Abhanga 3195
A true awakening ripens from your own inner life, clears away old darkness, and leaves grasping desire behind while keeping loving affection redirected toward the Divine.
The verse
कां रे तुम्हीं ठेवा बहुतां निमित्ती । माझिया संचितें वोडवलें ॥१॥
भक्तिप्रेमगोडी बैसली जिव्हारीं । आनंद अंतरीं अंतरीं येणें झाला ॥ध्रु.॥
पुसिलें पडळ त्रिमिर विठ्ठलें । जग चि भरलें ब्रम्हानंदें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे केलों कामनेवेगळा । आवडी गोपाळावरी वसे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kām rē tumhīm ṭhēvā bahutām nimittī — mājhiyā samchitēm vōḍavalēm — why do you place (it) on many nimittas — it has come by my own samchita. Bhakti-prēma-gōḍī baisalī jivhārīm — ānanda antarīm antarīm yēṇēm jhālā — the bhakti-prema-gōḍī has settled in jivhāra — ānanda has come within (my) antara. Pusilēm paḍaḷa trimira Viṭhṭhalēm — jaga chi bharalēm brahmānandēm — Viṭhṭhala wiped the paḍaḷa of trimira — the whole world is filled with brahma-ānanda. Tukā mhaṇe kēlōm kāmanēvēgaḷā — āvaḍī gōpāḷāvarī vasē — Tukā says: I was made desire-separate — āvaḍī rests on Gopāḷa.
What it means
A 4-verse realization-text. Three points: (1) don't blame many nimittas — samchita is enough; (2) bhakti-prema-gōḍī has lodged in the jivhāra (the most-inner heart-spot) and joy is inward of inward; (3) Viṭhṭhala has done cataract-surgery — paḍaḷa (the white film) of trimira (triple darkness: ignorance / desire / karma) is wiped, and the very world is now filled with brahma-ānanda. The signature line: made desire-separate; āvaḍī rests on Gopāḷa — desire is gone but āvaḍī (loving inclination) remains, redirected.
For someone today
When realization comes, don't credit many external factors — your samchita ripened. Note the difference between kāmanā (desire-as-craving) and āvaḍī (loving inclination) — bhakti removes the first, keeps and redirects the second.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's Viṭhṭhal-cataract-surgery; whole-world-brahmānanda; āvaḍī-on-Gopāḷa canonical
- Companion to 2837 (brahmāṇḍa-Paṇḍharī) and 2922 (karma-became-Nārāyaṇa)