Abhanga 3676
Turning even an ordinary meal into mindful remembrance, free from ceremony and status games, is real devotion, though full realization can still stay just out of reach.
The verse
एके ठायीं अन्नपाणी । ग्रासोग्रासीं चिंतनीं ॥१॥
वेळोवेळां जागवितों । दुजें येइल म्हुण भीतों ॥ध्रु.॥
नाहीं हीं गुंतत उपचारीं । मानदंभाचे वेव्हारीं ॥२॥
तुका जालासे शाहाणा । आड लपे नारायणा ॥३॥
Literal translation
At-one-place-anna-pāṇī — mouthful-by-mouthful-chintana. Time-and-again-jāgavitōm — fearing-second-might-come. Not-entangled-in-upachāra-or-māna-dambha-vēvhāra. Tukā: became-śāhāṇa — Nārāyaṇa-hides-āḍa.
What it means
A 3-verse eating-as-bhakti text. At one place I have food-and-water; in every mouthful is chintana. I keep waking myself, fearing a second-thing might come. I am not entangled in formal-ceremonies or māna-dambha-trade. Tukā has become wise — yet Nārāyaṇa hides on-the-way. The grāsō-grāsīm-chintanī image: every-bite is its own remembrance. Compare 2806 (canonical Hari-chintana-meal text).
For someone today
Tukaram describes eating a simple meal where every single mouthful becomes an act of remembering God, food and water taken in one place with full attention. He keeps rousing himself again and again, almost afraid that some distraction might slip in and break that focus. He stays clear of formal ceremony and the games people play for status and show. He calls himself wise for reaching this state, yet admits with humility that God still stays somewhat hidden, just out of full view.
मराठी: तुकाराम एका साध्या जेवणाचे वर्णन करतात, जिथे प्रत्येक घास हा देवाच्या स्मरणाचे कृत्य बनतो, एकाच जागी बसून पूर्ण लक्ष देऊन घेतलेले अन्न आणि पाणी. ते वारंवार स्वतःला जागे करत राहतात, जणू कोणतीतरी विचलितता येऊन हे लक्ष तुटेल याची भीती वाटते. ते औपचारिक विधी आणि मान-दंभासाठी लोक जे खेळ खेळतात त्यापासून दूर राहतात. या अवस्थेला पोहोचल्याने ते स्वतःला शहाणे म्हणतात, पण नम्रपणे कबूल करतात की देव अजूनही काहीसा लपलेलाच आहे, पूर्ण दृष्टीआड.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's grāsō-grāsīm-chintana eating-as-bhakti canonical
- Companion to 2806 (Hari-chintana-meal)