Abhanga 2131
Ask God to steady your mind and restrain your tongue from rash judgment of others, trusting that only God truly knows what is good for every kind of person.
The verse
आतां होई माझे बुद्धीचा जनिता । अवरावें चित्ती पांडुरंगा ॥१॥ येथूनियां कोठें न वजें बाहेरी । ऐसें मज धरीं सत्ताबळें ॥ध्रु.॥ अनावर गुण बहुतां जातींचे । न बोलावें वाचे ऐसें करीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हित कोणिये जातीचें । तुज ठावें साचें मायबापा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Now become my buddhi's progenitor — control (my) chitta, Pāṇḍurangā. Don't let me wander outside from here — hold me thus by your authority-power. Unconquerable guṇas of many jātis — make it so I don't speak through speech. Tuka says: whose hita of any jāti — truly known to you, māyabāpa.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आतां होई माझे बुद्धीचा जनिता | "now become my buddhi's progenitor" |
| अवरावें चित्ती पांडुरंगा | "control (my) chitta, Pāṇḍurangā" |
| येथूनियां कोठें न वजें बाहेरी | "don't let me wander outside from here" |
| ऐसें मज धरीं सत्ताबळें | "hold me thus by your authority-power" |
| अनावर गुण बहुतां जातींचे | "unconquerable guṇas of many jātis" |
| न बोलावें वाचे ऐसें करीं | "make it so I don't speak through speech" |
| तुका म्हणे हित कोणिये जातीचें | "Tuka says — whose hita of any jāti" |
| तुज ठावें साचें मायबापा | "truly known to you, māyabāpa" |
What it means
Be-my-buddhi's-progenitor + hold-me-with-authority-power abhang.
The opening: ātām hō'ī mājhē buddhīchā janitā — avarāvē chittī Pāṇḍurangā — now become my buddhi's progenitor — control (my) chitta, Pāṇḍurangā. Be-the-father-of-my-buddhi (= the one who generates-my-thought); control-my-chitta. Tukārām asks-the-Lord to-become-the-source-of-his-thinking.
The no-wandering: yēthūniyām kōṭhē na vajē bāhērī — aisē maja dharī sattā-baḷē — don't let me wander outside from here — hold me thus by your authority-power. Hold-me-here by-authority-power.
The unconquerable-guṇas: anāvara guṇa bahutām jātīñchē — na bōlāvē vāchē aisē karī — unconquerable guṇas of many jātis — make it so I don't speak. Many-jātis'-guṇas are-unconquerable; make-me-not-speak-them. (= don't let-me speak-rashly about-many-jāti-types.)
The closing — māyabāpa: Tukā mhaṇē hita kōṇiyē jātīchē — tuja ṭhāvē sāchē māyabāpā — whose hita of any jāti — truly known to you, māyabāpa. You-truly-know what's-good for-each-jāti; you-are-māyabāpa.
[T]
For someone today
For today: now become my buddhi's progenitor — control (my) chitta, Pāṇḍurangā; don't let me wander outside from here — hold me thus by your authority-power; unconquerable guṇas of many jātis — make it so I don't speak; Tuka says — whose hita of any jāti — truly known to you, māyabāpa.
Where this applies
- When you're tempted to judge or speak carelessly about people whose ways or backgrounds differ from your own.
- When your mind feels restless and prone to wandering away from what truly matters.
- When you want to ask for help controlling an impulsive tongue before you say something you'll regret.
- When you remember that you don't fully understand what's truly good for someone else's life, only God does.