संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2504 of 4582

Abhanga 2504

Holding back out of concern for reputation only exhausts you, while giving yourself completely, even at the cost of social standing, brings you into full union with God.

When you catch yourself hedging your commitment to protect your reputation or standing.

When you realize half-hearted effort never actually satisfies you, so keeping something in reserve is pointless.

When you have let go of worldly respectability and find, unexpectedly, that you feel closer to God rather than more alone.

The verse

कडसणी धरितां अडचणीचा ठाव । म्हणऊनि जीव त्रासलासे ॥१॥ लौकिकाबाहेरि राहिलों निराळा । तुजविण वेगळा नाहीं तुजा ॥ध्रु.॥ संकोचानें नाहीं होत धणीवरी । उरवूनि उरी काय काज ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे केलें इच्छे चि सारिखें । नाहींसें पारिखें येथें कोणी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Holding restraint — jīva is troubled. Stayed beyond worldly — without you, no separation from you. With hesitation, no fill — what's the use of keeping reserves. Tuka says: done as desired — no stranger anywhere.

What it means

THE STAYED-BEYOND-WORLDLY-NO-SEPARATION-FROM-YOU ABHANG.

The opening: laukikā-bāhēri rāhilōm nirāḷā — tujaviṇa vēgaḷā nāhīm tujā — stayed beyond worldly — without you, no separation from you. Stayed beyond-the-worldly (= social-rejection); without you, [I am] not-separate-from-you (= deeper-union by-worldly-loss). Paradox: worldly-rejection produces non-separation-from-the-Lord.

[T]

For someone today

For today: stayed beyond worldly — without you, no separation from you; no reserves; nothing is a stranger.

Where this applies

When you hold back from full commitment because you are worried about what people will think of you.
When you keep a private safety margin in a relationship instead of giving yourself completely.
When you feel exhausted from constantly guarding your reputation and status.
When you have lost social standing for something you believe in and wonder if it was worth it.

Bhakti