
| तों हे पडती आघात | "then blows fall" |
| खोडी काढिती पंडित | "Paṇḍitas find faults" |
| संवसारा भेणें | "by fear of samsāra" |
| कांहीं उसंती तों पेणें | "some rest until the pēṇī" |
| एखादिया भावें | "by some bhāva" |
| तुका म्हणे जवळी यावें | "Tuka says — come near" |
What it means
Gently-bringing-chitta-toward-hita + Paṇḍit-attacks + by-some-bhāva-come-near abhang.
The opening: mōharōnī chittī — āṇūm haḷū chi vari hitā — moving the chitta — we bring slowly toward hita. Patiently-bringing the chitta toward-hita (good).
The Paṇḍit-criticism: tōm hē paḍatī āghāta — khōḍī kāḍhitī paṇḍita — then blows fall — Paṇḍitas find faults. Then-the-blows-fall: Paṇḍitas find-faults. Tukārām's experience of-Paṇḍit-criticism (cf. the Mambājī episodes).
The fear-and-pēṇī: samvasārā bhēṇē — kāhīm usantī tōm pēṇē — by fear of samsāra — some rest until the pēṇī. Pēṇē = the night-resting-stage. By-fear-of-samsāra, take some-rest until-the-next-stage.
The closing — by-bhāva: ēkhādiyā bhāvē — Tukā mhaṇē javaḷī yāvē — by some bhāva — come near. Come-near by some-bhāva-(any-form-of-bhakti).
[T]
For someone today
For today: moving the chitta — we bring slowly toward hita; then blows fall — Paṇḍitas find faults; by fear of samsāra — some rest until the pēṇī; Tuka says — by some bhāva — come near.
Where this applies
- When you're slowly trying to improve or turn your mind toward something good and face criticism for it.
- When educated or authoritative people mock or dismiss your sincere spiritual effort.
- When fear of worldly responsibilities makes you stall halfway through a change you're trying to make.
- When you worry your devotion isn't the right form and need reassurance that sincerity is enough.