Abhanga 2224
Letting go of what isn't yours and refusing to suppress an already contented mind protects you from losing what is rightfully yours to anger.
The verse
असो तुझें तुजपाशीं । आम्हां त्यासी काय चाड ॥१॥ निरोधें कां कोंडूं मन । समाधान असोनी ॥ध्रु.॥ करावा तो उरे आट । खटपट वाढतसे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे येउनि रागा । कां मी भागा मुकेन ॥३॥
Literal translation
Let yours stay with you — what fondness do we have for it? Why pen up the mind with restraint (nirōdha) — satisfaction exists [anyway]. What must be done remains as residue — the to-do grows. Tuka says: coming into anger — why should I miss my share?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| असो तुझें तुजपाशीं | "let yours stay with you" |
| आम्हां त्यासी काय चाड | "what fondness do we have for it" |
| निरोधें कां कोंडूं मन | "why pen up the mind with restraint (nirōdha)" |
| समाधान असोनी | "satisfaction exists [anyway]" |
| करावा तो उरे आट | "what must be done remains as residue" |
| खटपट वाढतसे | "the to-do grows" |
| तुका म्हणे येउनि रागा | "Tuka says — coming into anger" |
| कां मी भागा मुकेन | "why should I miss my share" |
What it means
Let-yours-stay-with-you + why-miss-my-share-to-anger abhang. Fourteenth abhang of the niḍrā-cluster.
The opening — let-yours-stay: asō tujhē tujapāśīm — āmhām tyāsī kāya chāḍa — let yours stay with you — what fondness do we have for it. Chāḍa = fondness, eagerness. Let-(what's)-yours stay-with-you; what-fondness do-we-have-for-it? (= the bhakta-refuses-attachment to-the-Lord's-possessions; only-the-relationship-itself matters.)
The no-restraint argument: nirōdhē kām kōṇḍūm mana — samādhāna asōnī — why pen up the mind with restraint — satisfaction exists [anyway]. Nirōdha = restraint, suppression. Why pen-up the-mind with-nirōdha when satisfaction (samādhāna) already-exists? (= no need to suppress what's-already-content.)
The to-do residue: karāvā tō urē āṭa — khaṭa-paṭa vāḍhatasē — what must be done remains as residue — the to-do grows. Āṭa = residue, dregs. Khaṭa-paṭa = engagement, to-do, hustle-bustle. What-must-be-done is-left-as-residue; the engagement grows.
The closing — anger-and-share: Tukā mhaṇē yē'uni rāgā — kām mī bhāgā mukēna — Tuka says: coming into anger — why should I miss my share. Bhāga = share, portion. Coming-into-anger, why-should-I-miss my-share? (= if-I-let-anger-take-over, I-lose-my-claim.)
The niḍrā-self-counsel: don't-grasp-at-Lord's-things, don't-suppress, don't-grow-the-engagement, don't-let-anger-cost-the-share. A four-fold-restraint.
[T]
For someone today
For today: let yours stay with you — no fondness; why pen up mind with restraint — satisfaction exists; to-do remains as residue — work grows; Tuka says — coming into anger — why miss my share.
Where this applies
- When you consciously let go of wanting something that belongs to someone else
- When you realize you don't need to suppress your mind because you're already content
- When unfinished tasks or obligations keep piling up no matter how much you do
- When you catch yourself about to lose your temper and remind yourself what it would cost you