Abhanga 3585
Once real inner work is genuinely done, prolonging the test or the pressure afterward is not devotion, it is just for show.
The verse
नव्हें मी आहाच आशेचें बांधलें । जें हें टोंकविलें नारायणा ॥१॥
अंतर तों तुम्हां बरें कळों येतें । वेव्हार उचितें चाळवीजे ॥ध्रु.॥
मनें कल्पीलें आवरितां पाप । संकल्पीं विकल्प याचि नांवें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आम्हां न सोसे जळजळ । सिजल्यावरी जाळ कढ खोटा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Navhe mī āhācha āśeche bāmdhale — I'm not one bound by superficial craving; je he ṭōmkavile nārāyaṇā — that you have perched (as bait), Nārāyaṇa. Amtara tōm tumhām bare kaḷōm yete — the amtara is well known to you; vevahāra uchite chāḷavīje — vyavahāra teases the uchita. Mane kalpīle āvaritām pāpa — when mana imagines, pāpa is restrained; samkalpīm vikalpa yāchi nāmve — vikalpa on samkalpa is the name itself. Tukā mhaṇe āmhām na sōse jaḷajaḷa — Tukā says: I can't bear smouldering; sijalyāvarī jāḷa kaḍha khōṭā — after cooking, flame and boil are false.
What it means
A 3-verse protest. I'm-not-merely-superficially-craving — that's-the-bait-you-dangled; the-amtara is-known-to-you; vyavahāra teases-the-fitting; when-mana-imagines, the-pāpa is-being-held-back, that's-what-vikalpa-on-samkalpa means; I-can't-bear-smouldering — once-rice-is-cooked, more-flame-and-boil are false/pretend. The cooking-image: when the work is-done, continued-fire is mere display.
For someone today
When the amtara is known to the Lord, prolonging-trial after-the-cooking is jaḷajaḷa khōṭā — false-smouldering. Sometimes the bhakta names this: enough; the work is done.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's amtara-known; after-cooked, flame-false protest
- Companion to 3562, 3584 (you-knew; chāḷavaṇī-protest)