संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2517 of 4582

Abhanga 2517

Let go of grudges and envy, since they only harm you, and find real peace by keeping forgiveness alive within yourself.

When you catch yourself dwelling on a memory that fills you with bitterness toward someone

When you notice envy rising as you compare your life to someone else's

When you have a chance to forgive someone and choose whether to hold onto anger or let your mind stay cool instead

The verse

चित्ता ऐसी नको देऊं आठवण । जेणें देवाचे चरण अंतरे तें ॥१॥ आलिया वचनें रामनामध्वनि । ऐकावीं कानीं ऐसीं गोडें ॥ध्रु.॥ मत्सराचा ठाव शरीरीं नसावा । लाभेंविण जीवा दुःख देतो ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे राहे अंतर शीतळ । शांतीचें तें बळ क्षमा अंगीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

Don't give chitta such remembrance — by which Dēva's feet become distant. Rāma-nāma-dhvani in arriving-words — listen sweet. Matsara-place shouldn't be in body — gives duḥkha without gain. Tuka says: let inside stay cool — peace's strength is kṣamā in body.

What it means

THE ETHICAL-SUMMARY ABHANG. Three-part ethical-principle.

MATSARA-DIAGNOSIS: matsarāchā ṭhāva śarīrīm nasāvā — lābhēmviṇa jīvā duḥkha dētō — matsara-place shouldn't be in body — gives duḥkha without gain. Matsara (envy, jealousy) should-have-no-place in-the-body; it-gives-duḥkha to-the-jīva without-any-gain. A psychological-ethical observation: envy harms-only-the-envious.

ŚĀNTI-DEFINITION: rāhē antara śītaḷa — śāntīchē tē baḷa kṣamā angīm — let inside stay cool — peace's strength is kṣamā in body. Let-inside (antara) stay-COOL (śītaḷa); peace's-strength (śānti-bala) IS kṣamā (forgiveness) IN-THE-BODY. Śānti is-defined-as kṣamā — forgiveness is-the-active-form of-peace.

The opening: chittā aiśī nakō dē'ūm āṭhavaṇa — don't give chitta such remembrance by which Dēva's feet become distant. Anti-grudge-bearing memory-discipline.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This is one of Tukārām's most-concise ethical-summary abhangs — three principles: (1) memory-discipline (don't-remember-grievances), (2) matsara-elimination (envy-harms-only-the-envier), (3) śānti-as-kṣamā (peace = active-forgiveness). Used in Vārkarī ethical-instruction.

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For someone today

For today: don't let chitta hold what distances Dēva; matsara gives duḥkha without gain; śānti's strength is kṣamā in body.

Where this applies

When you keep replaying an old grievance in your mind instead of letting it go
When you feel jealous of someone else's success or good fortune
When anger or resentment is making your mind feel hot and restless instead of calm
When you're deciding whether to forgive someone or keep holding the hurt against them

Nāma (the Name) Bhakti