Abhanga 2791
Khuṇṭōniyām dōrī āpaṇiyāmpāśīm — fixing the dōrī (string) at āpaṇiyāmpāśīm (oneself); vāvaḍī ākāśī mōkalilī — the vāvaḍī (kite) is released (mōkalilī) into the ākāśa (sky).
The verse
खुंटोनियां दोरी आपणियांपाशीं । वावडी आकाशीं मोकलिली ॥१॥
आपुलिया आहे मालासी जतन । गाहाणाचे ॠण बुडों नेणें ॥ध्रु.॥
बीज नेलें तेथें येईंल अंकुर । जतन तें सार करा याची ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे माझी निश्चिंतीची सेवा । वेगळें नाहीं देवा उरों दिलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Khuṇṭōniyām dōrī āpaṇiyāmpāśīm — fixing the dōrī (string) at āpaṇiyāmpāśīm (oneself); vāvaḍī ākāśī mōkalilī — the vāvaḍī (kite) is released (mōkalilī) into the ākāśa (sky). Āpuliyā āhe mālāsī jatana — one's-own goods (mālā) have jatana (preservation); gāhāṇāñce rṇa buḍōm neṇē — the gāhāṇa (mortgage)'s rṇa (debt) doesn't buḍōm neṇē (know how to sink). Bīja nele tēthē yēīla ankura — the seed taken-there will ankura (sprout); jatana te sāra karā yāñcī — preserve that essence (sāra) of it. Tukā says: mājhī niścintīñcī sevā — my niścintī (worry-free) sevā; vegaḷe nāhī Devā urōm dile — I haven't let anything separate (vegaḷē) remain (urōm) from Deva.
What it means
A short kite-string-at-self image-verse. Khuṇṭōniyām dōrī āpaṇiyāmpāśīm — vāvaḍī ākāśī mōkalilī — fixing the string at oneself — the kite is released into the sky. The image: the kite-flier holds the string-end at his hand (āpaṇiyāmpāśīm = at-self), and releases the kite into the sky. The kite is both free and held. The metaphor: let things fly, but keep the string at yourself.
The dhrūpada: āpuliyā āhe mālāsī jatana — gāhāṇāñce rṇa buḍōm neṇē — one's-own goods have preservation; the mortgage's debt doesn't sink. Mālā-jatana (preservation of goods) and gāhāṇa-rṇa-na-buḍē (the mortgage-debt doesn't sink). The bhakta's-goods are preserved because the string is at himself; the mortgage-debt (the bhakti-rṇa with Deva) stays-active.
The second verse: bīja nele tēthē yēīla ankura — jatana te sāra karā yāñcī — the seed-taken-there will sprout — preserve that essence. The seed-taken-to-the-Lord will produce its ankura (sprout). The jatana (preservation) of the sāra (essence) is the work.
The close: mājhī niścintīñcī sevā — vegaḷe nāhī Devā urōm dile — my niścintī (worry-free) sevā — I haven't let anything separate remain from Deva. The total-integration: nothing-separate. The niścintī (worry-freeness) comes from this no-separation.
For someone today
A useful image of let-it-fly-but-keep-the-string-at-self. Fix the string at oneself; release the kite into the sky. Own-goods have preservation; the mortgage's debt doesn't sink. The seed-taken-there will sprout — preserve the essence. My worry-free sevā — nothing left separate from Deva. The kite-image is portable: in life-and-relationships, let things fly freely, but keep the string-of-essential-connection at yourself. This is different from either holding-tight (which kills the kite-experience) or fully-letting-go (which loses the kite). Hold-the-string at the self.
Where this applies
- The let-it-fly-but-keep-the-string-at-self image
- Preservation-is-by-string-at-self not by holding-tight
- Niścintī-sevā — worry-free because nothing-is-left-separate
- The seed-taken-to-the-Lord-will-sprout preservation-principle