Abhanga 2867
THE canonical bhakti-of-equanimity. This is the great bhakti, dear to Deva — make samkalpa (formal-offering) of samsāra-māyā. What the Ananta has placed — let-it-stay just-like-that — let samādhāna be in the chitta. Carrying udvega is only duḥkha; the experiencing is just the fruit of samcita. Let us throw the burden on him — let us carry this samsāra at Deva's feet.
The verse
हे चि थोर भक्ति आवडती देवा । संकल्पावी माया संसाराची ॥१॥
ठेविलें अनंतें तैसें चि राह वें । चित्ती असों द्यावें समाधान ॥ध्रु.॥
वाहिल्या उद्वेग दुःख चि केवळ । भोगणें तें फळ संचिताचें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे घालूं तयावरी भार । वाहूं हा संसार देवा पायीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
He chi thōra bhakti āvaḍatī Devā — this very (is) the thōra (great) bhakti, āvaḍatī (dear) to Deva; samkalpāvī māyā samsārāñcī — (one should) samkalpāvī (make a formal-offering, dedicate by samkalpa) of the māyā of samsāra. Ṭhevilē Anantē taise chi rāhāve — what the Ananta (infinite-Lord) has placed — let-it-stay just-like-that; chitti asō dyāve samādhāna — let samādhāna (peace, contentment) be in the chitta. Vāhilyā udvega duḥkha chi keveḷa — carrying udvega (anxiety) is only duḥkha; bhōgaṇe te phaḷa samcitāñce — the bhōgaṇa (experiencing) is just the phaḷa (fruit) of samcita (accumulated-karma). Tukā says: ghālūm tayāvarī bhāra — let us ghālūm (throw, place) the bhāra (burden) on him; vāhūm hā samsāra Devā pāyī — let us carry this samsāra at Deva's feet.
What it means
A canonical 4-verse bhakti-of-equanimity text. THE most-quoted Tukārām text on ṭhevilē-Anantē-taisē-chi-rāhāve (stay-as-the-Ananta-has-placed-you).
Verse 1: He chi thōra bhakti āvaḍatī Devā — samkalpāvī māyā samsārāñcī — this is the great bhakti dear to Deva — make samkalpa (formal-offering) of samsāra-māyā. The samkalpa — formally-offering-as-dedicated. The bhakta dedicates-samsāra-itself to Deva.
Dhrūpada: Ṭhevilē Anantē taise chi rāhāve — chitti asō dyāve samādhāna — what the Ananta has placed — stay just-like-that — let samādhāna be in the chitta. The canonical-line of equanimity-of-circumstance: accept-what-the-Ananta-has-placed; let-chitta-be-at-samādhāna.
Verse 2: Vāhilyā udvega duḥkha chi keveḷa — bhōgaṇe te phaḷa samcitāñce — carrying udvega is only duḥkha — the experiencing is just the fruit of samcita. The diagnostic: udvega (anxiety) adds-duḥkha-to-existing-duḥkha. The experiencing is samcita-karma-fruit-anyway — it will-occur-regardless. The udvega is the additional-self-imposed-duḥkha.
Verse 3 (close): Tukā mhaṇe ghālūm tayāvarī bhāra — vāhūm hā samsāra Devā pāyī — let us throw the burden on him — let us carry samsāra at Deva's feet. The relief-strategy: throw-the-burden on the Lord; carry-the-samsāra (as offering) at Deva's feet.
This is the foundational Vārkarī text on equanimity-with-circumstance + samsāra-as-offering. The ṭhevilē-Anantē-taisē-chi-rāhāve line is among the most-quoted Tukārām lines in Marathi-folk-culture.
For someone today
THE canonical bhakti-of-equanimity. This is the great bhakti, dear to Deva — make samkalpa (formal-offering) of samsāra-māyā. What the Ananta has placed — let-it-stay just-like-that — let samādhāna be in the chitta. Carrying udvega is only duḥkha; the experiencing is just the fruit of samcita. Let us throw the burden on him — let us carry this samsāra at Deva's feet.
Four operative-disciplines: (1) samkalpa-of-samsāra-māyā — dedicate-it-formally-as-offering; (2) ṭhevilē-Anantē-taisē-chi-rāhāve — stay-as-the-Ananta-has-placed-you; (3) udvega-is-only-self-imposed-duḥkha — drop-it; (4) throw-burden-on-the-Lord, carry-samsāra-at-his-feet. The verse provides the standard-Vārkarī equanimity-prayer, recited daily by many. The phrase ṭhevilē-Anantē-taisē-chi-rāhāve has entered Marathi-folk-speech as a proverb-equivalent of accept-what-the-Infinite-has-given.
Where this applies
- THE canonical bhakti-of-equanimity (ṭhevilē-Anantē-taisē-chi-rāhāve)
- Recognizing carrying-udvega is duḥkha-only discipline
- Samkalpa-of-samsāra-māyā — the formal-offering of one's lot
- Samsāra-as-offering at Deva's feet — turning daily-life into bhakti
- Daily-recital as equanimity-prayer