Abhanga 3179
Longing is better answered by sitting quietly at the root of the mind than by chasing outward destinations, and desire fed only grows while desire held inwardly can settle into contentment.
The verse
तीर्थाचिये आस पंथ तो निट देव । पाविजेतो ठाव अंतराय ॥१॥
म्हणऊनि भलें निश्चळ चि स्थळीं । मनाचिये मुळीं बैसोनियां ॥ध्रु.॥
संकल्पारूढ तें प्रारब्धें चि जिणें । कार्य चि कारणें वाढतसे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे कामा नाहीं एक मुख । जिरवितां सुख होतें पोटीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Tīrthāchiyē āsa pantha tō niṭa Deva — for the longing of tīrtha, the direct path is Deva himself; pāvijētō ṭhāva antarāya — the place is gained — (and so is) antarāya. Mhaṇaūni bhalē niśchala chi sthaḷīm — manāchiyē muḷīm baisōniyām — therefore (it is) good in a niścala sthaḷa — sitting at the mūla of the mana. Samkalpārūḍha tem prārabdhēm chi jiṇē — kārya chi kāraṇē vāḍhatasē — that which is samkalpa-mounted is the life of prārabdha — kārya itself grows by kāraṇa. Tukā mhaṇe kāmā nāhīm ēka mukha — jiravitām sukha hōtem pōṭīm — Tukā says: kāma has not one mouth — by digesting (it), sukha sits in the pōṭa.
What it means
A 4-verse inwardness-text. Tīrtha-yātrā externalizes longing — but the direct path is Deva, not the destination; and travel itself produces antarāya (interruptions, hazards). Better: sit at the root of the mana in a motionless place. Samkalpa shapes prārabdha. Kāma (desire) is hydra-mouthed — it multiplies if fed; digested inwardly, it becomes belly-sukha.
For someone today
External pilgrimage often only relocates the inner state. Sit at the root of the mind. Don't feed every desire that arises — digest it inward and that very energy returns as sukha. Samkalpa is the seed that becomes your prārabdha.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's direct-tīrtha-is-Deva; digest-desire-inward canonical
- Companion to 2942 (true-samnyāsa = samkalpa-destruction)