Abhanga 2936
The verse
आमुचिया भावें तुज देवपण । तें कां विसरोन राहिलासी ॥१॥
समर्थासी नाहीं उपकारस्मरण । दिल्या आठवण वांचोनियां ॥ध्रु.॥
चळण वळण सेवकाच्या बळें । निर्गुणाच्यामुळें सांभाळावें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आतां आलों खंडावरी । प्रेम देउनि हरी बुझवावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Āmuchiyā bhāve tuja Deva-paṇa — by our bhāva, (you have) Deva-paṇa (the status-of-being-Deva); te kām visarōn rāhilāsī — have you forgotten that, staying (here)? Samarthāsī nāhī upakāra-smaraṇa — the samartha (powerful one) doesn't have upakāra-smaraṇa (remembering favors received); dilyā āṭhavaṇa vāñchōnīyām — until āṭhavaṇa (reminder) is given, vāñchōnīyām (with-asking). Chaḷaṇa vaḷaṇa sevakāñcyā baḷe — your chaḷaṇa-vaḷaṇa (movement-and-turning) is by the sevaka's (servant's) baḷa (strength); nirguṇāñcyā-muḷe sāmbhāḷāve — the nirguṇa (formless-Lord) needs to-be-cared-for (because-of) (them). Tukā says: ātām ālōm khaṇḍāvarī — now I have come to the khaṇḍa (the gap, the issue); prema deunī Harī bujhavāve — give prema, Hari, and bujhavāve (pacify, settle).
What it means
A striking 3-verse bhakta-gives-Deva-his-Deva-paṇa radical claim. Āmuchiyā bhāve tuja Deva-paṇa — te kām visarōn rāhilāsī — by our bhāva, (you have) Deva-paṇa — have you forgotten this, staying? The radical-opening: the Lord's-Deva-paṇa (the very-status of being-Deva) comes-from-bhakta-bhāva. Without bhakta-bhāva, the Lord-isn't-Deva (in any practical-sense). Has the Lord forgotten this?
Samarthāsī nāhī upakāra-smaraṇa — dilyā āṭhavaṇa vāñchōnīyām — the samartha doesn't remember favors — until reminded with asking. The complaint: powerful-ones forget the favors-they've-received until-reminded. The Lord has-forgotten the bhakta's-bhāva-giving-him-Deva-paṇa.
Verse 2 (the striking-claim): Chaḷaṇa vaḷaṇa sevakāñcyā baḷe — nirguṇāñcyā-muḷe sāmbhāḷāve — (your) movement-and-turning is by the sevaka's strength — the nirguṇa is-cared-for by (the sevaka-because-of-its-source/cause). The radical-claim: even the Lord's-movement-and-turning is enabled-by-sevaka-strength. Without sevakas, the Lord-as-nirguṇa is unattended. (Compare 2891 bhakta-as-progenitor, 2837 bhāva-churns-nirguṇa.)
The close: Tukā mhaṇe ātām ālōm khaṇḍāvarī — prema deunī Harī bujhavāve — now I've come to the khaṇḍa (gap, breaking-point) — give prema, Hari, and settle (it). The petition: give prema and resolve the matter.
This is among the most-radical bhakta-causal-claims in the corpus. Pairs with 2891 (bhakta-progenitor), 2837 (bhāva-churns-nirguṇa), 2916 (Nārāyaṇa-without-me).
For someone today
A striking bhakta-gives-Deva-his-Deva-paṇa radical claim. By our bhāva, (you have) Deva-paṇa — have you forgotten that, staying (here)? The samartha doesn't have upakāra-smaraṇa — until reminded with asking. Your movement-and-turning is by the sevaka's strength — the nirguṇa is cared-for (by them). Now I have come to the khaṇḍa — give prema, Hari, and pacify. Three operative-claims: (1) bhāva gives the Lord his Deva-paṇa; (2) samartha-don't-remember-favors-until-reminded; (3) the Lord's-movement is by-sevaka-strength. The verse asserts the bhakta's-causal-implication in-the-Lord's-very-status — a position-only-bhakti-tradition-can-make.
Where this applies
- The striking bhakta-gives-Deva-his-Deva-paṇa; samartha-doesn't-have-upakāra-smaraṇa radical claim
- Recognizing bhakta's-bhāva is what gives Deva his Deva-paṇa
- Movement-by-sevaka-baḷa; nirguṇa-cared-for-by-them
- Pairs with 2891 (bhakta-as-progenitor), 2837 (bhāva-churns-nirguṇa), 2916 (Nārāyaṇa-without-me)