संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2524 of 4582

Abhanga 2524

Trust that the one who holds the whole world within himself holds you too, and learn to recognize his presence through quiet signs rather than words.

When you feel like there's no place left that will hold you.

When you want reassurance but only silence answers you.

When you notice small inner signs instead of a clear spoken answer.

The verse

हा तों नव्हे कांहीं निराशेचा ठाव । भलें पोटीं वाव राखिलिया ॥१॥ विश्वंभरें विश्व सामाविलें पोटी । तेथें चि सेवटीं आम्ही असों ॥ध्रु.॥ नेणतां चिंतन करितों अंतरीं । तेथें अभ्यंतरीं उमटेल ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माझा स्वामी अबोलणा । पुरवूं खुणे खुणा जाणतसों ॥३॥

Literal translation

No place of despair — well, kept-empty-belly. Viśvambhara contained the world in belly — there at the end we are. Contemplating inner without-knowing — there it will arise inside. Tuka says: my Svāmī is silent — we know sign-by-sign.

What it means

THE VIŚVAMBHARA-CONTAINED-WORLD-IN-BELLY + SVĀMĪ-IS-SILENT ABHANG.

The cosmography: Viśvambharē viśva sāmāvilē pōṭī — tēthē chi sēvaṭīm āmhī asōm — Viśvambhara contained the world in belly — there at the end we are. Compare 2467's cosmographic fig-tree(crores-of-Virāṭ-in-child-Mukunda's-belly). We end-up in Viśvambhara's belly.

The signs: mājhā Svāmī abōlaṇā — puravūm khuṇē khuṇā jāṇatasōm — my Svāmī is silent — we know sign-by-sign. The silent-Lord — bhakta-reads the-signs.

[T]

For someone today

For today: Viśvambhara contained world in belly; silent Svāmī, sign-by-sign.

Where this applies

When despair convinces you that there's no place left that will hold you.
When you feel unseen because no one is speaking directly into your situation.
When you find yourself noticing small, quiet confirmations instead of a clear spoken answer.
When you empty yourself of worry and wait to see what settles inside.

Bhakti