Abhanga 716
Even when your mind can't hold devotion, keep saying God's name aloud, and trust that God still protects and cares for you despite your flaws.
The verse
नसे तरी मनो नसो । परी वाचे तरी वसो ॥१॥ देह पडो या चिंतनें । विठ्ठलनामसंकीर्तनें ॥ध्रु.॥ दंभस्थिती भलत्या भावें । मज हरिजन म्हणावें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे काळें तरी । मज सांभाळील हरी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Nasē tarī manō nasō — parī vācē tarī vasō. Dēha paḍō yā cintanē — Viṭhṭhal-nāma-sankīrtanē. Dambha-sthiti bhalatyā bhāvē — maja Hari-jana mhaṇāvē. Tuka says: kāḷē tarī — maja sāmbhāḷīla Harī.
मराठी: मनीं नसे तरी नसो — पण वाचेवर तरी वसो. देह पडो ह्या चिंतनें — विठ्ठल-नाम-संकीर्तनें. दंभ-स्थिती भलत्या भावें — मज हरि-जन म्हणावें. Tuka म्हणे: काळें तरी — मज सांभाळील हरी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नसे तरी मनो नसो | "nasē — manō — nasō (let-not-be)" |
| परी वाचे तरी वसो | "but — vāca — vasō (let-abide)" |
| देह पडो या चिंतनें | "dēha paḍō — this cintana" |
| विठ्ठलनामसंकीर्तनें | "Viṭhṭhal-nāma-sankīrtana" |
| दंभस्थिती भलत्या भावें | "dambha-sthiti — by any bhāva" |
| मज हरिजन म्हणावें | "call me — Hari-jana" |
| काळें तरी मज सांभाळील हरी | "kāḷē (blackened) — Hari — sāmbhāḷīla" |
What it means
A let-it-not-in-mana-let-it-on-vāca-call-me-Hari-jana-even-if-blackened-Hari-safeguards abhang. Hari-jana-vow-and-Hari-safeguards register. Three claims:
-
मनी नसे तरी नसो — पण वाचे वसो — देह पडो ह्या चिंतनें — Viṭhṭhal-nāma-sankīrtana. Let-it-be-on-vāca-and-let-body-fall-in-sankīrtana-claim. If it's not in themana (mind), let it not-be (don't try to force it);but let it vasō (abide) on the vāca (speech-organ, the spoken-word);let the dēha (body) paḍō (fall, die) in this cintana; inViṭhṭhal-nāma-sankīrtana. Vāca-suffices-when-mana-can't; let-the-body-fall-in-sankīrtana. (The Vārkarī insistence: at-minimum, let the vāca keep saying-the-name; even if the mind wanders.)
-
दंभ-स्थिति भलत्या भावें — मज हरि-जन म्हणावें. Call-me-Hari-jana-by-any-bhāva-claim. In anydambha-sthiti(state-of-display, costume-state), by any bhāva (mode);call me a Hari-jana (a person-of-Hari, one of the Hari-folk).Even-if-it's-only-the-display, call-me-a-Hari-jana. (This is striking: even if I'm putting on thedambha-sthiti(the outer-form, the costume), still call me aHari-jana; the name itself protects.)
-
Tuka: काळें तरी — हरी सांभाळील. Even-if-blackened-Hari-safeguards-claim. Tuka says:kāḷē tarī(even if (I am) blackened, dark-with-faults); Harī sāmbhāḷīla maja(Hari will safeguard me). Even-if-blackened-Hari-takes-care.
[T]
For someone today
If your mind can't hold onto devotion right now, don't force it — but keep your voice, at least, saying God's name. Let your whole life, even the wearing-down of your body, be spent singing Vitthal's name together with others. Even if what you show on the outside is only partly sincere, still let yourself be counted among those who love God, because the name itself does the protecting. And Tukaram promises: even if you are flawed and full of faults, God will still take care of you.
मराठी: मनात भक्ती सध्या धरता येत नसेल, तर ती जबरदस्तीने आणू नका — पण निदान तोंडाने तरी देवाचं नाव घेत रहा. आयुष्य, अगदी शरीराची झीजही, विठ्ठलाच्या नामसंकीर्तनात खर्च होऊ द्या. बाहेरून दाखवलेला भाव पूर्णपणे खरा नसला तरी, स्वतःला हरिजनांमध्ये मोजू द्या, कारण नावच रक्षण करतं. आणि तुकाराम आश्वासन देतात, तुमच्यात कितीही दोष असले तरी हरी तुमची काळजी घेईलच.
Where this applies
- Vāca suffices. Minimum.
- Hari-jana by any mode. Naming-saves.
- Even blackened — Hari safeguards. Comfort.