संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2423 of 4582

Abhanga 2423

Give yourself fully to devotion without looking back, and once the gain is secured, let go of all further worry.

When you have committed to something important and keep second-guessing whether you should have chosen differently.

When you feel time slipping away and want a steady, forward-moving practice instead of panic.

When you finally achieve something meaningful and need permission to stop clutching it with anxiety.

The verse

सर्वविशीं आम्हीं हे चि जोडी केली । स्वीमीची साधिली चरणसेवा ॥१॥ पाहिलें चि नाहीं मागें परतोनी । जिंकिला तो क्षणीं क्षण काळ ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं पडों दिला विचाराचा गोवा । नाहीं पाठी हेवा येऊं दिला ॥२॥ केला लाग वेगीं अवघी चि तांतडी । भावना ते कुडी दुराविली ॥३॥ कोठें मग ऐसें होतें सावकास । जळो तया आस वेव्हाराची ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे लाभ घेतला पालवीं । आतां नाहीं गोवी कशाची ही ॥५॥

Literal translation

In all matters we made this association — accomplished the Svāmī's foot-service. Never looked back — defeated the kṣaṇa-kāḷa. Didn't let thought-entanglement fall — didn't let envy come behind. Made quick chase, all urgency — distorted-feeling distanced. Where else such ease — burn that hope of [worldly] affair. Tuka says: took the gain in the pallu — now no entanglement at all.

What it means

THE NEVER-LOOKED-BACK + TOOK-GAIN-IN-THE-PALLU ABHANG.

The never-look-back: pāhilē chi nāhīm māgē paratōnī — jinkilā tō kṣaṇī kṣaṇa kāḷa — never looked back — defeated the moment, kṣaṇa-kāḷa. Never-looked-back; defeated the-kṣaṇa-kāḷa (= the moment-of-death). One-pointed forward-momentum of-the-bhakta.

TOOK-GAIN-IN-THE-PALLU: Tukā mhaṇē lābha ghētalā pālavīm — ātām nāhīm gōvī kaśāchī hī — took the gain in the pallu — now no entanglement at all. Pālava = the hem/pallu of a garment, where coins or valuables are tied. Took-the-gain in-the-pallu (= secured-it in-the-garment-hem); now no-entanglement of-any-kind. Bhakti-gain secured, like-a-villager-knotting-coins in-the-pallu.

[T]

For someone today

For today: never looked back — defeated the kṣaṇa-kāḷa; quick chase, urgency; took the gain in the pallu — no entanglement .

Where this applies

When you keep glancing back at old choices instead of committing to the path you've chosen
When fear of running out of time makes you anxious rather than focused
When overthinking, envy, or rushing pulls your attention away from what actually matters
When you finally secure something valuable and want to stop worrying and just trust it's safe

Mortality / Vairāgya Bhakti