Abhanga 2898
A useful father-instruction-pleading prayer. Teach hita — bring (them) to the way always. Don't truly cast off — consider well. From your mouth, dharma-adharma is decided. For me, Deva — why have you hidden the good? (When one is) attentive — give him bhojana. The father (acts) toward the child's hita. The verse permits the petitionary-claim that the Lord-as-Father must act for the bhakta's-hita. Five operative-claims: (1) teach toward hita; (2) don't cast off; (3) Deva's-mouth decides dharma; (4) the attentive should be fed; (5) the father acts for child's welfare.
The verse
शिकवूनि हित । सोयी लावावे हे नीत ॥१॥
त्याग करूं नये खरें । ऐसें विचारावें बरें ॥ध्रु.॥
तुमचिया तोंडें । धर्माधर्म चि खंडे ॥२॥
मजसाटीं देवा । कां हो लपविला हेवा ॥३॥
जाला सावधान । त्यासी घालावें भोजन ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे पिता । वरी बाळाच्या तो हिता ॥५॥
Literal translation
Śikavūni hita — teaching (toward) hita (welfare); sōī lāvāve he nīta — bring (them) to sōī (the way, side) always. Tyāga karūm nye khare — don't truly cast (them) off; aise vichārāve bare — consider (it) well. Tumchiyā tōṇḍe — from your mouth; dharmā-dharma chi khaṇḍe — dharma-and-adharma themselves get khaṇḍe (cut, decided). Majsāṭī Devā — for me, Deva; kām hō lapavilā hevā — why have (you) hidden the hevā (zealous-effort, gift, good)? Jālā sāvadhāna — (when one is) become sāvadhāna (attentive); tyāsī ghālāve bhōjana — give him bhōjana (meal). Tukā says: pitā — (the) father; varī bāḷāñcyā tō hitā — (acts) toward the bāḷa's (child's) hita (welfare).
What it means
A 5-verse father-instruction-pleading verse. Śikavūni hita — sōī lāvāve he nīta — teach hita — bring to the way always. The discipline: teach and lead-to-the-right-side, always.
Tyāga karūm nye khare — aise vichārāve bare — don't truly cast-off — consider well. The petition: don't abandon-the-child (the bhakta); consider-it carefully.
Tumchiyā tōṇḍe — dharmā-dharma chi khaṇḍe — from your mouth, dharma-and-adharma themselves are decided. The bhakti-claim: Deva's-mouth is the dharma-and-adharma authority.
Majsāṭī Devā — kām hō lapavilā hevā — for me, Deva — why have you hidden the hevā? The protest: why are you withholding the gift-or-zealous-effort-for-me?
Jālā sāvadhāna — tyāsī ghālāve bhōjana — (when one is) attentive — give him bhojana. The discipline-image: feed-the-attentive-one.
The close: Tukā mhaṇe pitā — varī bāḷāñcyā tō hitā — the father acts toward the child's hita. The closing claim: fathers act for-children's-welfare. The implicit petition: Deva-as-Father, act-for-my-welfare.
For someone today
A useful father-instruction-pleading prayer. Teach hita — bring (them) to the way always. Don't truly cast off — consider well. From your mouth, dharma-adharma is decided. For me, Deva — why have you hidden the good? (When one is) attentive — give him bhojana. The father (acts) toward the child's hita. The verse permits the petitionary-claim that the Lord-as-Father must act for the bhakta's-hita. Five operative-claims: (1) teach toward hita; (2) don't cast off; (3) Deva's-mouth decides dharma; (4) the attentive should be fed; (5) the father acts for child's welfare.
Where this applies
- The father-cares-for-child's-hita pleading prayer
- Recognizing from-Deva's-mouth, dharma-adharma is decided
- Give-bhojana-to-the-attentive discipline
- The petitionary-warrant: Deva-as-Father must act for bhakta-as-child