Abhanga 2132
For today: daily I reason with mind — but this — uncontrollable viṣaya-lōbhī; now protect me by your power — I can't see this net being unraveled; caught in (its) noose, no power over it — it swallowed me back again; Tuka says — I am ignorant — but I watch for you, Deva.
The verse
नित्य मनासी करितों विचार । तों हें अनावर विषयलोभी ॥१॥ आतां मज राखें आपुलिया बळें । न देखें हे जाळें उगवतां ॥ध्रु.॥ सांपडलों गळीं नाहीं त्याची सत्ता । उगळी मागुता घेतला तो ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मी तों अज्ञान चि आहें । परि तुझी पाहें वास देवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Daily I reason with mind — but this — uncontrollable viṣaya-lōbhī. Now protect me by your power — I can't see this net being unraveled. Caught in (its) noose, no power over it — it swallowed me back again. Tuka says: I am ignorant — but I watch for you, Deva.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नित्य मनासी करितों विचार | "daily I reason with mind" |
| तों हें अनावर विषयलोभी | "but this — uncontrollable viṣaya-lōbhī" |
| आतां मज राखें आपुलिया बळें | "now protect me by your power" |
| न देखें हे जाळें उगवतां | "I can't see this net being unraveled" |
| सांपडलों गळीं नाहीं त्याची सत्ता | "caught in (its) noose — no power over it" |
| उगळी मागुता घेतला तो | "it swallowed me back again" |
| तुका म्हणे मी तों अज्ञान चि आहें | "Tuka says — I am ignorant" |
| परि तुझी पाहें वास देवा | "but I watch for you, Deva" |
What it means
Daily-reason-but-viṣaya-uncontrollable + protect-by-power abhang. BHAKTA'S HONEST CONFESSION.
The opening — daily-reasoning: nitya manāsī karitōm vichāra — tōm hē anāvara viṣaya-lōbhī — daily I reason with mind — but this — uncontrollable viṣaya-lōbhī. Every-day I-reason-with-mind; but viṣaya-lōbhī (craving for sense-objects) is-uncontrollable.
The plea: ātām maja rākhē āpuliyā baḷē — na dēkhē hē jāḷē ugavatām — now protect me by your power — I can't see this net being unraveled. Protect-by-your-power; I-can't-see how-the-net unravels.
The swallowed-back image: sāmpaḍalōm gaḷīm nāhīm tyāchī sattā — ugaḷī māgutā ghētalā tō — caught in (its) noose, no power over it — it swallowed me back again. Ugaḷī = gulp/swallow-back (like a snake swallowing prey). Caught-in-noose; no-power; the-craving-swallowed-me-again. The recursive-trap of-vāsana.
The closing — confession + watching: Tukā mhaṇē mī tōm ajñāna chi āhē — pari tujhī pāhē vāsa Dēvā — I am ignorant — but I watch for you, Deva. I'm-ignorant; but-I-watch (vāsa = looking-out) for-you.
[T]
For someone today
For today: daily I reason with mind — but this — uncontrollable viṣaya-lōbhī; now protect me by your power — I can't see this net being unraveled; caught in (its) noose, no power over it — it swallowed me back again; Tuka says — I am ignorant — but I watch for you, Deva.
Where this applies
- When you keep trying to reason your way out of a habit or craving and keep failing anyway.
- When you feel caught in a repeating cycle you can't seem to break free from through willpower alone.
- When you're tired of pretending you have it all figured out and need to admit you don't.
- When you want to keep trusting and watching for help even while still struggling.