Abhanga 878

You do not need to master every question before you begin; your own longing already points you to what matters, so keep that close to your heart, act from love rather than anxious effort, and let the rest go.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A no-need-of-Gangā's-end-thirst-by-its-own-need-Viṭṭhal-in-heart-fold-cause-by-butter-not-bran-mother-feeds-by-affinity-no-forced-anxiety-sing-bhāva-not-ours-all-one-no-need-of-para-lōka abhang. No-need-of-para-lōka-thirst's-need register. Five claims:

1. गंगा-अंता-विण-चाड-काय — आपुलं-कोड-तृषेपाशीं — Viṭṭhal-मूर्ति-हृदय-पुटीं. No-need-of-Gangā's-end-Viṭṭhal-in-heart-claim. What use of (knowing) Gangā'santa?—one's own kōḍa (need / craving / riddle) is tṛṣē-pāśī (right at the thirst, given by the thirst itself);the Viṭṭhal mūrti — sājirī sundara; place it nirantara in the hṛdaya-puṭīm. Don't-need-to-fathom-Gangā; thirst-already-tells; place-Viṭṭhal-in-heart. (The gangēciyā antā-viṇa kāya cāḍa line: don't waste time understanding the entire length-of-the-Gangā — the thirsty-one's cup-of-water is enough.)

2. कारण-नवनीता-पाशीं — गबाळ-इतर-सोसी. Cause-by-butter-not-bran-claim. Thekāraṇais by thenavanīta (butter — the essence);who else bears the gabāḷa (rough-bran — the husks)?Take-the-butter-leave-the-bran. (The bhakti isnavanīta(butter, the essence-of-milk);jñāna-debateisgabāḷa (bran).)

3. बाळाच्या-सोईतें-मातां-घांस — आटाहास-चिंता-नाहीं. Mother-feeds-by-affinity-claim. Themātāfeeds thebāḷaby-its-sōīṭa (affinity, preference);she has no āṭāhāsa-cintā (the forced-anxiety, the laborious-worry).Mother-knows-what-suits-the-child; no-forced-anxiety.

4. गाऊं-नाचूं-आनंद-सोहळा — भाव-आगळा-हातां-नाहीं. Sing-bhāva-ahead-not-ours-claim. Let us sing, dance, doānanda-sōhaḷā; thebhāvaāgaḷā(ahead) is not in ourhātā(hands). Just-sing-and-dance; the future-bhāva isn't ours-to-control.

5. Tuka: एक-मय — पर-लोकीं-चाड-नाहीं. All-one-no-para-lōka-claim. Tuka says: all has become eka-maya; whatcāḍaofpara-lōkanow? All-is-one; no-need-of-other-world. (Final-Vārkarī-claim: in the eka-maya (one-only) realization, there's no separate para-lōka to seek.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram says you do not need to trace the Ganga all the way to its source to know what water is for, your own thirst already tells you what you need. In the same way, keep the beautiful form of Vitthal constantly in your heart rather than getting lost chasing endless philosophical answers. He compares this to taking the butter and leaving the bran, and to a mother who feeds her child by feel and affection rather than by anxious calculation, there is no need to make devotion complicated or forced. So sing, dance, and celebrate, because what lies ahead is not something you control anyway. When everything feels like it has become one, Tukaram says, there is no longer any need to go chasing another world.

मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की गंगेचा उगम कुठे आहे हे शोधत बसण्याची गरज नाही, कारण तुमची स्वतःची तहानच तुम्हाला हवं ते सांगते. त्याचप्रमाणे, अंतहीन तात्त्विक प्रश्नांच्या मागे धावण्याऐवजी विठ्ठलाची सुंदर मूर्ती सतत आपल्या हृदयात ठेवा. लोणी घ्यावे आणि कोंडा टाकून द्यावा, आणि जशी आई काळजीपूर्वक हिशोब न करता प्रेमाने आपल्या बाळाला घास भरवते, तशीच भक्तीही सहज आणि सोपी असावी, तिला उगाच किचकट किंवा जबरदस्तीची बनवू नये. म्हणून गाऊया, नाचूया, आनंद साजरा करूया, कारण पुढे काय होणार आहे ते तसंही आपल्या हातात नाही. जेव्हा सगळे एकमय होऊन जाते, तेव्हा तुकाराम म्हणतात, दुसऱ्या लोकाची गरजच उरत नाही.

Where this applies

• Thirst-and-Viṭṭhal. Need-suffices.
• Butter-not-bran. Essence.
• Mother's-affinity. Trust.
• Just-sing. Bhakti-rest.
• Eka-maya. No-other-world.

Related verses

• 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
• Abhanga 3829 — Pundalika's total devotion to serving his parents was so powerful that God himself stood w
• Abhanga 4080 — True trust removes fear of death and of others' opinions, turns hard effort into joyful pl