Abhanga 197

Come as you are, right now, whether or not you understand it; today's grace is golden, time-bound, and available for free through simply singing together.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A kīrtana-call abhang. Five claims:

1. जाणतां ही नेणतां — knowing or not knowing. The kīrtana does not require prior-understanding. Both the knower and the not-knower are invited. (Continuation of 196's radical inclusivity.)

2. फावलें तें घ्यारे आतां — take what is given now. Fāvalē — what has been given / favored / arrived — is the available-grace at this moment. Take it. The grace is time-bound.

3. आजि सोनियाचा दिवस — सोनियाचा वोडवला रंग — today is golden, the golden color has appeared. The time-bound claim. This is not every day; today is special. The ranga (color) of sonayā (gold) has risen / appeared. Don't postpone.

4. हिंडती रानोरान भुजंगांत कांट्यावन — सुख तयांहून आम्हां गातां नाचतां — they wander forest-to-forest in snakes-and-thorn-thicket; happier than them are we — singing-dancing. The householder-bhakta's claim against renunciate-supremacy. The forest-yogis (snake-and-thorn-condition) are not happier than the kīrtana-singers. The household-collective-singing is more joyful than the solitary-forest-renunciation.

5. ब्रम्हादिकां सांवळें दुर्लभ सुखा — आजि येथें आलें फुका — नाम मुखा कीर्तनीं — even for Brahmā etc., the dark-one is hard-to-attain; today here came for free — the name into the mouth in kīrtana. The for-free claim. What cosmic-deities cannot get, the kīrtana-bhaktas get for free — fukā — gratis. The kīrtana-mouth is the delivery-channel.

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For someone today

This abhang names what to do at a kīrtana / collective-celebration / golden-day moment:

1. Come — knowing or not knowing. Don't gate-keep yourself by deficient understanding. Both knowers and non-knowers are invited. Drop the qualification-test.

2. Take what is given now. Fāvalē — the given. The grace is time-bound. Don't postpone for some better-prepared future-self; take it now.

3. Today is golden — recognize. Some days are sonayā-divasa (golden-day) where the ranga has appeared. Most days are not. Don't treat them as equivalent. When today is golden, recognize and act.

4. Householder-singing is happier than forest-yoga. Sukha tayāhūna āmhā gātām nāchatām. The renunciation-supremacy frame is wrong — at least, not the only frame. The singing-dancing-collective is happier than the solitary-thorn-thicket. If the world has been telling you that real spirituality requires withdrawal — Tukaram's claim is no, the kīrtana-householder-collective is the happier path.

5. For-free, in the mouth. The cosmic deities pay and still cannot get it; the kīrtana-bhakta gets it for free through the mouth. The vocal-channel is the for-free delivery. Open your mouth and sing; the sāvale will arrive for free.

For today: stop gate-keeping yourself; take what is given now; recognize when today is golden; trust that the singing-dancing-collective is more joyful than the solitary-renunciate path; open your mouth and sing — fukā nāma āle.

मराठी: ही ओवी कीर्तनाच्या, सामूहिक उत्सवाच्या, सोनियाच्या दिवसाच्या क्षणी काय करायचं ते सांगते.

1. या — कळो अथवा न कळो. अपुऱ्या समजुतीमुळे स्वतःला बाहेर ठेवू नका. जाणणारे आणि न जाणणारे दोघेही आमंत्रित आहेत. पात्रतेची परीक्षा सोडून द्या.

2. जे मिळालं ते आता घ्या. ही जी संधी दिली गेली आहे, ती वेळेला बांधलेली आहे. 'पुढे कधीतरी अधिक तयार झाल्यावर' असं म्हणून पुढे ढकलू नका; ती आताच घ्या.

3. आज सोनियाचा दिवस आहे — हे ओळखा. काही दिवस असे सोनियाचे असतात, जेव्हा तो रंग उगवलेला असतो. बहुतेक दिवस तसे नसतात. सगळे दिवस सारखेच आहेत असं समजू नका. आज सोनियाचा असेल, तर ते ओळखा आणि त्याप्रमाणे वागा.

4. घरी राहून गाणं हे वनातल्या तपश्चर्येपेक्षा अधिक सुखाचं आहे. संन्यासच श्रेष्ठ, हा समज चुकीचा आहे — निदान तोच एकमेव मार्ग नाही. गाणं-नाचणं-एकत्र येणं हे काट्याकुट्यातल्या एकांतापेक्षा जास्त सुखाचं आहे. जगाने तुम्हाला सांगितलं असेल की खरी अध्यात्मिकता एकांतवासातूनच मिळते — तुकारामांचं म्हणणं आहे, नाही; कीर्तनातलं, घरगुती, सामूहिक जगणं हाच अधिक सुखाचा मार्ग आहे.

5. फुकट, मुखातच मिळतं. मोठमोठे देवही किंमत मोजून मिळवू शकत नाहीत ते कीर्तनातला भक्त मुखातूनच फुकट मिळवतो. वाणी हाच तो फुकट मिळण्याचा मार्ग आहे. तोंड उघडा आणि गा; तो सावळा फुकट येऊन भेटेल.

आज एवढंच — स्वतःला बाहेर ठेवणं थांबवा; जे मिळालं ते आताच घ्या; आज सोनियाचा दिवस आहे का ते ओळखा; एकांतवासापेक्षा सामूहिक गाणं-नाचणं अधिक सुखाचं आहे यावर विश्वास ठेवा; आणि तोंड उघडून गा.

Where this applies

• Knowers and non-knowers both invited. Drop the qualification-test.
• Today is golden — act, don't postpone. फावलें तें घ्यारे आतां.
• Singing-dancing happier than forest-yoga. Reject renunciation-supremacy.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is