Abhanga 3496
Trust your own firm commitment over the restless claims of many competing paths, and place your honor and well-being entirely in God's hands.
The verse
आणीक पाखांडें असती उदंडें । तळमळिती पिंडें आपुलिया ॥१॥
त्याचिया बोलाचा नाहीं विश्वास । घातलीसे कास तुझ्या नामीं ॥ध्रु.॥
दृढ एक चित्तें जालों या जीवासी । लाज सर्वविशीं तुम्हांसी हे ॥२॥
पीडों नेदी पशु आपुले अंकित । आहे जें उचित तैसें करा ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे किती भाकावी करुणा । कोप नारायणा येइल तुम्हां ॥४॥
Literal translation
Many-pākhaṇḍa-positions — suffer-in-own-piṇḍa. No-viśvāsa-in-their-bōla — kāsa-on-your-Nāma. Firm-one-chitta — lāja-on-all-counts-yours. Don't-let-ankita-paśu-be-pīḍita. Tukā: kōpa-will-come-Nārāyaṇa.
What it means
A 4-verse anti-pākhaṇḍa petition. There are many heresies that suffer in their own bodies; I don't trust them; I've tied myself to your Name; my honor on all counts is yours; don't let your creature suffer; otherwise even your-anger should come.
For someone today
Tukaram looks around at the many other sects and paths, restless and struggling in their own bodies, and says plainly that he does not trust their words. Instead he has tied himself, with one firm mind, to God's Name, and he tells God that his honor and reputation now belong entirely to God, not to himself. He asks God not to let a creature who belongs to him suffer needlessly, and to do what is right. Then, boldly, he asks how long he must keep begging for mercy, warning that if nothing changes, even Narayana's own anger should be turned on himself.
मराठी: तुकाराम आजूबाजूला असलेल्या अनेक पंथांकडे, जे स्वतःच्याच शरीरात अस्वस्थपणे झगडत आहेत, पाहून स्पष्ट सांगतात की त्यांच्या बोलण्यावर आपला विश्वास नाही. त्याऐवजी त्यांनी एका ठाम मनाने स्वतःला देवाच्या नामाशी बांधून घेतले आहे, आणि ते देवाला सांगतात की आता त्यांची अब्रू सर्वस्वी देवाच्याच हाती आहे. आपल्या मालकीच्या जिवाला विनाकारण त्रास होऊ देऊ नकोस, जे योग्य आहे ते कर, अशी ते विनवणी करतात. मग धीटपणे विचारतात की आणखी किती दया मागत बसायचे, आणि जर काही बदल झाला नाही तर नारायणाचा राग स्वतःवरच येईल, असा इशारा देतात.
Where this applies
- When you are surrounded by many competing philosophies and cannot tell which ones to trust
- When you feel pulled to copy other people's restless striving instead of resting in your own commitment
- When you have done all you can and must hand your reputation over to something bigger than yourself
- When you are bold enough to hold someone you trust accountable for a promise they made