Abhanga 2284
Freedom from needing approval, comfort, and pleasure cannot always be forced by willpower alone, so it has to be asked for as grace.
The verse
नावडावें जन नावडावा मान । करूनि प्रमाण तूं चि होई ॥१॥ सोडुनि देहसंबंध वेसनें । ऐसी नारायणें कृपा कीजे ॥ध्रु.॥ नावडावें रूप नावडावे रस । अवघी राहो आस पायांपाशीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आतां आपुलिया सत्ता । करूनि अनंता ठेवा ऐसें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Let people not-be-liked, honor not-be-liked — making the standard, you yourself become. Let the deha-sambandha and habits leave — such kṛpā, Nārāyaṇa, do. Let rūpa not-be-liked, rasa not-be-liked — all hope remain at the feet. Tuka says: now by your authority — Ananta — keep [me] like this.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नावडावें जन नावडावा मान | "let people not-be-liked, honor not-be-liked" |
| करूनि प्रमाण तूं चि होई | "making the standard, you yourself become" |
| सोडुनि देहसंबंध वेसनें | "let the deha-sambandha and habits leave" |
| ऐसी नारायणें कृपा कीजे | "such kṛpā, Nārāyaṇa, do" |
| नावडावें रूप नावडावे रस | "let rūpa not-be-liked, rasa not-be-liked" |
| अवघी राहो आस पायांपाशीं | "all hope remain at the feet" |
| तुका म्हणे आतां आपुलिया सत्ता | "Tuka says — now by your authority" |
| करूनि अनंता ठेवा ऐसें | "Ananta — keep [me] like this" |
What it means
Don't-like-people-and-honor + hope-at-feet + Ananta-keep-me-like-this abhang.
The opening — don't like people-and-honor: nāvaḍāvē jana nāvaḍāvā māna — karūni pramāṇa tūm chi hō'ī — let people not-be-liked, honor not-be-liked — making the standard, you yourself become. Let-people not-be-liked, let-honor not-be-liked; you-yourself become-the-pramāṇa (standard, criterion).
The deha-sambandha-and-habits: sōḍuni dēha-sambandha vēsanē — aisī Nārāyaṇē kṛpā kījē — let the deha-sambandha and habits leave — such kṛpā, Nārāyaṇa, do. Vēsanē = habits, addictions. Let the-body-connections and-habits leave; do-such-kṛpā, Nārāyaṇa.
The don't-like-rūpa-rasa: nāvaḍāvē rūpa nāvaḍavē rasa — avaghī rāhō āsa pāyāmpāśīm — let rūpa not-be-liked, rasa not-be-liked — all hope remain at the feet. Let rūpa-and-rasa not-be-liked; all-hope remain at-the-feet.
The closing — by your authority: Tukā mhaṇē ātām āpuliyā sattā — karūni Ananta ṭhēvā aisē — Tuka says: now by your authority — Ananta — keep [me] like this. By your-authority, Ananta — keep-me like-this. The bhakta-asks-the-Lord to-do-by-the-Lord's-own-sattā what-the-bhakta-cannot-do-by-his-own-effort.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't like people, don't like honor — you become the standard; deha-sambandha and habits leave — kṛpā, Nārāyaṇa; don't like rūpa, rasa — hope at the feet; Tuka says — by your authority, Ananta — keep me like this.
Where this applies
- When you are anxious about what people think of you or whether you get enough recognition.
- When old habits or comforts keep pulling you back despite your best intentions to change.
- When you notice you are chasing beauty, taste, or sensory pleasure instead of what truly matters to you.
- When you have tried to change through sheer willpower and failed, and sense you need to ask for help instead.