Abhanga 3021
Every sense, the tongue, the eyes, the ears, should be held to the test of whether it serves devotion, and reined in if it does not.
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
Kānhobā offers Nārāyaṇa a heartfelt, deliberate prayer about his own senses. Let his tongue stay free, he asks, only if it's used to sing the Lord's praises — otherwise, let it be silenced. Let his eyes look at other women only the way they'd look at his own mother — and if they can't manage that, better they not be given the freedom to look at all. Let his ears grow weary of both flattery and slander alike — and if they can't do that, he'd rather not need ears either. He asks for every sense to be reined in together, kept clear of illusion. He closes by saying that forgetting the Lord is itself the death of the spirit. It's a reminder that every sense — tongue, eyes, ears — should be held to the test of whether it serves devotion, and reined in if it doesn't.
मराठी: कान्होबा येथे नारायणाकडे मनापासून, प्रामाणिकपणे आपल्या इंद्रियांबद्दल विनवणी करतो. जीभ मोकळी राहू दे, तो म्हणतो, पण फक्त तुझे गुणगान गात असेल तरच — नाहीतर तिला थोपवून टाक. डोळ्यांनी परस्त्रीकडे आईसारखेच पाहावे — तसे जमत नसेल तर डोळे न ठेवलेलेच बरे. कानांना स्तुती आणि निंदा दोन्हींचा तितकाच वीट यावा — तसे जमत नसेल तर कानांचीही गरज नाही. सगळ्या इंद्रियांना एकत्र आवरून भ्रमापासून दूर ठेवावे, अशी तो विनंती करतो. आणि शेवटी सांगतो — तुला विसरणे हाच खरा प्राणांचा मृत्युमार्ग आहे. जीभ, डोळे, कान — प्रत्येक इंद्रिय भक्तीच्या कसोटीवर तपासावे, आणि ते कसोटीत उतरत नसेल तर आवरावे, हेच हा अभंग सांगतो.
Where this applies
- When someone catches their own tongue gossiping or boasting instead of speaking something worthwhile
- When a person struggles to keep their eyes and thoughts respectful around people they are attracted to
- When flattery feels good and criticism feels bad, and a person wants to stop being swayed by either
- When someone feels their senses are pulling them away from what actually matters to them