Abhanga 2267

Ask for patience, generosity, purity and freedom from envy rather than material gifts, then put in the effort to keep chasing that experience once you've tasted it, because laziness there is just defeat in disguise.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Ask-only-Nārāyaṇa-and-virtues + obtain-this-one-thing abhang. A 5+1-verse petition-list.

The opening — gift to ask: hē chi yāchyā aisē māgāvē dāna — vandūni charaṇa Nārāyaṇā — this is the very gift to ask of him — bowing at Nārāyaṇa's feet. This-is-the-gift to-ask, bowing at-Nārāyaṇa's-feet.

The virtues that name sarvēśvara: dhīra udārīmva nirmaḷa nirmatsara — yēṇē sarvēśvara aisē nāmva — patient, generous-mindedness, pure, free-of-envy — by these the name 'sarvēśvara'. Dhīra = patient, steady. Udārīmva = generosity, magnanimity. Nirmaḷa = pure. Nirmatsara = free-of-matsara (envy/jealousy). Sarvēśvara = lord-of-all. By patience-generosity-purity-non-envy comes-the-name sarvēśvara. (= these virtues earn-the-name-of-the-Lord.)

The Lord-manifests-in-his-share: hā chi hō'īmjēla yāchiyā vibhāgē — anubhavavī angē anubhavavīla — this very [Lord] will manifest in [his] share — will make me experience-with-the-body. This-very-Lord will-manifest in-(my)-share; will-make-me experience-bodily.

The why-not-effort: jōḍē tayāchē kām na karāvē sāyāsa — jālā tari aḷasa dīna-paṇē — for one who joins — why not put forth effort — if there's laziness, it is dīna-paṇa. Dīna-paṇa = helplessness, low-state. For-one-who-joins-(the-Lord), why-not-put-effort? If-laziness-(arises), it-is-dīna-paṇa (= the lowest-state).

The run-after-once-attained: pāvalyāmāgē kām na ghalāvī dhāmvā — dhariliyā tari hāmva baḷa yētē — once attained — why not run after — holding [it], strength of eagerness comes. Once-(partially-)attained, why-not run-after? On-holding-(it), strength-of-eagerness comes.

The closing — stamp-in-khaṇḍī: Tukā mhaṇē ghālūm khaṇḍī-madhyē ṭānka — Dēvāchē hē ēka karunī ghē'ūm — Tukā says: let us place the stamp in the khaṇḍī — let us obtain this one thing of the Lord. Khaṇḍī = a large measure of grain (20 maṇs). Ṭānka = stamp, seal. Let-us-place-the-(value)-stamp in-the-khaṇḍī (= imprint-the-mark-of-value on-this-large-measure); let-us-obtain this-one-thing of-the-Lord. The mercantile-image: stamping-the-bulk-grain-measure to-mark-its-value, just-as-we-stamp-our-virtues to-make-them-Lord-bearing.

[T]

For someone today

For today: this is the gift to ask — bowing at Nārāyaṇa's feet; patient, generous, pure, envy-free — by these the name sarvēśvara; this Lord will manifest in his share — make me experience with body; for one who joins — why not effort — laziness is dīna-paṇa; once attained — why not run after — holding it, eagerness grows; Tukā says — place stamp in khaṇḍī — obtain this one thing of the Lord.

Where this applies

• When you're praying or wishing for something and realize you should be asking for inner qualities, not just outcomes or possessions
• When you've started to grow patient, generous or free of envy and want to know why that matters
• When you feel too tired or discouraged to keep putting in effort on something that's actually working for you
• When you've had a small taste of real progress or peace and are tempted to stop instead of pursuing more of it

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with