संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2528 of 4582

Abhanga 2528

Sincere devotion, not more striving or bargaining, is what settles a debt that guilt and self-effort only keep compounding.

When you feel trapped by mistakes from your past that keep growing heavier.

When you try to fix your guilt through sheer effort and only feel more exhausted.

When you finally let go and place your full trust in God instead of your own bargaining.

The verse

ॠणाच्या परिहारा जालों वोळगणा । द्यावी नारायणा वासलाती ॥१॥ जालों उतराईं शरीरसंकल्पें । चुकों द्यावीं पापें सकळ ही ॥ध्रु.॥ आजिवरि होतों धरूनि जिवासी । व्याजें कासाविसी बहु केलें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मना आणिला म्यां भाव । तुमचा तेथें ठाव आहे देवा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Became your bonded-server for debt-removal — give settlement, Nārāyaṇā. Became indebted-and-paid by body-sankalpa — let all pāpas miss. Until today held by life — interest caused much distress. Tuka says: brought bhāva to mind — your place is there, Dēvā.

What it means

THE ṚṆA-EMPLOYEE-FOR-DEBT-REMOVAL ABHANG. Karmic-debt-paid-by-bhakta-bonded-service.

[T]

For someone today

For today: became bonded-server for debt-removal — give settlement.

Where this applies

When you feel weighed down by old mistakes or a karmic debt you can't seem to repay.
When anxiety and self-doubt keep compounding like interest on a loan.
When you're tempted to bargain or negotiate your way out of guilt instead of surrendering it.
When you want to trust that sincere devotion, not more striving, will settle what feels unpayable.

Bhakti