Abhanga 865

Joy and virtue are not found through solitude or renunciation but through singing and dancing together in devotion, with God walking alongside you.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A what-virakti-one-Name-Viṭhōbā-dance-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷā-tāḷa-ghōḷa-ānanda-no-śānti-kṣamā-dayā-except-Gōvinda-kīrtana-not-udāsa-of-body-drowned-in-amṛta-sāgara-no-ekānta-vana-ānanda-in-jana-Viṭṭhal-walks-alongside abhang. Vārkarī-confidence-no-renunciation-needed register. Five claims:

1. विरक्ति-काय-कळे — एका-Viṭhōbā-नामा-जाणों — नाचों-वैष्णव-मेळीं — टाळ-घोळीं-आनंदें. No-virakti-but-Vaiṣṇava-dance-claim. Whatviraktido we know? — we know onenāma, Viṭhōbā's;let us dance happily in the Vaiṣṇava-mēḷā (the gathering of Vaiṣṇavas);in the tāḷa-ghōḷa (cymbal-din-of-bhajan) ānanda. Don't-know-virakti; just dance-with-the-Vaiṣṇavas.

2. शांति-क्षमा-दया-नाहीं — Gōvinda-कीर्तनें-वांचून. Don't-know-virtues-except-Gōvinda-kīrtana-claim. Śānti, kṣamā, dayā — what do I know? — except byGōvinda-kīrtana. Don't-know-virtues-separately; only-know-Gōvinda-kīrtana. (The classic Vārkarī-claim: virtues come only-from-kīrtana, not as separate-cultivations.)

3. उदास-देहावरी-कासया — अमृत-सागरीं-बुडोनि. Not-udāsa-of-body-drowned-in-amṛta-sāgara-claim. Why should I beudāsaabout thedēha?—when I am drowned in the amṛta-sāgara. No-udāsa-when-drowned-in-amṛta. (Counter to ascetic-rejection-of-body: when one is drowned in the amṛta-sāgara (the ocean-of-amṛta = bhakti-bliss), no need to be udāsa about the body.)

4. एकांत-वना-कासया — आनंद-जना-मांजीं. No-ekānta-vana-ānanda-in-jana-claim. Why should I serve thevanaforekānta (solitude)?—the ānanda is in the jana (people, the satsang) itself.No-need-of-forest-solitude; ānanda-is-in-the-jana. (Strong-Vārkarī-claim against forest-renunciation: theānandais in thejana(the satsanga), not in thevana (the wilderness).)

5. Tuka: भरवसा — Viṭṭhal-सरसा-चालतसे. Viṭṭhal-walks-alongside-claim. Tuka says: we have such abharavasā (confidence)—Viṭṭhalwalkssarasā (alongside, side-by-side, with-us).Viṭṭhal-walks-alongside-confidence. (Closing-Vārkarī-confidence: Viṭṭhalwalks-alongside— we don't need toseek-Him-elsewhere; He walks-along-with-us-on-the-pilgrimage. Beautiful pilgrimage-image.)

[T]

For someone today

You don't need to become a renunciate or retreat to a forest to find peace, this verse insists joy is found right where people gather in devotion. Tukaram admits he doesn't know the formal path of renunciation; all he knows is chanting God's name and dancing joyfully with fellow devotees. He doesn't try to cultivate patience, forgiveness, and compassion separately either, he says these come naturally through singing kirtana together. There's no need to reject the body or seek solitude, because true bliss is already present within community, and Vitthal walks right alongside you as a companion.

मराठी: शांती, क्षमा, दया मिळवण्यासाठी संन्यास घ्यायची किंवा जंगलात एकांतवास करायची गरज नाही, लोकांच्या एकत्र भक्तीतच खरा आनंद असतो, असं ही ओवी ठामपणे सांगते. तुकाराम म्हणतात, मला विरक्तीचा मार्ग माहीत नाही; मला फक्त एक नाम माहीत आहे आणि वैष्णवांबरोबर आनंदाने नाचणं माहीत आहे. शांती, क्षमा, दया वेगळी साधायची गरज नाही, कारण ती कीर्तनातूनच आपोआप येतात. शरीराचा त्याग करायची किंवा एकांत शोधायची गरज नाही, कारण खरा आनंद माणसांमध्येच आहे आणि विठ्ठल तुमच्याबरोबरच चालतो.

Where this applies

• Dance-not-virakti. Bhakti-not-tapas.
• Virtues-by-kīrtana. Means.
• No-body-rejection. Pro-body.
• Ānanda-in-jana. Satsang.
• Viṭṭhal-walks-with. Pilgrimage.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center