संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2954 of 4582

Abhanga 2954

Deha tujhyā pāyī — (I have placed) the deha (body) at your feet; ṭhevūnī jālōm utarāī — keeping (it there), I have become utarāī (debt-cleared).

The deha-placed-at-feet-I'm-utarāī; my-jīva-do-as-you-will surrender prayer
Recognizing I-don't-know-the-marks-of-bhāva-bhakti honest-confession
Bahu-aparādhī, mati-manda, hīna-buddhi extreme self-naming

The verse

देह तुझ्या पायीं । ठेवूनि जालों उतराईं ॥१॥ आतां माझ्या जीवां । करणें तें करीं देवा ॥ध्रु.॥ बहु अपराधी । मतिमंद हीनबुद्धि ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नेणें । भावभक्तीचीं लक्षणें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Deha tujhyā pāyī(I have placed) the deha (body) at your feet; ṭhevūnī jālōm utarāīkeeping (it there), I have become utarāī (debt-cleared). Ātām mājhyā jīvāmnow, my jīvā (life); karaṇe te karī Devādo for it what you will, Deva. Bahu aparādhī(I am) much aparādhī (offender); matimanda hīna-buddhimati-manda (slow-witted), hīna-buddhi (of-low-intellect). Tukā says: neṇe(I) don't know; bhāva-bhaktīñchī lakṣaṇethe lakṣaṇa (signs) of bhāva-bhakti.

What it means

A short surrender prayer. Deha tujhyā pāyī — ṭhevūnī jālōm utarāīdeha at your feet — by keeping it, I'm utarāī. The opening claim: deha-at-feet = debt-cleared. (Pairs with 2937 we-already-died-gave-deha-to-Deva.)

Ātām mājhyā jīvām — karaṇe te karī Devānow my jīva — do what you will, Deva. Total surrender of jīva.

Bahu aparādhī — matimanda hīna-buddhimuch offender — slow-witted, low-intellect. The three-fold-self-naming.

The close: Tukā mhaṇe neṇe — bhāva-bhaktīñchī lakṣaṇeI don't know the marks of bhāva-bhakti. The honest-confession: I-don't-know-what-genuine-bhāva-bhakti looks-like (= I-can't-tell-if-I-have-it-or-not). The bhakta admits-inability-to-self-judge.

For someone today

A useful surrender prayer. (I have) kept (my) deha at your feet — by that, I (have become) debt-cleared. Now, my jīva — do for it what you will, Deva. (I am) much offender, slow-witted, of-low-intellect. I don't know the marks of bhāva-bhakti. The verse permits total-surrender + honest-self-naming: (1) deha-placed-at-feet; (2) jīva-given-to-Deva; (3) self-named-as offender-slow-witted-low-intellect; (4) don't-know-marks-of-genuine-bhakti. The discipline: give-up-self-judgment-of-bhakti; let-the-Lord-decide.

Where this applies

Related verses