Abhanga 3842
Since the body follows what past karma has set in motion, the real gain in life is to let your remaining time pass in devoted remembrance rather than exhausting yourself fighting fate.
The verse
देह तंव आहे प्रारब्धा अधीन । याचा मी कां सीण वाहूं भार ॥१॥
सरो माझा काळ तुझिया चिंतनें । कायावाचामनें इच्छीतसें ॥ध्रु.॥
लाभ तो न दिसे याहूनि दुसरा । आणीक दातारा येणें जन्में ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आलों सोसीत संकटें । मी माझें वोखटें आहे देवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Deha tamva āhe prārabdha adhīna — the deha is under prārabdha; yāñcā mī kām sīṇa vāhūm bhāra — why should I bear the sīṇa-bhāra. Sarō mājhā kāḷa tujhiyā chintane — let my kāḷa pass in your chintana; kāyāvāchāmane ichchhītsē — I wish with kāyā-vāchā-mana. Lābha tō na dise yāhūnī dusarā — no better lābha than this; āṇīka dātārā yeṇe janme — another, Dātāra, in this janma. Tukā mhaṇe ālōm sōsīta samkaṭe — Tukā says: I came enduring samkaṭas; mī mājhe vōkhaṭe āhe Devā — I and my things are vōkhaṭe, Deva.
What it means
A 3-verse surrender by Tukārām.
The claim: Deha-under-prārabdha; why-bear-the-toil? Let-kāḷa-pass-in-your-chintana — this-is-what-I-wish-with-all-(body-speech-mind). No-better-lābha than-this. I-came-enduring-samkaṭas; I-am-bad.
The closing-confession mī-mājhe-vōkhaṭe-āhe (I-and-my-things-are-bad) is the bhakta's-humble-recognition.
For someone today
Tukārām's surrender. The deha is under prārabdha; why should I bear the toil-burden? — let my time pass in your chintana — (this is what I) wish with body-speech-mind. There is no better gain than this — than this, Dātāra, in this janma. I have come enduring troubles — I and my things are bad, Deva. The verse permits the bhakta-surrender: deha-to-prārabdha; mind-to-chintana.
Where this applies
- When you accept that some things about your life are simply beyond your control
- When you decide to spend your remaining time on what actually matters to you
- When you stop fighting circumstances and instead choose where to place your attention
- When you honestly admit your own flaws instead of pretending to be blameless