Abhanga 1030

Kirtana, the communal singing and storytelling about Hari, welcomes even the most fallen and offers an easy, joyful path that outshines any complicated spiritual practice.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A this-never-stale-milk-is-Hari-kathā-the-mother-vaiṣṇavas-served-amṛta-stayed-back-embarrassed-by-this-great-rasa-brahma-ānanda-fallen-and-sinful-are-pāvana-in-the-row-become-catur-bhuja-like-Dēva-all-sukhas-turn-face-toward-where-vaiṣṇavas-crowd-nirguṇa-took-form-of-guṇavanta-with-prīti-sings-and-dances-sādhanas-strained-and-discarded-became-easy-in-kīrtana-stood-there abhang. Easy-in-kīrtana register. The classic kīrtana-as-feast-of-Hari-milk image. Six claims:

1. अविट-क्षीर — Hari-कथा-माउली — वैष्णव-सेविती. Never-stale-milk-claim. Thisaviṭa (un-fading, never-stale) kṣīra is Hari-kathā — the māulī (mother);vaiṣṇava-jana have served and have-been-served.

2. अमृत-लाजोनि — रस-ब्रह्म-आनंद. Amṛta-embarrassed-claim. Amrta has stayed backlājōnī (embarrassed);by this thōra rasa, brahma-ānandē. (Even amrta is embarrassed-and-falls-back at this rasa of Hari-kathā.)

3. पतित-पावन-पंगती — चतुर्भुज. Fallen-become-four-armed-claim. Thepatita-pātakīarepāvanain thepanktī (sitting-row);they become catur-bhuja (four-armed) like Dēva.

4. सुख-मोहोरती — वैष्णव-दाटणी. Sukhas-turn-toward-vaiṣṇava-crowd-claim. Allsukhasmōhōratī (turn-the-face-toward) that ṭhāya;where there is dāṭaṇī (crowd) of vaiṣṇavas.

5. निर्गुण-सोंग-गुणवंत — प्रीति-गाये-नाचे. Nirguṇa-took-form-claim. Thenirguṇatook on thissōnga (role, form) of guṇavanta;holding prīti, sings-and-dances. (The formless took on formfor love's sake.)

6. Tuka: साधन-गाळणी — सुलभ-कीर्तनीं. Easy-in-kīrtana-claim. Tuka says: sādhanas becamegāḷaṇī (strained, sieved-and-discarded);became sulabha (easy) in kīrtana, stood-there. (All elaborate sādhanas were sieved out — only kīrtana remains, the easy way.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram describes the stories of Hari sung in kirtan as milk that never spoils, a mother nourishing all her devoted children. This nectar is so rich and joyful that even heavenly ambrosia falls back in embarrassment before it, unable to compare. Even the most fallen and sinful, once seated in this company, become as pure and radiant as God himself. All happiness naturally turns toward the place where devotees gather in crowds. The formless divine takes on form out of pure love, singing and dancing among them. Tuka says that after trying every complicated spiritual practice, he found that everything is distilled and made easy simply through kirtan.

मराठी: तुकाराम हरिकथेच्या कीर्तनाचे वर्णन असे करतात की जणू ते कधीच न शिळे होणारे दूध आहे, आपल्या भक्त मुलांचे पोषण करणारी माउली. हा रस इतका समृद्ध आणि आनंददायी आहे की स्वर्गीय अमृतही याच्यापुढे लाजून मागे राहते, त्याच्याशी तुलना करू शकत नाही. सर्वात पतित आणि पापी माणूससुद्धा या पंगतीत बसताच देवासारखाच पवित्र आणि तेजस्वी बनतो. सर्व सुखे आपोआप त्या जागेकडे वळतात जिथे भक्तांची गर्दी जमलेली असते. निर्गुण परमात्मा शुद्ध प्रेमापोटी रूप धारण करतो, त्यांच्यामध्ये गाऊन-नाचून सामील होतो. तुका म्हणतात की अनेक कठीण साधने आजमावल्यानंतर त्यांना कळले की सर्व काही केवळ कीर्तनातूनच सहज आणि सुलभ होते.

Where this applies

• Mother-milk. Aviṭa-kṣīra.
• Amṛta-embarrassed. Lājōnī.
• Row-and-four-arms. Catur-bhuja.
• Sukhas-turn. Dāṭaṇī.
• Form-by-love. Nirguṇa-sōnga.
• Easy-in-kīrtana. Gāḷaṇī.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4555 — A true encounter with God proves that plain, steady closeness to him outweighs any amount
• Abhanga 4476 — Tukaram describes bhakti as an open market with no caste-based seating, where anyone can e
• Abhanga 1126 — Tukaram says Pandurang already knew the secret feeling hidden in his heart, and acted acco
• Abhanga 1708 — For today: our own country is in the three-bhuvanas — that's our dwelling; we are the belo