Abhanga 3021
Kānhōbā's canonical indriya-discipline petition. Now I ask — hear, Nārāyaṇa — bhāva-pūrvaka, from the mind: let the jihvā be free — only if it sings (your) guṇa — otherwise, pin-it. (Let the eyes) see other-women only as like-mother — keep (the) eyes — otherwise, no. May the (ears) make revulsion at the slander-praise — otherwise, no need for ears either. Make restraint of all indriyas — keep (them) separate — breaking delusion. (I) say: that is the path of prāṇa — if (I) forget you, Nārāyaṇa. The verse permits the per-indriya discipline-petition with the conditional-clause if-it-can't-serve-bhakti, take-it-away.
The verse
आतां मागतों तें ऐक नारायणा । भावपूर्वक मनापासूनियां ॥१॥
असों दे मोकळी जिव्हा जरि गाइल गुण । नाहीं तरी खिळुन टाकीं परती ॥ध्रु.॥
मातेचिया परी देखती परनारी । ठेवीं नेत्र तरी नाहीं तरि नको ॥२॥
तरी बरें कांटाळा करिती निंदास्तुतीचा । नाहीं तरि कानांचा ही देख प्रेत्न ॥३॥
सकळ इंद्रियांचा निग्रह करूनि एक । राखवीं पृथक तोडोनि भ्रम ॥४॥
तुकयाबंधु म्हणे ते चि वाट प्राणां । पडता नारायणा विसर तुझा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Ātām māgatōm te aika Nārāyaṇā — now I ask — hear, Nārāyaṇa; bhāva-pūrvaka manāpāsūnīyām — bhāva-pūrvaka, from the mind. Asō de mōkaḷī jihvā jari gāila guṇa — let the jihvā be free — if (it) sings guṇa; nāhī tarī khiḷuna ṭākīm paratī — otherwise pin-(it) — throw-(it) back. Māteñciyā parī dekhatī para-nārī — (let the eyes) see para-nārī as māteñciyā parī (like-mother); ṭhevīm netra tarī nāhī tarī nakō — keep (the) netra — otherwise, no. Tarī bare kāṇṭāḷā karitī nindā-stutīñcā — (may the ears) make kāṇṭāḷā of the nindā-stutī; nāhī tarī kānāñcā hī dekha pretna — otherwise — no need of ears either. Sakaḷa indriyāñcā nigraha karūnī eka — make nigraha of all indriyas — one (together); rākhavīm prthaka tōḍōnī bhrama — keep (them) prthaka — breaking bhrama. Tukayā-bandhu mhaṇe te chi vāṭa prāṇām — Tukārām's-brother says: that is the path of prāṇa; paḍatā Nārāyaṇā visara tujhā — if (I) forget you, Nārāyaṇa.
What it means
A canonical 5-verse indriya-discipline petition by Tukyā-bandhu. NON-Tukārām.
The verse asks-of-Nārāyaṇa a per-indriya discipline-petition: - Jihvā (tongue): free only-if singing-guṇa; otherwise-pin-it - Netra (eyes): see-para-nārī-as-mother-only; otherwise-don't-keep-eyes - Kāna (ears): cynicism-of-praise-blame; otherwise-don't-need-ears - All-indriyas: nigraha-and-separation-from-bhrama - Closing: forgetting-you-is-the-death-path-of-prāṇa
Companion-text to Tukārām's-own indriya-discipline texts (e.g., 2836's sādhaka-discipline).
For someone today
Kānhōbā's canonical indriya-discipline petition. Now I ask — hear, Nārāyaṇa — bhāva-pūrvaka, from the mind: let the jihvā be free — only if it sings (your) guṇa — otherwise, pin-it. (Let the eyes) see other-women only as like-mother — keep (the) eyes — otherwise, no. May the (ears) make revulsion at the slander-praise — otherwise, no need for ears either. Make restraint of all indriyas — keep (them) separate — breaking delusion. (I) say: that is the path of prāṇa — if (I) forget you, Nārāyaṇa. The verse permits the per-indriya discipline-petition with the conditional-clause if-it-can't-serve-bhakti, take-it-away.
Where this applies
- NON-Tukārām composition — signed by Tukyā-bandhu
- Canonical indriya-discipline petition: jihvā-only-for-guṇa, eyes-mother-only, ears-revulsion-of-blame
- Companion-text to Tukārām's 2836 sādhaka-discipline
- Forgetting-you-is-death-of-prāṇa closing-claim