Abhanga 3367
When your own strength cannot keep out anger, lust, pride, and craving, the real solution is to stop relying on yourself alone and hold on to God instead.
The verse
दिली हाक मनें नव्हे ती जतन । वेंटाळिल्या गुणें धांव घेती ॥१॥
काम क्रोध मद मत्सर अहंकार । निंदा द्वेष फार माया तृष्णा ॥ध्रु.॥
इंद्रियांचे भार फिरतील चोर । खान घ्यावया घर फोडूं पाहे ॥२॥
माझा येथें कांहीं न चले पराक्रम । आहे त्याचें वर्म तुझे हातीं ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे आतां करितों उपाय । जेणें तुझे पाय आतुडती ॥४॥
Literal translation
Dilī hāka mane navhe tī jatana — vemṭāḷilyā guṇe dhāva gheti — the call given by mana cannot be kept safe — encircled by guṇas they rush at (you). Kāma krodha mada matsara ahankāra — nimdā dveṣa phāra māyā trṣṇā — the 9 vices. Imdriyāñche bhāra phiratīla chora — khāna ghyāvayā ghara phoḍūm pāhe — the indriyas' loads-of-chors roam — seeking to break into the house to take the treasure. Mājhā yethē kāmhī na chale parākrama — āhe tyāche varma tujhe hātīm — my parākrama doesn't work here — the varma is in your hand. Tukā mhaṇe ātām karitōm upāya — jeṇē tujhe pāya ātuḍatī — Tukā says: now I make the upāya — by which your feet are caught.
What it means
A 4-verse text of inner-warfare-confession. The home (heart/house) is being broken-into by the chors of indriyas. The 9-vice list — kāma, krodha, mada, matsara, ahankāra, nimdā, dveṣa, māyā, trṣṇā — covers the field. Tukārām confesses: my own strength fails. The only upāya: catch the Lord's feet — because the varma is in his hand.
For someone today
The honest moment when self-discipline fails — and you stop pretending you can do it alone. The handle to the inner work is held by Another. That recognition itself is the upāya.
Where this applies
- Canonical inner-thieves; own-strength-fails; only-upāya-is-Lord's-feet petition
- Companion to 2630 (anti-vice prayer)