संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2447 of 4582

Abhanga 2447

For today: places mislead, Dēva goes within; don't get caught in merit-fault; Janārdana is truly in people ; patience needed.

When you go looking for God in temples or holy places but feel him slipping away.

When you catch yourself judging someone else's merits and faults instead of watching your own mind.

When you wonder whether caring for the people around you counts as devotion to God.

The verse

पाहातां ठायाठाव । जातो अंतरोनि देव ॥१॥ नये वाटों गुणदोषीं । मना जतन येविशीं ॥ध्रु.॥ त्रिविधदेह परिचारा । जनीं जनार्दन खरा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे धीरें । विण कैसें होतें बरें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Looking at places — Dēva goes within. Don't get caught in merit-fault — careful with mind. For three-fold-body service — Janārdana truly in people. Tuka says: without patience — how does it become well.

What it means

THE JANĀRDANA-TRULY-IN-PEOPLE ABHANG. Echoes the 2368 janīm Janārdana sākṣa line.

The egalitarian-bhakti-line: tri-vidha-dēha parichārā — janīm Janārdana kharā — for three-fold-body service — Janārdana truly in people. Tri-vidha-dēha = three-fold-body (sthūla, sūkṣma, kāraṇa = gross, subtle, causal). For-the-three-fold-body's service — Janārdana is-truly-in-people. Service-to-people IS service-to-Janārdana.

[T]

For someone today

For today: places mislead, Dēva goes within; don't get caught in merit-fault; Janārdana is truly in people ; patience needed.

Where this applies

When you keep visiting holy places but feel like God is never actually there
When you catch yourself judging other people's virtues and flaws
When you wonder if caring for ordinary people around you counts as real devotion
When you are losing patience with the slow work of changing your own mind

Bhakti