Abhanga 1091

Tukaram teaches that saying Rama's name through eating, working, walking, and living turns every ordinary act into worship and frees a person while still alive.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Rāmacaritra abhanga 2. The "Rāma japa makes one jīvan-mukta in all activities" claim. Six claims, each starting rāma mhaṇē (saying Rāma):

1. ग्रास — उपवासी-जेविला. Faster-who-ate-claim. SayingRāmain everygrāsa(mouthful);that one is the upavāsī (faster) who has eaten. (Eating with Rāma-name is at-once eating and fasting.)

2. शरीर-धन्य — तीर्थ-व्रत-माहेर. Blessed-body-claim. Blessed-and-blessed is thatśarīra;the māhēra (mother's-house, source-place) of tīrtha-vrata.

3. धंदा — सुख-समाधि-सदा. Bliss-while-business-claim. SayingRāmawhilekaritām dhandā;sukha-samādhi to him always.

4. वाटें-चालीं — यज्ञ-पाऊल. Yajña-step-by-step-claim. SayingRāmawhile walking thevāṭā;yajña step-by-step.

5. भोगीं-त्यागीं — कर्म-न-लिंपे. Karma-doesn't-smear-claim. SayingRāmainbhōgīortyāgī;karma doesn't limpē (smear) that angī.

6. Tuka: नित्य-जप — जीवन्-मुक्त. Jīvan-mukta-claim. Tuka says: one who japa-s Rāma like this nitya;jīvan-mukta (living-liberated).

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram describes someone who says the name Rama with every single mouthful of food, and calls that person a faster even while eating, because the name transforms the ordinary act. He calls such a body blessed, the very source of every pilgrimage and vow. Whether working, walking down a road, enjoying pleasures or giving them up, saying Rama's name turns each moment into worship, and Tukaram says no action can leave a stain on someone who lives this way. He concludes that anyone who keeps this practice daily is free even while still alive.

मराठी: तुकाराम सांगतात की जो प्रत्येक घासाबरोबर रामाचं नाव घेतो, तो जेवत असतानाही उपवासी असतो, कारण नाव त्या साध्या कृतीलाही बदलून टाकतं. असं शरीर धन्य आहे, ते सगळ्या तीर्थांचं आणि व्रतांचं माहेर आहे, असं ते म्हणतात. काम करताना, रस्त्याने चालताना, सुख भोगताना किंवा त्याग करताना, रामाचं नाव प्रत्येक क्षणाला पूजा बनवतं, आणि असं जगणाऱ्याला कुठलंही कर्म चिकटत नाही, असं तुकाराम सांगतात. जो हे रोज करतो, तो जिवंतपणीच मुक्त होतो असं ते शेवटी म्हणतात.

Where this applies

• Mouthful. Grāsa.
• Blessed-body. Māhēra.
• Business. Sukha-samādhi.
• Walking. Yajña.
• Bhōga-tyāga. Karma.
• Jīvan-mukta. Japa.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4273 — If your time, money, and attention flow easily to everything except God and genuine goodne
• Abhanga 2532 — For today: foot-water cooler than cool — my father's tīrtha .
• Abhanga 1468 — Paṇḍharpur holds in person what all pilgrimages and vows only point toward, and singing in