Abhanga 2736
Sējēñcā ekānta agīpāśīm kaḷē — the sējā (bed)'s ekānta (solitude) is known near the fire; jhānkiliyā ḍoḷē adhaḥ-pāta — closed eyes (lead to) adhaḥ-pāta (falling-down).
The verse
सेजेचा एकांत आगीपाशीं कळे । झांकिलिया डोळे अधःपात ॥१॥
राहो अथवा मग जळो अगीमधीं । निवाडु तो आधीं होऊनि गेला ॥ध्रु.॥
भेणें झडपणी नाहीं येथें दुजें । पादरधिटा ओझें हतियारें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे मज नाहीं जी भरवसा । तोवरि सहसा निवाडु तो ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sējēñcā ekānta agīpāśīm kaḷē — the sējā (bed)'s ekānta (solitude) is known near the fire; jhānkiliyā ḍoḷē adhaḥ-pāta — closed eyes (lead to) adhaḥ-pāta (falling-down). Rāhō athavā mag jaḷō agī-madhīm — nivāḍu tō ādhī hōūnī gēlā — let it remain (rāhō) or let it burn in the fire (agī-madhīm jaḷō) — the nivāḍu (decision) was already made earlier. Bhēṇē jhaḍapaṇī nāhī yēthē dujē — no second-jhaḍapaṇa (sudden-attack-by-fear) is here; pādara-dhiṭā ōjhē hatiyārē — the pādara-dhiṭā (cloth-bound) is a heavy weapon. Tukā says: maja nāhī jī bharavasā — tōvari sahasā nivāḍu tō — I do not have bharavasā (assurance); until then, the nivāḍu (decision) is sahasā (sudden).
What it means
A striking preparedness-vs-avoidance verse. Sējēñcā ekānta agīpāśīm kaḷē — jhānkiliyā ḍoḷē adhaḥ-pāta — the bed's solitude is known near the fire — closed-eyes lead to falling-down. The opening image is paradoxical: the bed's-solitude is known near the fire — meaning, only when fire is near (danger close), one knows what real solitude feels like. And jhānkiliyā ḍoḷē (closed-eyes) — refusing to see — leads to adhaḥ-pāta (falling-down). Avoidance-by-closed-eyes is itself the fall.
The dhrūpada delivers the key-principle: rāhō athavā mag jaḷō agī-madhīm — nivāḍu tō ādhī hōūnī gēlā — let it remain or let it burn in the fire — the decision was already made earlier. The crucial-claim: nivāḍu ādhī hōūnī gēlā — the decision had already-happened earlier. The bhakta who has pre-decided does not have to re-decide in the moment of fire; rāhō-athavā-jaḷō (remain-or-burn) is a non-question once the pre-decision is in place.
The second verse: bhēṇē jhaḍapaṇī nāhī yēthē dujē — pādara-dhiṭā ōjhē hatiyārē — no second-jhaḍapaṇa by fear is here — the pādara-dhiṭā is a heavy-weapon. Jhaḍapaṇa (sudden-attack, surprise-pounce) by fear — no second of this here. The pādara-dhiṭā (cloth-bound, perhaps a weapon-wrapped-in-cloth or the garment-bold one) is a heavy-weapon — perhaps an image of the well-prepared-bhakta's-protection.
The close: maja nāhī jī bharavasā — tōvari sahasā nivāḍu tō — I do not have bharavasā (assurance); until then, the nivāḍu is sahasā (sudden, by-force). Honest disclaimer: bharavasā (self-assurance) hasn't fully arrived; until it does, the nivāḍu (decision) is sahasā — made forcibly, with effort. The pre-decision-discipline is hard until bharavasā matures.
For someone today
A striking preparedness-discipline. The bed's-solitude is only known near fire; closed-eyes lead to falling-down; let it remain or burn — the decision was already made earlier; no second-fear-attack here; I don't yet have assurance — until then, my decision is forced-by-effort. The central principle: make the decisions in advance, not in the moment of fire. The moment-of-fire is not the time to deliberate; whoever decides-at-that-moment, falls. The closed-eyes lead to adhaḥ-pāta image is sharp: avoidance is itself the fall.
The honest until-bharavasā-matures-the-nivāḍu-is-sahasā (forced) close is also useful: pre-decision feels-effortful when assurance hasn't yet matured, but it is still the necessary-discipline.
Where this applies
- Preparedness-decisions must be made in advance
- The closed-eyes-lead-to-falling image — avoidance is itself the danger
- Let-it-remain-or-burn — the decision was already made — pre-decision strengthens the moment
- The honest until-bharavasā-the-nivāḍu-is-forced acknowledgment