Abhanga 2836
A serious seeker stays detached, disciplines the body and speech, and fills each day with good company, the Name, and kīrtana, so wisdom can come through a guru's grace.
The verse
साधकाची दशा उदास असावी । उपाधि नसावी अंतर्बाही ॥१॥
लोलुपता काय नद्रिेतें जिणावें । भोजन करावें परमित ॥ध्रु.॥
एकांती लोकांतीं स्त्रियांशीं वचन । प्राण गेल्या जाण बोलों नये ॥२॥
संग सज्जनाचा उच्चार नामाचा । घोष कीर्तनाचा अहर्निशीं ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसा साधनीं जो राहे । तो चि ज्ञान लाहे गुरुकृपा ॥४॥
Literal translation
Sādhakāñcī daśā uddāsa asāvī — thesādhaka'sstate should-beuddāsa(detached, dispassionate); upādhi nasāvī antara-bāhī — upādhi(entanglement, attachment) should-not-be — inside-and-outside. Lōlupatā kāya — as forlōlupatā(greed); nidre-tē jiṇāvē — (it and) sleep — (one) must conquer; bhojana karāvē paramita — bhojana should be doneparamita(moderately, in-measure). Ekāntī lōkāntī striyāñśīm vachana — inekānta(solitude) orlokānta(public) — speech tostrī(women); prāṇa gelyā jāṇa bōlōm nayē — even (if) prāṇa goes — know — should not be spoken. Sanga sajjanāñcā — thesangaofsajjana(good-company); uchchāra nāmāñcā — theuchchāra(utterance) ofnāma; ghōṣa kīrtanāñcā — theghōṣa(loud-proclaiming) ofkīrtana; aharniśīm — day-and-night. Tukā says: aisā sādhanī jō rāhē — he who remains in suchsādhana; tō chi jñāna lāhe — he alone getsjñāna; guru-krpā — by guru's grace.
What it means
A canonical 4-verse sādhaka-discipline text. Each verse is a clear-discipline-list.
Verse 1: Sādhakāñcī daśā uddāsa asāvī — upādhi nasāvī antara-bāhī — the sādhaka's state should-be detached; no upādhi (entanglement) inside-or-outside. The foundational-discipline: detachment + freedom-from-entanglement (antara-bāhī = inside-and-outside).
Dhrūpada: Lōlupatā kāya nidre-tē jiṇāvē — bhojana karāvē paramita — conquer lōlupatā (greed) and nidrā (sleep); bhojana — done moderately. Three-fold discipline: (1) conquer greed; (2) conquer sleep; (3) moderate-eating.
Verse 2: Ekāntī lōkāntī striyāñśīm vachana — prāṇa gelyā jāṇa bōlōm nayē — in ekānta or lokānta — speech to women — even on prāṇa-leaving, know — don't speak (anything inappropriate). The strict celibacy/restraint-discipline: don't engage in inappropriate-speech with women — even at the cost of life. (This is a male-sādhaka-discipline; the principle generalizes as no flirtation-or-inappropriate-engagement with-the-opposite-sex.) The phrasing — prāṇa-gelyā jāṇa — even if prāṇa goes — emphasizes the strictness.
Verse 3: Sanga sajjanāñcā uchchāra nāmāñcā — ghōṣa kīrtanāñcā aharniśīm — sanga of sajjana, uchchāra of Nāma — ghōṣa of kīrtana — day-and-night. The three-fold-positive discipline: (1) good-company; (2) Name-utterance; (3) kīrtana-proclaiming — all day-and-night.
Verse 4 (close): Tukā mhaṇe aisā sādhanī jō rāhē — tō chi jñāna lāhe guru-krpā — Tukā: he who remains in such sādhana — he alone gets jñāna by guru-krpā. The qualification-claim: only the one who-holds-this-discipline gets jñāna — and even-then, only by guru-krpā. (Note: guru-krpā is the operative-cause; sādhana is the qualifying-condition, not the direct-cause.)
For someone today
This is a foundational four-part discipline for a serious spiritual seeker. Your inner state should stay detached, free of any entanglement inside or out. Conquer greed and oversleeping, and eat only in moderation. Whether alone or in public, guard your speech with someone you're attracted to — hold that line even at the cost of your life. Fill your days and nights with good company, chanting the Name, and the joyful sound of kirtan. Tuka says: only the one who keeps to this discipline gains wisdom, and even then only through the guru's grace.
मराठी: साधकाने आपली अंतरिक अवस्था सदैव विरक्त व निर्मळ ठेवावी, आत आणि बाहेर कुठलाही गुंता नसावा. लोभ व अतिरिक्त झोप जिंकावी आणि आहार मर्यादित, संयमित ठेवावा. एकांतात असो वा लोकांत, आकर्षण वाटणाऱ्या व्यक्तीशी अनुचित बोलणे टाळावे — प्राण गेला तरी ही मर्यादा सोडू नये. दिवसरात्र सज्जनांची संगत, नामाचा उच्चार आणि कीर्तनाचा घोष यांनी भरून टाकावे. तुकाराम महाराज म्हणतात, जो असे साधन आचरतो त्यालाच गुरुकृपेने ज्ञान प्राप्त होते.
Where this applies
- When you're trying to build a daily spiritual discipline and don't know where to start
- When greed, oversleeping, or overeating keep pulling you off track
- When you're tempted toward inappropriate flirtation or talk with someone you're attracted to
- When you're choosing who to spend your time with and what to fill your days with