Abhanga 3128
Only real solitude, deliberately stepping back from constant entanglement with others' moods and troubles, can break the pain the world keeps causing.
The verse
दुखवलें चत्ति आजिच्या प्रसंगें । बहु पीडा जगें केली देवा ॥१॥
कधीं हा संबंध तोडिसी तें नेणें । आठवूनि मनें पाय असें ॥ध्रु.॥
आणिकांची येती अंतरा अंतरें । सुखदुःख बरेंवाइट तीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे घडे एकांताचा वास । तरिच या नास संबंधाचा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Dukhavale chitta ājichyā prasange — chitta was pained by today's prasanga; bahu pīḍā jage kelī Devā — much pīḍā by jaga, Deva. Kadhīm hā sambamdha tōḍisī te neṇe — when (you) cut this sambandha — I don't know; āṭhavūnī mane pāya ase — remembering, mind is at feet. Āṇikāmñcī yetī antarā antare — others' (sukha-duḥkha) enter into antara; sukha-duḥkha barevāiṭa tīm — sukha-duḥkha, barevāiṭa, those. Tukā mhaṇe ghaḍe ekāntāñcā vāsa — Tukā says: when ekānta-dwelling happens; tarīcha yā nāsa sambamdhāñcā — only-then is the nāsa of sambandha.
What it means
A short 3-verse observation by Tukārām on-the-world's-pīḍa.
The claim: Today's-prasanga-pained-chitta; world-caused-pīḍa. When-(you)-cut-sambandha — I-don't-know. Others'-sukha-duḥkha enter-my-antara. Only-ekānta-vāsa breaks-sambandha.
The closing-acknowledgement: only-when-ekānta-vāsa (dwelling-in-solitude) is-achieved, can-the-sambandha-be-broken.
For someone today
Tukārām's observation. (My) chitta was pained by today's prasanga; much suffering was done by the world, Deva. When will (you) cut this relation? — I do not know. Remembering, my mind is at your feet. Others' sukha-duḥkha, good and bad, enter into the antara. Only when the dwelling of solitude is achieved — only then does this relation break down. The verse offers this bhakti acknowledgment that only dwelling in solitude can break one's bond with the world.
मराठी: तुकाराम आजच्या प्रसंगाने मन दुखावले आहे, असे सांगतात. जगाने खूप त्रास दिला, देवा. हे नाते तू कधी तोडशील, हे मला ठाऊक नाही; तुझ्या पायांचे स्मरण करत मन तिथेच राहते. इतरांचे सुख-दुःख, बरे-वाईट सगळे माझ्या मनात येऊन बसते. तुकाराम म्हणतात, फक्त एकांतवास साधला, तरच हे जगाशी असलेले बंधन तुटू शकते. अशा प्रकारे हा अभंग सांगतो की, एकांतातच जगाशी असलेला गुंता खऱ्या अर्थाने सुटू शकतो.
Where this applies
- When today's events have left you hurt and you feel the world has been unkind
- When other people's moods, joys, and troubles keep spilling into your own mind
- When you keep wondering when a painful entanglement in your life will finally end
- When you notice that only stepping back into some solitude actually gives you peace