संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3139 of 4582

Abhanga 3139

Real happiness comes from making one imperishable God your own and attaching your mind to him completely, since everything else is fleeting and only breeds suffering.

When you notice that chasing many different things leaves you unsatisfied and you want a single, lasting focus instead.

When you are afraid of death and want a way to think about what truly lasts beyond it.

When you feel your devotion is scattered and you want to commit fully to one anchor instead.

The verse

आपला तो एक देव करुनि घ्यावा । तेणेंविण जीवा सुख नव्हे ॥१॥ तें तीं माइकें दुःखाचीं जनितीं । नाहीं आदिअंतीं अवसान ॥ध्रु.॥ अविनाश करी आपुलिया ऐसें । लावीं मना पिसें गोविंदाच्या ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे एका मरणें चि सरें । उत्तम चि उरे कीर्ति मागें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Āpalā tō eka deva karunī ghyāvā — make one Deva your own; teṇemviṇa jīvā sukha navhe — without him, no sukha for jīva. Te tīm māike duḥkhāñcīm janitīm — those are māyika, producers of duḥkha; nāhī ādi-amtīm avasāna — no beginning-end-final-state. Avināśa karī āpuliyā aise — the imperishable, make like your own; lāvīm manā pise Govimdāñcyā — attach mad mind to Govinda. Tukā mhaṇe ekā maraṇe chi sare — Tukā says: one death suffices; uttama chi ure kīrti māge — uttama-kīrti stays behind.

What it means

A 3-verse claim by Tukārām. The argument: Make-one-Deva your-own — without-him, jīva-has-no-sukha. All-others are-māyika-duḥkha-makers, finally-nothing. Make-the-Imperishable like-your-own; attach-mind, mad-with-Govinda. One-death-is-enough; uttama-kīrti-remains-behind.

The image attach-mind-mad-with-Govinda and the closing one-death-suffices, fame-stays establish the bhakti-radicalism — full devotion to one Deva, with no fear of death.

For someone today

Tukārām's claim. Make one Deva your own — without him, there is no sukha for the jīva. Those (other things) are illusory, producers of suffering — no beginning-end. The Imperishable — make him like-your-own — attach (your) mind, mad, to Govinda. One death suffices — excellent-fame alone stays behind. The verse permits the bhakti-radicalism of one-Deva-attachment.

Where this applies

When you feel pulled in too many directions by things and people that cannot truly satisfy you
When you are searching for lasting happiness and keep finding it slips away
When you fear death and need a way to think about what actually remains after you are gone
When you want to commit fully to one spiritual focus instead of half-heartedly trying many