Abhanga 2713
You do not need extreme austerity to be sincere; showing up daily with an honest heart and asking to be cherished and supported is enough.
The verse
नव्हेव निग्रह देहासी दंडण । न वजे भूकतान सहावली ॥१॥
तरि नित्य नित्य करीं आळवण । माझा अभिमान असों द्यावा ॥ध्रु.॥
नाहीं विटाळिलें कायावाचामन । संकल्पासी भिन्न असें चि या ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भवसागरीं उतार । कराया आधार इच्छीतसें ॥३॥
Literal translation
I cannot do nigraha (restraint), the dēhāsī daṇḍaṇa (punishing of the body); I cannot endure bhūka-tāna (hunger-and-thirst). But nitya nitya (daily-daily) I will do āḷavaṇa (calling-out); let mājhā abhimāna (your taking-pride-in-me) remain. Nāhī viṭāḷilē kāyā-vāchā-mana — I have not polluted body-voice-mind; the samkalpa (resolve) stands apart from this. Tukā says: in the bhava-sāgara (ocean-of-existence), I wish for the ādhāra (support) to be made for crossing.
What it means
A clean honest-disclaimer verse. Navhēva nigraha dēhāsī daṇḍaṇa — na vajē bhūka-tāna sahāvalī — I cannot do nigraha — the body's-punishing; I cannot endure hunger-and-thirst. The bhakta refuses to pretend to formal-austerity. The body cannot endure the nigraha (restraint, austerity); it cannot endure bhūka-tāna (hunger-and-thirst-suppression). Honest.
The dhrūpada offers the alternative: tari nitya nitya karīm āḷavaṇa — mājhā abhimāna asō dyāvā — but daily-daily I will do the calling-out; let me have your taking-pride-in-me. The substitute for nigraha is nitya āḷavaṇa (daily calling-out). And the operative-relation requested is abhimāna — the Lord's taking-pride-in-me. Abhimāna is the affectionate-possessive sense — the Lord considering me his. The bhakta asks: let me have your abhimāna; I cannot earn anything by austerity.
The second verse clarifies: nāhī viṭāḷilē kāyā-vāchā-mana — samkalpāsī bhinna asē chi yā — I have not polluted body-voice-mind; the samkalpa is apart from this. The bhakta has at least maintained body-voice-mind not-polluted; the samkalpa (resolve, intent) stands clear of pollution. He is not claiming austerity, but he is claiming basic-cleanness.
The close: bhava-sāgarīm utāra — karāyā ādhāra icchītasēm — I wish for support to cross the bhava-sāgara (ocean-of-existence). The petition is for ādhāra (support) for the crossing — not by self-effort, but by support.
For someone today
A useful disclaimer and petition for those whose body cannot perform formal austerity. I can't restrain myself; don't punish my body; I can't endure hunger and thirst. But I will call out to you daily; let me have your pride in claiming me as your own. My body, speech, and mind aren't polluted, and my resolve stands apart. I wish for support to cross the ocean of existence. The verse is honest about its limits and substitutes calling out daily and the Lord taking pride in him for formal restraint. Abhimāna — being claimed as his by the Lord — is the substitute for performance.
मराठी: ज्यांचं शरीर कठोर तपश्चर्या पेलू शकत नाही, त्यांच्यासाठी हा प्रामाणिक कबुलीजबाब आणि विनंती आहे. मी स्वतःला रोखू शकत नाही; माझ्या शरीराला शिक्षा देऊ नकोस; भूक आणि तहान मला सहन होत नाही. पण मी रोज तुझा धावा करेन; मला तुझा अभिमान मिळू दे — तू मला आपला म्हणावंस. माझं शरीर, वाणी आणि मन विटाळलेलं नाही, आणि माझा संकल्प यापासून वेगळा आहे. भवसागर तरून जाण्यासाठी मला आधार हवा आहे. हा अभंग स्वतःच्या मर्यादा प्रामाणिकपणे मान्य करतो आणि कठोर तपश्चर्येऐवजी रोजचा धावा आणि परमेश्वराचा अभिमान यांना पर्याय म्हणून पुढे करतो. 'अभिमान' — परमेश्वराने आपलं म्हणून स्वीकारणं — हाच कर्तृत्वाला पर्याय आहे.
Where this applies
- Honest disclaimer for those who cannot perform formal-austerities
- Asking for abhimāna (the Lord's taking-pride-in-me) as the operative-relation
- The nitya-āḷavaṇa (daily-calling-out) substitute for nigraha
- Basic-cleanness as the floor while support-from-the-Lord is the path