Taatiche Abhang : Abhang 11

 

Taatiche Abhang 

Abhanga 11

११ – अहो क्रोधे यावें कोठें

अहो क्रोधे यावें कोठें ।

अवघे आपण निघोटे ॥१॥

ऐसें कळलें उत्तम ।

जन तेची जनार्दन ॥२॥

ब्रीद बांधिलें चरणीं ।

नये दावितां करणीं ॥३॥

वेळे क्रोधाचा उगवला ।

अवघा योग फोल झाला ॥४॥

ऐशी थोर दृष्टी धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥५॥

How can anger enter the mind of a person who has a pure heart when such individual is perfection personified.

Such a man is God for the common people.

He lives with a mission to serve and uplift others. 

He cannot contradict his purpose by displaying incongruous behavior.

If anger is allowed to enter the mind it will destroy all merit accrued thus far from one’s spiritual practice.

Therefore hold on to a noble outlook and

Open the door oh Dnyaaneshwara!

अहो address to someone with respect 

क्रोधे anger

यावें can come 

कोठें where

अवघे entirely

आपण you or we ( are)

निघोटे perfect

ऐसें Thus

कळलें having known 

उत्तम very well 

जन people 

तेची themselves ( are) 

जनार्दन redeemer/ savior 

ब्रीद motto, purpose 

बांधिलें tied

चरणीं at the feet

नये isn’t 

दावितां reflected 

करणीं in actions 

वेळे occasion 

क्रोधाचा of anger 

उगवला arose

अवघा entirely 

योग cumulative efforts, work 

फोल hollow, empty , wasted

झाला became 

ऐशी such 

थोर magnanimous, great

दृष्टी view, outlook 

धरा hold

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा Open the door O Dnyaaneshwara 

Discussion:

अहो क्रोधे यावें कोठें ।

अवघे आपण निघोटे ॥१॥

 When a junior can see something that his superiors can’t, the former has to be extra careful about every word he uses when putting the point across. He can’t be blunt and say “can’t you see?” Here Muktabai is indeed very astute as she addresses Dnyaaneshwar very sweetly and respectfully before carrying on with her logical argument. 

Someone could tell the person your anger is unreasonable or uncalled for. Instead she chooses to state it as “Where is there room for anger?”

If she started like this plainly Dnyaneshwar could immediately find a ready answer to defend his stance. In a calculated move she puts Aho at the beginning of that question. 

Aho is something akin to addressing someone as Sir. Thus begins this abhang by saying अहो क्रोधे यावें कोठें ?

 “Respected Sir,( I beg your pardon, but)  where is there any room here for anger?”

And immediately she follows it with a statement to support her objection. अवघे आपण निघोटे

“ ( when) You are,in every way, perfect “! 

 Anyone in Dnyaaneshwar’s shoes would be completely disarmed by this sentence. She left him no room for excuses. 

This argument is a repeat one. She used it for the first time in abhang 7. As mentioned earlier, Abhang 7 is found in two versions. There is a good possibility that it was revised by some other person after Muktabai. In that case the present couplet could have been simply lifted out of abhang 11 and transposed into abhang 7 (or less likely, vice versa).

If we presume that Muktabai has knowingly repeated this couplet the second time then the question arises about what would be the reason for this? To find an answer to this question we must try to understand the point she is making in this couplet.

अवघे आपण निघोटे!

आपण aapan can be used in a manner of respect to say ‘you’ as in ‘You, sir ‘ or it could mean ‘we’. 

Since she has started with Aho to address Dnyaaneshwar with a tone of respect it may be relevant to believe that here she is using the word aapan also to be respectful and mean ‘you’ and not ‘we’.

You are totally perfect! 

There is no imperfection in you. 

Here she is bringing him back to claim his divine identity, the pure spirit, and not the perishable human garb that is imposed upon the eternal soul.

Tat tvam asi ! That thou art ! The Brahman or Perfect Being. 

The to and fro shift from one identity to another is rather natural during the process towards enlightenment. Avidya or ignorance takes time to loosen its hold over the thinking mind. Thus successive reminders become necessary from the teacher to student until the lower identity is permanently relinquished. In spiritual terms it is called aatmaanaatma vivek. The discernment of the difference between self and non self, eternal and not eternal, true identity vs superimposed qualifications. The successful culmination of the spiritual journey is defined by the definitive and unshakable identification by the individual intellect with the seer within and without. That is described as the Turiya state of consciousness. It’s the fourth state of consciousness or final state of awakening. 

Once permanently reached this steady state the previous state of awakening appears as a dream. There is perception of experience in both awakening and dream states but no actual objects in the dream state. They are available for perception only through the mental apparatus in the dream state. The lowest state of consciousness is deep sleep. Here there is a temporary disconnect between awareness and physical-mental apparatus.

Spiritual advancement affords opportunity to taste Turiya state and to rise above the usual awakened state. With practice one can establish permanent existence in the Turiya state 

With transcendence above the body and mind comes transcendence above desires. Desires are irrelevant in the state of enlightenment. Where desires are non existent there is no possibility of anger. The sense of ego (the limited me)and possessions (mine) is dissolved in the highest state of consciousness where everything is Me. Likes, dislikes, desires, anger are all functions connected with the ego. No ego, no preferences, no desires, no anger. 

The intellectual and emotional apparatus may assume an individual stand over issues at the normal level of consciousness but there is humility involved and deep love and understanding involved regarding other people and their differing perspectives. It is no easy feat to stick to one’s beliefs and sustain the pressures of opposition coming from people you love. Paradoxically it is the same love that helps sustain the pressures. 

Without clarity however it is difficult to emerge from the situation without a compromise of some kind. Some people succumb to peer pressures and don’t stay true to their deeper beliefs. They are not able to live through a conflict hence give up their own stand. It keeps nagging inside however.

Or in the struggle to stay true to themselves they distance themselves from those who don’t share their values. In that situation they hold to their values confidently or at times become a victim of isolation, depression, self destruction. 

Whichever way, none of these lesser options are healthy for personal evolution.

One who has seen the divinity in himself and in others can neither break himself from others nor let go his values unless truly convinced that his values are faulty. He just gathers immense strength and moves forward with both, with his own conviction and without forsaking the world around him. 

The above couplet contains a mine of wisdom and the master key to resolve any conflicts in life. It indeed calls for deep contemplation and understanding of human responses amidst difference of opinions.

ऐसें कळलें उत्तम ।

जन तेची जनार्दन ॥२॥

Thus with a deep understanding of his true nature such a man is an embodiment of divinity amongst people. He himself sees God in all people. 

Janardan is one who is the savior or shelter for all beings. The Protector of the Universe. One who relieves people of all afflictions. 

Whether ordinary people can see how their mistaken identity with matter is the cause of their suffering or not, the man who resides in the highest, purest state of consciousness knows it. If anyone turns to him with their problems he is able to guide based upon their readiness to help themselves.

ब्रीद बांधिलें चरणीं ।

नये दावितां करणीं ॥३॥

Indeed uplifting people from the mires of suffering was Dnyaaneshwar’s motto, and of his siblings. But his present reaction to criticism by locking himself in the house in a state of dejection and anger was contrary to the motto. 

At every step one needs to review one’s goal and assess if the efforts are in the direction of reaching that goal. If one’s goal is to pass a test with flying colors but he sleeps all day and does not study for the test the goal is impossible to achieve. Either he must accept that he is not serious about the goal or he must work for it. Efforts and purpose must go hand in hand. 

Muktabai is quick to point out when actions are not supporting the purpose.

वेळे क्रोधाचा उगवला ।

अवघा योग फोल झाला ॥४॥

In the above example of a student, if the man put in all efforts and studied sincerely for the test but when the day of the test arrived he took a few drinks of alcohol before entering the exam hall, the efforts of the previous weeks or months would do no good to pass the test. He would be much too incapacitated when he needs to recall the knowledge. 

Anger is akin to a substance that can delude the mind. After sustained spiritual practice if the person allows anger into the mind, all benefits of previous study will be lost in one instant. That is how dangerous anger is and a man of wisdom must always be aware of this. 

ऐशी थोर दृष्टी धरा ।

ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥५॥

Vigilance is therefore called for at all times in the maintenance of the state of pure consciousness. 

To recapitulate here, to abide in the enlightened state one must diligently maintain equanimity, wipe out all trace of desires and disallow anger to occupy the mind. With these mental adjustments now open the door O Dnyaaneshwara.

Qualities:

Know that pure self is perfect

No room for anger in pure self

Wisdom to not allow anger knowing that it will destroy good work.

Self and God are one

Focus on mission to uplift others with yourself