Abhanga 2836
A canonical sādhaka-discipline text. The sādhaka's state should be detached; no entanglement inside-or-outside. Conquer greed and sleep; bhojana moderately. In solitude or public, to women, even on prāṇa-leaving, don't speak (anything inappropriate). Sanga of sajjana, uchchāra of Name, ghōṣa of kīrtana — day-and-night. He who remains in such sādhana — he alone gets jñāna by guru-krpā.
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 — the sādhaka's state should-be uddāsa (detached, dispassionate); upādhi nasāvī antara-bāhī — upādhi (entanglement, attachment) should-not-be — inside-and-outside. Lōlupatā kāya — as for lōlupatā (greed); nidre-tē jiṇāvē — (it and) sleep — (one) must conquer; bhojana karāvē paramita — bhojana should be done paramita (moderately, in-measure). Ekāntī lōkāntī striyāñśīm vachana — in ekānta (solitude) or lokānta (public) — speech to strī (women); prāṇa gelyā jāṇa bōlōm nayē — even (if) prāṇa goes — know — should not be spoken. Sanga sajjanāñcā — the sanga of sajjana (good-company); uchchāra nāmāñcā — the uchchāra (utterance) of nāma; ghōṣa kīrtanāñcā — the ghōṣa (loud-proclaiming) of kīrtana; aharniśīm — day-and-night. Tukā says: aisā sādhanī jō rāhē — he who remains in such sādhana; tō chi jñāna lāhe — he alone gets jñāna; 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
A canonical sādhaka-discipline text. The sādhaka's state should be detached; no entanglement inside-or-outside. Conquer greed and sleep; bhojana moderately. In solitude or public, to women, even on prāṇa-leaving, don't speak (anything inappropriate). Sanga of sajjana, uchchāra of Name, ghōṣa of kīrtana — day-and-night. He who remains in such sādhana — he alone gets jñāna by guru-krpā.
Seven operative-disciplines for a sādhaka: (1) detached state; (2) no inside-outside upādhi; (3) conquer greed; (4) conquer sleep; (5) moderate-eating; (6) no inappropriate-speech-to-the-opposite-sex; (7) good-company + Name + kīrtana day-and-night. The verse can be recited as a daily-vrata-reminder. The closing-claim: guru-krpā is the operative-cause of jñāna; sādhana qualifies one for receiving it.
Where this applies
- The canonical 4-verse sādhaka-discipline text
- Recited as a daily sādhaka-vrata reminder
- Recognizing the no-strī-vachana-even-on-prāṇa-leaving discipline
- The guru-krpā-is-the-operative-cause-of-jñāna claim