Abhanga 4293
Just as a water-carrier's mind never leaves her pots and a thief's mind never leaves his loot, you can do any ordinary work while keeping your true attention fixed on God underneath it all.
The verse
पाण्या निघाली गुजरी । मन ठेविलें दो घागरीं । चाले मोकऑया पदरीं । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥१॥
वावडी उडाली अंबरीं । हातीं धरोनियां दोरी । दिसे दुरिच्या दुरी । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥ध्रु.॥
चोर चोरी करी । ठेवी वनांतरीं । वर्ततसे चराचरीं । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥२॥
व्यभिचारिणी नारी । घराश्रम करी । परपुरुष जिव्हारीं । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे असों भलतिये व्यापारीं । लक्ष सर्वेश्वरीं । चुकों नेदी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Water-girl-mind-on-2-pots — walks-loose-pallu — but-lakṣa-there. Kite-flies-sky — hand-on-cord — distant — but-lakṣa-there. Thief-stealing-keeps-in-vana — among-people — but-lakṣa-there. Adulteress-runs-household — para-puruṣa-in-heart — but-lakṣa-there. Tukā: be-in-any-vyāpāra — keep-lakṣa-at-Sarvēśvara.
What it means
THE canonical 5-verse 4-image lakṣa-while-doing-other-vyāpāra text. A water-drawing girl — her mind on the two pots she carries — walks with her pallu loose, but her attention is on the pots. The kite flies in the sky — her hand holds the cord — far and far away — but her attention is on it. A thief commits theft, keeps loot in the forest, walks among moving-and-still beings — but his attention is on the loot. An adulteress runs the household — but the other-man is in her heart — her attention is on him. Tukā says: be in any business — but do not let your attention at the All-Lord miss. The 4 images of split-attention: (1) water-girl-2-pots (everyday domestic-task with full-attention on the load); (2) kite-cord (distant-object held by thin-thread of attention); (3) thief-loot (illicit-attention with-public-performance); (4) adulteress (illicit-attention while-fulfilling-duty). All four show outer-action-can-continue-while-attention-is-elsewhere. The bhakti-application: keep-lakṣa-at-Sarvēśvara in-any-vyāpāra. Pair with 4259 (4-image dual-svabhāva-contrast).
For someone today
Tukaram gives four vivid pictures of divided attention: a girl carrying water keeps her focus fixed on the two pots balanced on her, even while walking freely with her clothes loose; a kite-flyer's hand stays locked on the string even while the kite drifts far off in the sky; a thief moves casually through a crowd, but his mind never leaves the loot he has hidden in the forest; and an unfaithful woman may run her household perfectly, but her heart stays fixed on another man the whole time. In every case the outward action continues normally while true attention stays fixed somewhere else entirely. Tukaram's point is that you can go about your daily work and duties like anyone else, but never let your inner attention wander from God.
मराठी: तुकाराम विभागलेल्या लक्षाची चार ठळक उदाहरणे देतात: पाणी भरणारी मुलगी दोन घागरी डोक्यावर घेऊन मोकळ्या पदराने चालते, तरी तिचे लक्ष सतत त्या घागरींवरच असते. पतंग उडवणाऱ्याचा हात दोरीवर घट्ट असतो, जरी पतंग आकाशात खूप दूर दिसत असला तरी. चोर गर्दीतून सहज फिरतो, पण त्याचे मन वनात लपवलेल्या चोरीच्या मालावरच असते. आणि व्यभिचारिणी स्त्री आपला संसार व्यवस्थित सांभाळते, पण तिचे मन मात्र सतत परपुरुषावरच असते. प्रत्येक वेळी बाहेरची कृती नेहमीसारखी चालू राहते, पण खरे लक्ष मात्र पूर्णपणे कुठेतरी वेगळीकडे असते. तुकारामांचा मुद्दा असा आहे — तुम्ही तुमचे रोजचे काम-कर्तव्य इतरांसारखेच करा, पण तुमचे अंतरंगातील लक्ष देवापासून कधीही ढळू देऊ नका.
Where this applies
- When you're doing routine daily tasks and wonder how to keep spiritual awareness alive underneath the busyness
- When you notice how easily your mind stays fixed on something distant even while your hands are doing something else entirely
- When you're multitasking and need a model for holding one true priority steady no matter what else you're doing
- When you want to understand how devotion can be an inward orientation rather than requiring you to stop your outer responsibilities