संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2546 of 4582

Abhanga 2546

The soul longs to directly experience the divine, the way the gopis once saw Krishna face to face, rather than only imagine that closeness.

When you wish you could have a direct, personal experience of God rather than just imagining one.

When you compare yourself to others who seem to have had a closer connection to the divine.

When your longing keeps shifting from moment to moment, restless and unresolved.

The verse

कैसा तीं देखिला होसील गोपाळीं । पुण्यवंतीं डोळीं नारायणा ॥१॥ तेणें लोभें जीव जालासे बराडी । आम्ही ऐशी जोडी कई लाभों ॥ध्रु.॥ असेल तें कैसें दर्शनाचें सुख । अनुभवें श्रीमुख अनुभवितां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे वाटे देसी आलिंगन । अवस्था ते क्षणाक्षणां होते ॥३॥

Literal translation

How did the gopīs see you — virtuous-eyed Nārāyaṇā. By that greed, jīva became destitute — when do we get such association. What is the sukha of darshan — by anubhava, the śrī-mukha experienced. Tuka says: feels you'd give ālingana — state moment to moment.

What it means

THE HOW-DID-GOPĪS-SEE-YOU ABHANG. Echoes the gopikā-līlā cluster (2352-2359).

[T]

For someone today

For today: how did gopīs see you with virtuous-eyes; feels you'd give ālingana — moment to moment.

Where this applies

When you long for a direct, personal experience of the divine instead of just reading or imagining it
When you compare your own devotion to those who seem to have had closer access to God
When your emotional state keeps shifting moment to moment during intense longing
When you feel greedy or restless for a spiritual experience that feels just out of reach

Krṣṇa-līlā Bhakti