Abhanga 417

What heals and what honors the divine is the sincerity you bring to the offering, not its size, and a living devotion can rightly take the place of an old inherited form.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A Ekavīrā-into-body-rōga-removal ḍānkā abhang. Within the ḍānkā cluster (412 colophon, 413-420). Five claims:

1. पुढें येते देवी — तिची जती चालों द्यावी — मागील झाडावी — झाडा मान आसडी — dēvī coming ahead — let her jatī walk — clear previous — yank māna. The opening-procession-image: thedēvīis coming ahead; let herjatī(procession / lineage) walk; clear away the previous (deity / claim); yank themāna(seat-honor) from the previous one. Ekavīrā replaces the previous-clan-deity. (Ekavīrā is a Marāṭhī kuḷa-svāminī, especially in some Brahmaṇa families. Tukaram is using the Ekavīrā-frame as one possible kuḷa-svāminī.)

2. एकवीरा आली अंगा — आतां निवारील रोगा — माझ्या भक्तापाशीं सांगा — पूजा भावें करावी — Ekavīrā into anga — will remove rōga — tell bhaktas — pūjā with bhāva. The deity-into-body for cure: Ekavīrā has come into myanga; will remove therōga(disease / affliction); tell thebhaktas to do pūjā withbhāva. Possession-trance for healing.

3. मेंढा मारावा लोवाळ — पूजा पावली सकळ — तुम्हीं केलें बळ मग मी ठायीं न पडें — mēṇḍhā-lōvāḷa — pūjā received in full — you've shown baḷa, then I won't fall into place. The sacrifice-and-cure claim: themēṇḍhā(ram) andlōvāḷa(gift) — thepūjāreceived in full; you have shownbaḷa(strength); then I won't fall into (a sick) place. Sacrifice-completed → strength-shown → no falling.

4. तुका म्हणे मुळीं — लागली ते आली कुळीं — वंदुनी सकळीं — जीवें भावों ओवाळा — Tuka says: at muḷī — what came has come into kuḷī — vandana to all — ōvāḷa with jīva-bhāva. The closing-resolution: at themuḷī(root) — what came has come into thekuḷī(clan); vandana (salutation) to all;ōvāḷa(waving-of-light) withjīva-bhāva. The deity has now established in the family-clan; perform vandana with full life-bhāva.

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For someone today

This abhang describes a village goddess, Ekavira, arriving to heal sickness, and it does not shy away from the earthy, bodily language of that tradition. Tukaram says a new form of the divine can step in and take the place that an older family deity used to hold, and there is no need to cling stubbornly to the old form when a living devotion shows up. What actually completes the offering, whether it is a simple ritual or a costly one, is the sincerity you bring to it, not the size of the gift. In the end, everyone present bows and waves the ceremonial light with their whole heart, because the healing and the welcome are of the same piece.

मराठी: ही ओवी एकवीरा नावाच्या ग्रामदेवतेचे वर्णन करते, जी आजारपण बरे करण्यासाठी अंगात येते, आणि त्या परंपरेतील रोखठोक, शारीरिक भाषा टाळत नाही. तुकाराम म्हणतात की देवाचे नवे रूप जुन्या कुळदेवतेची जागा घेऊ शकते, आणि जिवंत भक्ती समोर आली की जुन्या रूपाला घट्ट धरून बसण्याची गरज नाही. अर्पण खरोखर पूर्ण करते ती गोष्ट म्हणजे साधा विधी असो वा मोठा, त्यामागचा मनापासूनचा भाव, अर्पणाचा आकार नव्हे. शेवटी सगळे उपस्थित लोक मनापासून वंदन करतात आणि ओवाळणी करतात, कारण बरे होणे आणि स्वागत करणे ही एकाच भावनेची दोन रूपे आहेत.

Where this applies

• New dēvī replaces previous. Don't cling.
• Deity into body for rōga-removal. Receive bodily.
• Mēṇḍhāreceived inbhāva. Internal-pūjā.
• Vandanawithjīva-bhāva. Family-celebration.

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