Abhanga 462

When desire falls away, the bhakta softens into loving receptivity, embraced by God even as onlookers jeer, protected by Viṭṭhal himself on the riverbank.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A niṣkāma-bhakta-becomes-woman-throws-rukā-dances-shameless abhang. First of the women-bhakta-dance / Pandhari-rāṇḍē cluster (462-466). The self-feminization-in-bhakti claim — when the bhakta becomes niṣkāma (without-desire), he becomes not-man-but-woman in spirit. Five claims:

1. वेसन गेलें निष्काम जालें — नर नव्हे नारी — vesana gone — niṣkāma I became — not man, woman. The opening-self-claim: thevesana(eccentricity / vow-mark / gender-mark) is gone; I becameniṣkāma; not-man-but-nārī. The bhakta-as-feminine in bhakti-state.

2. त्याचा वेध लागला छंद हरि गोविंद वेळोवेळां — सावलें घालिती गळां — Hari-Govinda's vēdha at every moment — sāvaḷē puts arms on neck. The deva-piercing-and-embrace claim: Hari-Govinda's vēdha (piercing-attention) at every moment;the sāvaḷē (dark-one, Krishna)puts His arm on the bhakta's neck. Embrace-from-behind.

3. जन वेषा भीतें तोंडा आमुच्या भांडपणा — कर कटीं भीमा तटीं पंढरीचा राणा — people fear our face-show — hand on hip — Bhīmā-tīra — Pandhari's rāṇā. The people-frightened image: people fear the bhakta's face / outward-show / quarreling; but thePandhari-rāṇāstands hand-on-hip on theBhīmā-tīra. Pandhari-Viṭhobā as protector of thebhāṇḍa-paṇabhakta.

4. वेगळ्या याति पडिलों खंतीं अवघ्या एका भावें — टाकियेली चाड देहभाव जीवें शिवें — separate-yāti, fell into khamtī — by ēkā-bhāvē — abandoned cāḍa of jīva-deha-bhāva. The yāti-separation claim: I fell out of normal-yāti intokhamtī(regret / outsidership) by becomingēkā-bhāvē; abandoned thecāḍa(need) ofjīva-deha-bhāva. Yāti-and-deha-bhāva-renounced.

5. सकळांमधीं आगळी बुद्धि तिची करूं सेवा — वाय तुंबामूढासवें भक्ति नाचों भावा — in all — most-superior buddhi — let's serve her — vāya-tumbā-mūḍha-companion — bhakti-naco-bhāvā. The serve-the-buddhi claim: the most-superiorbuddhiin all — let's serve her; withvāya-tumbā-mūḍha(vain-gourd-fool, the worldly-companion) — let bhakti dance with bhāva.

6. म्हणे तुका टाक रुका नाचों निर्लज्जा — बहु जालें सुख काम चुकलों या काजा — Tuka says: throw rukā — dance nirlajja — much sukha came — missed the kāma-work. The closing-resolve: Tuka says: throw therukā(coin / fee); dancenirlajja(shameless); muchsukhahas come; thekāma-work has been missed (skipped over). Throw-the-fee, dance-shamelessly, miss-the-kāma — bhakti's-anti-economy.

[T]

For someone today

When your devotion finally becomes desireless, something in you softens: Tukaram says he stops being the assertive 'man' chasing God and becomes the receptive 'woman' being embraced by Him. In that softness, Hari draws close constantly, His arm resting on your neck like a lover's, not standing at a formal distance. People outside may fear or mock how your devotion looks, loud, undignified, even strange, but Viṭṭhal himself stands guard over you on the banks of the Bhima. Let go of caste, status, and bodily pride, throw away the coin of respectability, and dance without shame; real joy follows, even if it costs you the polished image you used to protect.

मराठी: जेव्हा तुमची भक्ती खरोखर निष्काम होते, तेव्हा मनातलं कठोरपण विरघळतं. तुकाराम म्हणतात की देवाच्या मागे धावणारा 'पुरुष' न राहता ते देवाच्या मिठीत विसावणारी 'नारी' बनतात. या कोमलतेत हरि सतत जवळ येतो, प्रियकरासारखा मानेवर हात ठेवतो, औपचारिक अंतर ठेवत नाही. बाहेरचे लोक तुमच्या भक्तीच्या रूपाला घाबरतील किंवा हसतील, ती मोठ्याने, बेशिस्त, विचित्र वाटेल, पण भीमातीरावर पंढरीचा राणा स्वतः तुमचं रक्षण करतो. जात, प्रतिष्ठा आणि देहाभिमान सोडून द्या, इभ्रतीचं नाणं फेकून द्या आणि निर्लज्जपणे नाचा; खरा आनंद त्यातूनच येतो, जरी त्यासाठी तुम्हाला जपलेली प्रतिमा गमवावी लागली तरी.

Where this applies

• Niṣkāma— not-man-but-nārī. Feminization.
• Sāvaḷē's-arm-on-neck. Deva-embrace.
• People fear; Viṭhobā protects. External-protection.
• Yātianddeha-cāḍa abandoned. Single-pointed.
• Throw rukā; dance nirlajja. Anti-shame-economy.

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