Abhanga 2199
When a persistent desire keeps hunting you, stop trying to outrun it alone and ask to be sheltered inside God, trusting that the way through is known even when it is not known to you.
The verse
आतां मज देवा । इचे हातींचें सोडवा ॥१॥ पाठी लागलीसे लांसी । इच्छा जिते जैसी तैसी ॥ध्रु.॥ फेडा आतां पांग । अंगीं लपवुनी अंग ॥२॥ दुजें नेणें तुका । कांहीं तुम्हासी ठाउका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Now [save] me, Lord — from her hand. She's running behind me — desire is living, however she is. Now repay the debt — hiding limb in limb. Tukā knows no other — something is known to you.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आतां मज देवा | "now [save] me, Lord" |
| इचे हातींचें सोडवा | "[save me] from her hand" |
| पाठी लागलीसे लांसी | "she's running behind me" |
| इच्छा जिते जैसी तैसी | "desire is living, however she is" |
| फेडा आतां पांग | "now repay the debt" |
| अंगीं लपवुनी अंग | "hiding limb in limb" |
| दुजें नेणें तुका | "Tukā knows no other" |
| कांहीं तुम्हासी ठाउका | "something is known to you" |
What it means
Save-me-from-icchā + Tukā-knows-no-other abhang.
The opening — save-from-her-hand: ātām maja Dēvā — icē hātīñchē sōḍavā — now save me, Lord — from her hand. Save me from-her-(icchā's)-hand.
The lāmsī image: pāṭhī lāgalīsē lāmsī — icchā jitē jaisī taisī — she's running behind me, lāmsī — desire is living, however she is. Lāmsī = a kind of clinging-ghost/imp (or simply: the one-who-keeps-following). She (desire) is-running-behind-me; desire is-living, however-she-is. (= icchā is-a-persistent-stalker; she-stays-alive-regardless-of-form.)
The repay-debt + hide-limb-in-limb: phēḍā ātām pānga — angīm lapavunī anga — now repay the debt — hiding limb in limb. Pānga = debt, obligation. Repay-the-debt; hide-limb-in-limb (= hide-me-inside-yourself, conceal-me).
The closing — Tukā-knows-no-other: dujē nēṇē Tukā — kāmhīm tumhāsī ṭhā'ukā — Tukā knows no other — something is known to you. Tukā knows-no-other-(refuge); something (= the way) is-known-to-you.
[T]
For someone today
For today: now save me, Lord — from her hand; she's behind me, lāmsī — desire is alive however she is; repay the debt — hide limb in limb; Tukā knows no other — something is known to you.
Where this applies
- When a craving or habit keeps chasing you no matter how many times you think you have shaken it off
- When you are tired of pretending you can defeat a temptation through sheer willpower alone
- When you feel embarrassed to admit you need help and would rather ask to be sheltered than to appear strong
- When you realize you have run out of your own plans and only trust remains as an option