Abhanga 2174
Pray for honest speech and a clean mind, keep working to break the grip of desire and anger, and don't chase every new spiritual fad instead of this simple practice.
The verse
नयो वाचे अनुचित वाणी । नसो मनीं कुडी बुद्धि ॥१॥ ऐसें मागा अरे जना । नारायणा विनवूनि ॥ध्रु.॥ कामक्रोधां पडो चिरा । ऐसा बरा सायास ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नानाछंदें । या विनोदें न पडावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Let no improper speech come to the tongue — let no crooked buddhi be in the mind. Ask thus, O people — imploring Nārāyaṇa. Let kāma-krōdha be split — such is good effort. Tuka says: in many fads — don't fall into this amusement.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नयो वाचे अनुचित वाणी | "let no improper speech come to the tongue" |
| नसो मनीं कुडी बुद्धि | "let no crooked buddhi be in the mind" |
| ऐसें मागा अरे जना | "ask thus, O people" |
| नारायणा विनवूनि | "imploring Nārāyaṇa" |
| कामक्रोधां पडो चिरा | "let kāma-krōdha be split" |
| ऐसा बरा सायास | "such is good effort" |
| तुका म्हणे नानाछंदें | "Tuka says — in many fads" |
| या विनोदें न पडावें | "don't fall into this amusement" |
What it means
Prayer-template + don't-fall-into-many-fads abhang.
The prayer-template: nayō vāchē anuchita vāṇī — nasō manīm kuḍī buddhi — let no improper speech come to the tongue — let no crooked buddhi be in the mind. Two-fold-prayer: no improper-speech on-tongue; no crooked-buddhi in-mind. A model prayer-formulation — speech and mind both-kept-clean.
The implore-Nārāyaṇa: aisē māgā arē janā — Nārāyaṇā vinavūni — ask thus, O people — imploring Nārāyaṇa. Address to people: ask in-this-way, imploring Nārāyaṇa. (= make this the-form-of-your-prayer.)
The kāma-krōdha-split: kāma-krōdhām paḍō chirā — aisā barā sāyāsa — let kāma-krōdha be split — such is good effort. Chirā = crack, split, fissure. Sāyāsa = effort, exertion. Let kāma-and-krōdha be-split (= broken-apart, fractured); such effort is good. Continues the inner-enemies thread from 2156's kāma-krōdha-still-in-body and 2167's anāvara-guṇa.
The closing — don't-fall-into-many-fads: Tukā mhaṇē nānā-chandē — yā vinōdē na paḍāvē — Tuka says: in many fads — don't fall into this amusement. Nānā-chandē = many fads, varied fancies. Vinōda = amusement, diversion. Don't-fall-into many-fads, into this-amusement. (= the prayer-template is-the-direct-way; the many-fads (alternative-practices) are-diversions.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: let no improper speech come to tongue — let no crooked buddhi be in mind; ask thus, O people — imploring Nārāyaṇa; let kāma-krōdha be split — such is good effort; Tuka says — in many fads — don't fall into this amusement.
Where this applies
- When you're about to say something unkind or dishonest and want a check on yourself
- When you notice a scheming or self-serving thought forming in your mind
- When you're struggling with anger or craving and wonder if the effort is worth it
- When you keep jumping from one new spiritual trend to another instead of a steady practice