Abhanga 3100
By turning away from a blame-filled worldly life and staying patient and steady, Tukaram made God his own and, by that same steadiness, says he bound God to him in return.
The verse
माझा पाहा अनुभव । केला देव आपुला ॥१॥
बोलविलें तें चि द्यावें । उत्तर व्हावें ते काळीं ॥ध्रु.॥
सोडिलिया जग निंद्य । मग गोविंद म्हणियारा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे धीर केला । तेणें याला गोविलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Mājhā pāhā anubhava — see my anubhava; kelā Deva āpulā — I made Deva my own. Bōlavile te chi dyāve — what (he) tells, that is to be given; uttara hvāve te kāḷīm — (it) is to become uttara at that time. Sōḍaliyā jaga nimdya — once (I) abandoned the blameworthy jaga; maga Govinda mhaṇiyārā — then Govinda (said) mhaṇiyārā. Tukā mhaṇe dhīra kelā — Tukā says: I kept dhīra; teṇe yālā gōvile — by that, I bound this (one).
What it means
A 3-verse canonical bhakti-claim by Tukārām.
The argument: See-my-anubhava — I-made-Deva-(my)-own. What-(he)-tells-(through-me) is-my-uttara. Once-I-abandoned-the-blameworthy-world, then-Govinda-saidmhaṇiyārā(my-own). I-kept-dhīra, by-that I-bound (Govinda).
The doctrine pairs-with-3089's anyatra-tyāga makes-Lord-sakhā. Here: jaga-nimdya-sōḍa makes-Govinda-mhaṇiyārā — abandonment-of-blameworthy-world makes-the-Lord-claim-the-bhakta-as-mhaṇiyārā (literally one-who-is-said-(my-own), belonging-to-me).
The closing-claim: dhīra-kelā teṇe yālā gōvile — by-keeping-dhīra, I-bound-(Govinda). The bhakta-binds-the-Lord by-the-steady-stance.
For someone today
Tukārām's bhakti-claim. See my own direct experience — I made Deva my own. What he tells through me is the very answer to give when the moment comes. Once I abandoned the blameworthy world, then Govinda called me his own. I held steady — and by that steadiness, I bound this one to me. The verse allows the claim that abandoning the blameworthy world is what causes the Lord to claim the devotee in return.
मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा भक्तिदावा आहे. माझा स्वतःचा अनुभव पाहा — मी देवाला माझा केला. तो माझ्याद्वारे जे सांगतो, तेच त्या क्षणी उत्तर म्हणून द्यायचे असते. एकदा मी निंद्य जगाचा त्याग केला, मग गोविंदाने मला आपला म्हटले. मी धीर धरला — त्या धीरानेच मी ह्याला (गोविंदाला) बांधले. हा अभंग हा दावा मान्य करतो की निंद्य जगाचा त्याग केल्यानेच भगवंत भक्ताला आपला मानतो.
Where this applies
- When you doubt your own spiritual experience because no one else has confirmed it for you
- When you feel torn between chasing the world's approval and staying true to your devotion
- When you want quick results from your practice and feel discouraged by how slow it feels
- When you wonder whether steady, patient devotion can really deepen your bond with the divine