Abhanga 716
English: Nasē tarī manō nasō — parī vācē tarī vasō.
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
English: 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 the mana (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; in Viṭhṭhal-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 any dambha-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 the dambha-sthiti (the outer-form, the costume), still call me a Hari-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
This abhang names the let-it-be-on-vāca-Hari-jana-Hari-safeguards register:
-
If not in mind, let it not-be; but let it be on the vāca; let the body fall in Viṭhṭhal-nāma-sankīrtana. Let-vāca-suffice.
-
Call me a Hari-jana — even by any dambha-sthiti or bhāva. Hari-jana-by-any-mode.
-
Even if blackened, Hari will safeguard me. Hari-safeguards-blackened.
For today: if the mind cannot hold the bhāva, don't force it — let the vāca keep speaking the nāma; let the body fall in Viṭhṭhal-sankīrtana; call me a Hari-jana even if I'm only in the costume-of-it; even if I'm kāḷē (blackened with faults) — Hari will sāmbhāḷīla (safeguard) me.
This abhang is Tukaram's let-it-be-on-vāca-Hari-jana-Hari-safeguards-blackened register — one of the most-tender Hari-jana statements. Compare 0706 vārakarī-vow-bhōḷī-sēvā (Tuka's mudra); same minimum-vow but here organized through vāca-suffices-and-Hari-safeguards-even-blackened. The kāḷē-tarī-Hari-sāmbhāḷīla (even-blackened-Hari-safeguards) is one of the most-comforting Tukaram lines*.
मराठी: ही ओवी let-it-be-on-vāca-Hari-jana-Hari-safeguards register नाव सांगते:
-
मनी नसे तर नसो; वाचेवर तरी वसो; देह पडो Viṭhṭhal-sankīrtanē-त. Let-vāca-suffice.
-
दंभ-sthiti-भलत्या-bhāva-त सुद्धा — हरि-जन म्हणावा. Hari-jana-by-any-mode.
-
काळें तरी — हरी सांभाळील. Hari-safeguards-blackened.
आज: Mana-त bhāva hold होत नसेल तर force नका — vāca नाम बोलू द्या; Body Viṭhṭhal-sankīrtana-त-fall; दंभ-stage-त सुद्धा Hari-jana म्हणावा; जरी kāḷē (blackened-with-faults) तरी — Hari sāmbhāḷīla**.
Tukaram च-let-it-be-on-vāca-Hari-jana-Hari-safeguards-blackened-register — Most-tender Hari-jana statements पैकी एक. 0706 vārakarī-vow-bhōḷī-sēvā (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच minimum-vow पण इथे vāca-suffices-and-Hari-safeguards-even-blackened च्या मार्गाने. Kāḷē-tarī-Hari-sāmbhāḷīla most-comforting Tukaram lines पैकी एक.
Where this applies
- Vāca suffices.* Minimum.
- Hari-jana by any mode.** Naming-saves.
- Even blackened — Hari safeguards.* Comfort.