Abhanga 490
Tukaram tells God not to judge him by ritual correctness or perfect behavior — let that go. What matters is that he shows up in service and trusts the accounting is being kept, even if the reward doesn't come right away. His devotion settled only after he thought it through carefully, not because he rushed into a feeling. And now, having reached that quiet place, he says he no longer feels any impatience or urgency with God; he can wait.
The verse
असो मंत्रहीन क्रिया । नका चर्या विचारूं ॥१॥ सेवेमधीं जमा धरा । कृपा करा शेवटीं ॥ध्रु.॥ विचारूनि ठाया ठाव । येथें भाव राहिला ॥२॥ आतां तुकयापाशीं हेवा । नाहीं देवा तांतडी ॥३॥ ॥५॥
Literal translation
Let mantra-hīna kriyā be — don't consider caryā. In sevā hold the jamā — show kṛpā at the end. Considering thoroughly the ṭhāya-ṭhāva — here bhāva has settled. Now Tuka has no havā — no tāmtaḍī with the deva. (Closing ॥५॥.)
मराठी: असो मंत्रहीन क्रिया — नका चर्या विचारूं. सेवेमधीं जमा धरा — कृपा करा शेवटीं. विचारूनि ठाया ठाव — येथें भाव राहिला. तुकाराम म्हणतां — तुकयापाशीं हेवा नाहीं — देवा तांतडी. (॥५॥)
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| असो मंत्रहीन क्रिया | "let mantra-hīna kriyā be" |
| नका चर्या विचारूं | "don't consider caryā" |
| सेवेमधीं जमा धरा | "in sevā — hold the jamā" |
| कृपा करा शेवटीं | "show kṛpā at the end" |
| विचारूनि ठाया ठाव | "considering thoroughly the ṭhāya-ṭhāva" |
| येथें भाव राहिला | "here bhāva has settled" |
| तुकयापाशीं हेवा नाहीं | "Tuka has no havā" |
| देवा तांतडी | "no tāmtaḍī with deva" |
What it means
A short mantra-hīna-kriyā-no-haste-with-deva abhang. Closing ॥५॥ — closes the Hari-dāsa-blessings cluster (487-490). Three claims:
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असो मंत्रहीन क्रिया — नका चर्या विचारूं — let mantra-hīna kriyā be — don't consider caryā. The opening-claim: let mykriyā(action / ritual) bemantra-hīna(without proper Sanskrit-mantra); don't consider mycaryā(conduct / behavior) (as the test). The bhakta is not mantra-trained or perfect-conduct; let that go.
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सेवेमधीं जमा धरा — कृपा करा शेवटीं — in sevā hold the jamā — show kṛpā at the end. The book-keeping-petition: in thesevā(service) keep thejamā(credit-account); showkṛpāat theśēvaṭa(end). Account-keeping in service; reward-at-the-end.
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विचारूनि ठाया ठाव — येथें भाव राहिला — considering thoroughly the ṭhāya-ṭhāva — here bhāva has settled. The settled-bhāva claim: considering thoroughly theṭhāya-ṭhāva(place-and-position); here, thebhāvahas settled. Settled-after-thorough-investigation.
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आतां तुकयापाशीं हेवा नाहीं — देवा तांतडी — now Tuka has no havā — no tāmtaḍī with the deva — (॥५॥). The closing-rest: now, Tuka has nohavā(longing / impatience); notāmtaḍī(haste / urgency) with the deva. Patient-bhakta-stance; no-rush-with-deva. (Closes the 5-abhang cluster.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram tells God not to judge him by ritual correctness or perfect behavior — let that go. What matters is that he shows up in service and trusts the accounting is being kept, even if the reward doesn't come right away. His devotion settled only after he thought it through carefully, not because he rushed into a feeling. And now, having reached that quiet place, he says he no longer feels any impatience or urgency with God; he can wait.
मराठी: तुकाराम देवाला सांगतात की माझ्या पूजाविधीतील अचूकतेवर किंवा माझ्या वागण्यातील परिपूर्णतेवर परीक्षा घेऊ नकोस. महत्त्वाचे आहे की मी सेवेत उभा राहतो आणि विश्वास ठेवतो की माझा हिशेब ठेवला जात आहे, जरी फळ लगेच मिळाले नाही तरी. त्यांची भक्ती खोल विचार केल्यानंतरच स्थिर झाली, घाईघाईने आलेल्या भावनेतून नाही. आणि आता, त्या शांत जागी पोहोचल्यावर ते म्हणतात की देवासोबत त्यांना कोणतीही घाई किंवा अधीरता वाटत नाही; ते वाट पाहू शकतात.
Where this applies
- Mantra-hīna kriyā allowed. No mantra-perfection-test.
- Service-jamā held; kṛpā at end. End-trust.
- Settled-bhāva post-consideration. Not naive.
- No havā, no tāmtaḍī. Patient-bhakta.