Abhanga 3446
Singing and hearing about God satisfies some senses but not others, so only direct sight, real darshan, can finally settle every sense's longing.
The verse
माझ्या इंद्रियांसीं लागलें भांडण । म्हणतील कान रसना धाली ॥१॥
करिती तळमळ हस्त पाद भाळ । नेत्रांसी दुकाळ पडिला थोर ॥ध्रु.॥
गुण गाय मुख आइकती कान । आमचें कारण तैसें नव्हे ॥२॥
दरुषणें फिटे सकळांचा पांग । जेथें ज्याचा भाग घेइल तें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसें करीं नारायणा । माझी ही वासना ऐसी आहे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Mājhyā indriyāmsīm lāgale bhāṇḍaṇa — my indriyas have fallen into bhāṇḍaṇa; mhaṇatīla kāna rasanā dhālī — the ears and tongue say: filled. Karitī taḷamaḷa hasta pāda bhāḷa — the hands-feet-forehead do taḷamaḷa; netrāmsī dukāḷa paḍilā thōra — the eyes have fallen into a great dukāḷa. Guṇa gāya mukha āikatī kāna — the mouth sings guṇa, the ears hear; āmache kāraṇa taise navhe — our kāraṇa is not (only) like that. Darūṣaṇe phiṭe sakaḷāñcā pānga — by darśana, the pānga of all clears; jethe jyāñcā bhāga gheila te — wherever each's share is, (each) takes (it). Tukā mhaṇe aise karīm Nārāyaṇā — Tukā says: do this, Nārāyaṇa; mājhī hī vāsanā aisī āhe — this is my vāsanā.
What it means
A striking 4-verse indriyas-quarrel allegory by Tukārām.
The image: The indriyas are quarrelling over their shares of Lord-experience. Ears and tongue claim they-are-filled (with-hearing-and-singing). Hands-feet-forehead toss in restlessness. The eyes are in great famine (because-the-Lord-hasn't-given-darśana). Mouth-sings, ears-hear — but-our-(complete)-kāraṇa is-not-just-this. By-Lord-darśana, the-pānga (lack-and-reproach) of-all-indriyas clears; each-takes-its-share.
This is a unique-and-vivid-allegory: the-bhakta's-indriyas are-personified-as-quarreling-claimants for-their-share-of-the-Lord. Each-sense-wants-its-darśana — the-eyes are-the-jealous-claimant-here. The closing-petition: Nārāyaṇa, give-darśana — all-indriyas-need-their-share.
For someone today
Tukārām's indriyas-quarrel allegory. My senses have fallen into a quarrel — the ears and tongue say: (we are) filled. The hands-feet-forehead do tossing; the eyes have fallen into a great famine. The mouth sings, the ears hear — but our purpose is not (only) like that. By (your) sight — the reproach of all clears; wherever each's share is, (each) takes (it). Do this, Nārāyaṇa — this is my desire. The verse offers the bhakti allegory: the senses quarrel over their shares of darśana, ending in a petition for full darśana.
मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा अभंग इंद्रियांच्या भांडणाचे रूपक आहे. माझ्या इंद्रियांमध्ये भांडण सुरू आहे — कान आणि जीभ म्हणतात, आम्ही तृप्त झालो. हात, पाय आणि कपाळ तळमळत आहेत; डोळ्यांवर मात्र मोठा दुष्काळ पडला आहे. मुख गुण गातो, कान ऐकतात — पण आमचे खरे प्रयोजन एवढेच नाही. तुझ्या दर्शनाने सर्वांची उणीव भरून निघते, प्रत्येकाला आपापला वाटा मिळतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात, हे नारायणा, असेच कर — हीच माझी खरी इच्छा आहे.
Where this applies
- When one part of your practice feels satisfied while another part still feels starved and left out
- When you realize that hearing and talking about something isn't the same as truly experiencing it
- When different parts of your effort or desire seem to be pulling against each other for attention
- When you're honest with yourself about what you actually long for, even after doing plenty already