Abhanga 2314
Once you have carried someone's need faithfully to the one who can actually grant it, let go of the outcome, because deciding it was never your job.
The verse
ठेवूनियां डोईं । पायीं जालों उतराईं ॥१॥ कारण तें तुम्हीं जाणां । मी तराळ नारायणा ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रसंगीं वचन । दिलें तें चि खावें अन्न ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भार । तुम्ही जाणां थोडा फार ॥३॥ उपदेश अभंग ॥ ११ ॥
Literal translation
Placing [it] on the head — at the feet I've become utarā'ī. The reason — you know — I'm a ferryman, Nārāyaṇa. On occasion, the word — was given — that one should eat as food. Tuka says: the burden — you know — little or much. Upadeśa abhanga ॥11॥
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ठेवूनियां डोईं | "placing [it] on the head" |
| पायीं जालों उतराईं | "at the feet I've become utarā'ī (delivered, debt-paid)" |
| कारण तें तुम्हीं जाणां | "the reason — you know" |
| मी तराळ नारायणा | "I'm a ferryman, Nārāyaṇa" |
| प्रसंगीं वचन | "on occasion, the word" |
| दिलें तें चि खावें अन्न | "was given — that one should eat as food" |
| तुका म्हणे भार | "Tuka says — the burden" |
| तुम्ही जाणां थोडा फार | "you know — little or much" |
| उपदेश अभंग ॥ ११ ॥ | "Upadeśa abhanga ॥11॥ — closing colophon of the 11-abhang cluster" |
What it means
CLOSING ABHANG OF THE 11-ABHANG UPADEŚA-CLUSTER (Aḷankāpurī-Brahmin episode). I-am-only-the-ferryman + the-burden-is-yours abhang.
The opening — placing on head, becoming utarā'ī: ṭhēvūniyām ḍō'īm — pāyīm jālōm utarā'īm — placing [it] on the head — at the feet I've become utarā'ī. Utarā'īm = one-who-has-paid-off-the-debt, who-has-delivered-the-message. Having-placed-(the-Brahmin's-petition) on-(my)-head, at-(your)-feet I've-become utarā'ī (= I've-delivered-the-message-to-you-and-am-clear-of-the-debt).
The ferryman-image: kāraṇa tē tumhīm jāṇām — mī tarāḷa Nārāyaṇā — the reason — you know — I'm a ferryman, Nārāyaṇa. Tarāḷa = ferryman, one who-ferries-others-across. The reason — you-know-it; I'm-only-a-ferryman, Nārāyaṇa (= my-role is-just to-carry-the-petitioner-to-you; the-actual-judgment-and-grant is-yours).
The on-occasion-word as food: prasangīm vachana — dilē tē chi khāvē anna — on occasion, the word — was given — that one should eat as food. On-the-occasion, the-word that-was-given (by-you) — that-itself one-should-eat-as-food (= the Lord's-word-of-promise is-the-bhakta's-sustenance).
The closing — burden known: Tukā mhaṇē bhāra — tumhī jāṇām thōḍā phāra — Tuka says: the burden — you know — little or much. The burden — you-know whether-little-or-much.
THE CLOSING-COLOPHON उपदेश अभंग ॥११॥ marks the conclusion-of-the-11-abhang upadeśa-cluster. Working-backward from-this-closing-marker: - The cluster's-most-likely-span is 2308-2314 (7 abhangs explicit in this batch), perhaps including earlier abhangs from 2304 (the ēkākhaḍī), 2305 (Lōhā-gāva-#1), 2306 (Lōhā-gāva-#2), and 2307 (Aḷankāpurī-Brahmin-announcement) — totaling 11. - Alternatively, the count-of-11 may refer-only-to-this-Aḷankāpurī-cluster spanning 2308-2318 (continuing-into the-next batch).
The structural-significance: this is the upadēśa (instruction) the-Brahmin received from Tukārām — but-instead-of-a-direct-teaching, the upadēśa consists-of Tukārām's-petition-to-the-Lord on-the-Brahmin's-behalf. The teaching is the mediation.
[T]
For someone today
For today: placing it on my head — at your feet I've become utarā'ī; reason — you know — I'm a ferryman, Nārāyaṇa; on occasion, the word was given — eat it as food; Tuka says — the burden — you know little or much.
Closing: Upadeśa abhanga ॥11॥ — closing-colophon of the 11-abhang upadeśa-cluster initiated at 2307.
Where this applies
- When you deliver someone's request or concern to a person in authority and then feel tempted to keep worrying over whether it will be granted
- When you help someone by passing their need along to someone more capable, and have to remind yourself the outcome is not yours to control
- When you are waiting to hear back on something important and need to treat whatever answer comes as enough to live on
- When you carry a responsibility for someone else and want to know when your part of the job is actually finished