Abhanga 2141
The devotee asks not for liberation but for more lifetimes of service, praise, and closeness, because belonging to God matters more than being freed from the world.
The verse
पांडुरंगा कांहीं आइकावी मात । न करावें मुक्त आतां मज ॥१॥ जन्मांतरें मज तैसीं देई देवा । जेणें चरणसेवा घडे तुझी ॥ध्रु.॥ वाखाणीन कीर्ती आपुलिया मुखें । नाचेन मी सुखें तुजपुढें ॥२॥ करूनि कामारी दास दीनाहुनी । आपुला अंगणीं ठाव मज ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही मृत्युलोकीं भले । तुझे चि अंखिले पांडुरंगा ॥४॥
Literal translation
Pāṇḍurangā, listen to (my) word — don't make me mukta now. Give me such births, Deva — by which your foot-sēvā occurs. I'll praise (your) fame with my mouth — I'll dance happily before you. Making me menial — dāsa lower than dīna — place me in your courtyard. Tuka says: we're good in mṛtyu-loka — bound as yours, Pāṇḍurangā.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पांडुरंगा कांहीं आइकावी मात | "Pāṇḍurangā, listen to (my) word" |
| न करावें मुक्त आतां मज | "don't make me mukta now" |
| जन्मांतरें मज तैसीं देई देवा | "give me such births, Deva" |
| जेणें चरणसेवा घडे तुझी | "by which your foot-sēvā occurs" |
| वाखाणीन कीर्ती आपुलिया मुखें | "I'll praise (your) fame with my mouth" |
| नाचेन मी सुखें तुजपुढें | "I'll dance happily before you" |
| करूनि कामारी दास दीनाहुनी | "making me menial — dāsa lower than dīna" |
| आपुला अंगणीं ठाव मज | "place me in your courtyard" |
| तुका म्हणे आम्ही मृत्युलोकीं भले | "Tuka says — we're good in mṛtyu-loka" |
| तुझे चि अंखिले पांडुरंगा | "bound as yours, Pāṇḍurangā" |
What it means
Don't-give-me-mukti-give-births-for-sēvā abhang. ANTI-MUKTI BHAKTI.
The opening anti-mukti: Pāṇḍurangā kāhīm āikāvī māta — na karāvē mukta ātām maja — Pāṇḍurangā, listen to (my) word — don't make me mukta now. Don't-liberate-me; I-have-a-request.
The request for-more-births: janmāntarē maja taisīm dē'ī Dēvā — jēṇē charaṇa-sēvā ghaḍē tujhī — give me such births, Deva — by which your foot-sēvā occurs. Give-me-births that-allow-charaṇa-sēvā. The bhakta-prefers-rebirth-for-service over-mukti.
The promised-activities: vākhāṇīna kīrtī āpuliyā mukhē — nāchēna mī sukhē tujapuḍhē — I'll praise (your) fame with my mouth — I'll dance happily before you. Praise + dance.
The menial-role: karūni kāmārī dāsa dīnāhuni — āpulā angaṇī ṭhāva maja — making me menial — dāsa lower than dīna — place me in your courtyard. Kāmārī = menial-servant. Make-me lowest-of-menial-dāsa; place-me in-your-courtyard.
The closing — mṛtyu-loka is fine: Tukā mhaṇē āmhī mṛtyu-lōkīm bhalē — tujhē chi ankhilē Pāṇḍurangā — we're good in mṛtyu-loka — bound as yours, Pāṇḍurangā. Mṛtyu-loka (the death-world, = samsāra) is-fine for-us; we're-your-ankhilē (place-bound-subjects).
[T]
For someone today
For today: Pāṇḍurangā, listen — don't make me mukta now; give me such births, Deva — by which your foot-sēvā occurs; I'll praise your fame with my mouth — dance happily before you; making me menial — dāsa lower than dīna — place me in your courtyard; Tuka says — we're good in mṛtyu-loka — bound as yours, Pāṇḍurangā.
Where this applies
- When you are offered an easy escape from struggle but realize you'd rather keep serving something you love
- When you crave closeness to what you cherish more than any reward for yourself
- When you feel you'd gladly take the lowest, humblest role just to stay near what matters
- When you find yourself content with ordinary life because of who you belong to