Abhanga 2923
Neṇe karūm sevā — (I) don't know how to do sevā; Pāṇḍurangā krpāḷuvā — (O) compassionate Pāṇḍuranga.
The verse
नेणे करूं सेवा । पांडुरंगा कृपाळुवा ॥१॥
धांवें बुडतों मी काढीं । सत्ता आपुलिया ओढीं ॥ध्रु.॥
क्रियाकर्महीन । जालों इंद्रियां अधीन ॥२॥
तुका विनंती करी । वेळोवेळां पाय धरी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Neṇe karūm sevā — (I) don't know how to do sevā; Pāṇḍurangā krpāḷuvā — (O) compassionate Pāṇḍuranga. Dhāve buḍatōm mī kāḍhī — run, I am drowning, take (me) out; sattā āpuliyā ōḍhī — by your own sattā (sovereign-power), pull (me). Kriyā-karma-hīna — (I have become) kriyā-karma-hīna (without ritual-action); jālōm indriyām adhīna — I have become adhīna (subject) to the indriyas. Tukā vinatī karī — makes the vinatī (supplication); veḷōveḷām pāya dharī — time-after-time holds the feet*.
What it means
A short drowning-petition verse. Neṇe karūm sevā — Pāṇḍurangā krpāḷuvā — I don't know how to do sevā — compassionate Pāṇḍuranga. The opening-confession.
Dhāve buḍatōm mī kāḍhī — sattā āpuliyā ōḍhī — run, I'm drowning, pull (me) out — by your own sattā pull. The drowning-image: I'm being-drowned (by-my-faults); pull-me by your-own-power (since I cannot save myself).
Kriyā-karma-hīna — jālōm indriyām adhīna — without-ritual-action — subject to senses. The honest-confession: I have-no-ritual-purity; I am-subject-to-the-senses. (Pairs with 2851 vāchā-vade-but-karaṇē-kaṭhīṇa — both honest-self-confessions.)
The close: Tukā vinatī karī — veḷōveḷām pāya dharī — makes the supplication — repeatedly holds the feet. The repeated-feet-holding is the bhakta's-position.
For someone today
A useful drowning-petition. I don't know how to do sevā — compassionate Pāṇḍuranga. Run, I'm drowning, pull (me) — by your own sattā pull. (I have become) without-ritual-action — subject to the senses. Tukā makes the supplication — time-after-time holds the feet. The verse permits the honest-drowning-petition: (1) I don't know sevā; (2) I'm drowning; (3) I have no kriyā-karma; (4) I'm sense-subject; (5) pull me by your own-power. The bhakta's-position: repeatedly-hold-feet, ask-Lord-to-act.
Where this applies
- The I-don't-know-sevā; pull-me-with-your-sattā drowning-petition
- Recognizing kriyā-karma-hīna; indriyām-adhīna honest-confession
- Pull-by-your-own-sattā — the bhakta's plea for divine-rescue
- Pairs with 2851 (vāchā-vade-karaṇē-kaṭhīṇa), 2903 (brought-to-end final-petition)