Abhanga 1286
For today: the mind alone is all the upacāras; jīva-bhāva at the feet is the offering; citta is the āsana — kīrtana is the only act needed.
The verse
अवघ्या उपचारा । एक मनें चि दातारा ॥१॥ घ्यावी घ्यावी हे चि सेवा । माझी दुर्बळाची देवा ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघियाचा ठाव । पायांवरि जीवभाव ॥२॥ चित्ताचें आसन । तुका करितो कीर्तन ॥३॥
Literal translation
For all the upacāras — only the manas alone, dātārā. Take, take this very sēvā — the durbaḷa's (mine), Deva. The place of all — at the feet — the jīva-bhāva. The citta is the āsana — Tuka does kīrtana.
मराठी: अवघ्या उपचारांना — एक मन-च, दातारा. घ्यावी-घ्यावी — हीच-च सेवा — माझी, दुर्बळाची, देवा. अवघियाचा ठाव — पायांवरीं — जीव-भाव. चित्ताचें आसन — Tukā कीर्तन करतो.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अवघ्या उपचारा | "for all upacāras (ritual offerings)" |
| एक मनें चि दातारा | "only the manas (mind) alone, dātārā" |
| घ्यावी घ्यावी हे चि सेवा | "take, take — this very sēvā" |
| माझी दुर्बळाची देवा | "(the) durbaḷa's (mine), Deva" |
| अवघियाचा ठाव | "the ṭhāva (place) of everything" |
| पायांवरि जीवभाव | "(is) on the feet — the jīva-bhāva" |
| चित्ताचें आसन | "the citta is the āsana (sitting-place / posture)" |
| तुका करितो कीर्तन | "Tuka does kīrtana" |
What it means
The mind-alone-pūjā abhang. The traditional pūjā has upacāras — ritual services: arghya (water), pādya (foot-water), āsana (seat), snāna (bath), vastra (clothing), gandha (sandal-paste), puṣpa (flowers), dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya — sixteen-or-eighteen offerings. Tuka collapses them all into one: ēka manē chi dātārā — only the mind alone, dātārā (giver). The mind is the entire upacāra-set.
The closing makes the reduction internal-anatomical: - Avaghiyā cā ṭhāva — pāyāmvarī jīva-bhāva — the place of all is at the feet — the jīva-bhāva (the bhāva of the very life) - Cittācē āsana — Tukā karitō kīrtana — the citta is the āsana — Tuka does kīrtana. The citta is the seat (āsana) on which the deity sits; Tuka offers kīrtana as the activity.
This is the pure-internal-pūjā teaching — no bell, no flower, no lamp; mind is everything.
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For someone today
For today: the mind alone is all the upacāras; jīva-bhāva at the feet is the offering; citta is the āsana — kīrtana is the only act needed.
Where this applies
- When you can't afford or don't have access to elaborate ritual objects but still want to worship sincerely
- When you catch yourself thinking devotion depends on having the right things rather than the right heart
- When you want a simple daily practice that needs no props, just attention and presence
- When singing or chanting becomes your natural way of offering yourself