Abhanga 532
Loving the divine's living presence matters more than mastering abstract knowledge, and having done your own part, you can honestly ask, without anger, for that presence to show up now.
The verse
न लगे हें मज तुझें ब्रम्हज्ञान । गोजिरें सगुण रूप पुरे ॥१॥ लागला उशीर पतितपावना । विसरोनि वचना गेलासि या ॥ध्रु.॥ जाळोनि संसार बैसलों अंगणीं । तुझे नाहीं मनीं मानसीं तें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नको रागेजों विठ्ठला । उठीं देई मला भेटी आतां ॥३॥
Literal translation
I don't need Your brahma-jñāna — gōjirē saguṇa rūpa is enough. You are late, patita-pāvana — forgetting vacana, went. Burning samsāra, I sat in angaṇa — yet You are not in mana-mānasa. Tuka says: don't be angry, Viṭṭhal — get up, give me bhēṭa now.
मराठी: न लगे हें मज तुझें ब्रम्हज्ञान — गोजिरें सगुण रूप पुरे. लागला उशीर पतितपावना — विसरोनि वचना गेलासि या. जाळोनि संसार बैसलों अंगणीं — तुझे नाहीं मनीं मानसीं तें. तुकाराम म्हणतां — नको रागेजों विठ्ठला — उठीं देई मला भेटी आतां.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न लगे हें मज तुझें ब्रम्हज्ञान | "don't need — Your brahma-jñāna" |
| गोजिरें सगुण रूप पुरे | "gōjirē saguṇa rūpa — enough" |
| लागला उशीर पतितपावना | "late — patita-pāvana" |
| विसरोनि वचना गेलासि या | "forgetting vacana — went" |
| जाळोनि संसार बैसलों अंगणीं | "burned samsāra — sat angaṇa" |
| तुझे नाहीं मनीं मानसीं तें | "You — not in mana-mānasa" |
| नको रागेजों विठ्ठला | "don't be angry, Viṭṭhal" |
| उठीं देई मला भेटी आतां | "get up — give bhēṭa now" |
What it means
A don't-want-brahma-jñāna-saguṇa-rūpa-enough abhang. Famous bhakti-priority-over-jñāna statement. Three claims:
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न लगे हें मज तुझें ब्रम्हज्ञान — गोजिरें सगुण रूप पुरे — don't need Your brahma-jñāna — gōjirē saguṇa rūpa is enough. The priority-claim: I don't need (na lagē) Yourbrahma-jñāna(knowledge-of-brahman, advaita-realization); thegōjirē(lovely, charming)saguṇa-rūpa(form-with-attributes, the bhakti-form of the deva) is enough. Saguṇa-bhakti-over-nirguṇa-jñāna. Bhakta-doesn't-want-realization, wants-the-form.
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लागला उशीर पतितपावना — विसरोनि वचना गेलासि या — जाळोनि संसार बैसलों अंगणीं — तुझे नाहीं मनीं मानसीं तें — late, patita-pāvana — forgetting vacana went — burned samsāra sat angaṇa — You not in mana-mānasa. The delay-and-forgetting-claim: You are late,patita-pāvana(purifier-of-the-fallen); forgetting Yourvacana(promise), You went-off; I havejāḷōnī(burned)samsāraandbaisalōm(sat) in theangaṇa(courtyard, the open-space-of-waiting); yet You are not in (Your-own)mana-mānasa(mind, awareness). I-have-done-my-part-You-have-forgotten.
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तुका म्हणे नको रागेजों विठ्ठला — उठीं देई मला भेटी आतां — Tuka says: don't be angry, Viṭṭhal — get up, give bhēṭa now. The closing-petition: Tuka says: don'trāgējōm(be-angry),Viṭṭhal; uṭhīm (get-up); give mebhēṭa(meeting) now. Get-up-and-meet-me. (The uṭhīm is striking: the deva is being-told to get-up, as if from sleep or distraction.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram says he has no need for abstract knowledge of Brahman. The lovely, personal form of Viththal is enough for him. He gently scolds God for running late and forgetting his promise, pointing out that he has already burned away his attachment to worldly life and is sitting in the courtyard waiting. He closes not with anger but with an affectionate demand: stop delaying, get up, and come meet me now.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की त्यांना ब्रह्मज्ञानाची गरज नाही, विठ्ठलाचं गोजिरं सगुण रूपच त्यांच्यासाठी पुरेसं आहे. देव यायला उशीर करतोय आणि त्याने दिलेलं वचन विसरला आहे असं ते प्रेमाने रागावून सांगतात, आणि आठवण करून देतात की त्यांनी संसाराची आसक्ती जाळून टाकली आहे आणि ते अंगणात वाट पाहत बसले आहेत. शेवटी राग नाही, तर प्रेमळ मागणी आहे, विठ्ठला रागावू नकोस, ऊठ आणि आता मला भेट.
Where this applies
- Refuse brahma-jñāna. Saguṇa-priority.
- Burn samsāra — wait in angaṇa. Done-my-part.
- You late; vacana forgotten. Charge.
- Get up; give bhēṭa. Direct-imperative.