Abhanga 2839
Wealth, honor, joy, and sorrow all come by destiny, not by your striving, so stop struggling over them and turn your mind toward devotion instead.
The verse
प्रारब्धें चि जोडे धन । प्रारब्धें चि वाडे मान ॥१॥
सोस करिसी वांयां । भज मना पंढरीराया ॥ध्रु.॥
प्रारब्धें चि होय सुख। प्रारब्धें चि पावे दुःख ॥२॥
प्रारब्धें चि भरे पोट । तुका करीना बोभाट ॥३॥
Literal translation
Prārabdhē chi jōḍē dhana — byprārabdhaalone,dhana(wealth) joins; prārabdhē chi vāḍē māna — by prārabdha alone,māna(honor) grows. Sōsa karisī vāmyām — (you) dosōsa(toil, ambitious-effort) vainly; bhaja manā Pandharī-rāyā — O mind,bhaja(worship) Paṇḍharī-rāya. Prārabdhē chi hōya sukha — by prārabdha,sukhahappens; prārabdhē chi pāve duḥkha — by prārabdha,duḥkhaispāve(met, attained). Prārabdhē chi bhare pōṭa — by prārabdha alone, thepōṭa(belly) is filled; Tukā karīnā bōbhāṭa — Tukā does-not-makebōbhāṭa(fuss, complaint, outcry).
What it means
A 4-verse canonical-prārabdha-discipline text. The four-fold-formula: prārabdhē chi __ — by prārabdha alone __. Applied to: (1) dhana (wealth), (2) māna (honor), (3) sukha (joy) and duḥkha (sorrow), (4) pōṭa (belly's-fullness).
The dhrūpada-counsel: sōsa karisī vāmyām — bhaja manā Pandharī-rāyā — you dosōsa(ambitious-toil) vainly — O mind,bhajaPandharī-rāya. The bhakti-redirection: since effort doesn't determine outcomes (prārabdha does), don't waste-yourself in ambitious-toil — instead, bhaja-Pandharī-rāya.
The close: prārabdhē chi bhare pōṭa — Tukā karīnā bōbhāṭa — by prārabdha alone, the belly is filled — Tukā doesn't make fuss. The mature-bhakta's equanimity: I-don't-complain (about being-supported, or-not), because-prārabdha-determines-it-anyway.
For someone today
A canonical prārabdha-discipline. By prārabdha alone, wealth joins. By prārabdha alone, honor grows. You do sōsa (ambitious-toil) vainly — O mind, bhaja Pandharī-rāya. By prārabdha, sukha and duḥkha. By prārabdha alone, the belly is filled. Tukā doesn't fuss. The text offers a clear discipline: (1) don't credit your-effort for material-success or-failure — prārabdha does it; (2) since effort doesn't determine, redirect-toward-bhaja; (3) don't-make-fuss about-outcomes. The verse permits the bhakta's radical equanimity-with-circumstances. Note: this is not fatalism — Tukārām is not saying don't-work; he is saying don't sōsa (ambitious-toil-pridefully) over outcomes that prārabdha decides anyway. The redirection-of-energy to bhaja is the operative-claim.
Where this applies
- The canonical 4-verse prārabdha-discipline text
- Recognizing effort-is-vain; bhaja-instead counsel
- Tukā-doesn't-fuss — the bhakta's equanimity-with-outcomes
- Anti-ambitious-toil + redirection-to-bhakti