Abhanga 1398
For today: you are immortal — test whether this is true; stop saying 'this body is mine' — then assurance comes; where is fear? — everything is your own; Deva alone is real, you (the realizer) are real.
The verse
अमर आहां अमर आहां । खरें कीं पाहा खोटें हें ॥१॥ न म्हणां देह माझा ऐसा । मग भरवसा कळेल ॥ध्रु.॥ कैंचा धाक कैंचा धाक । सकिळक हें आपुलें ॥२॥ देव चि बरे देव चि बरे । तुका म्हणे खरे तुम्ही ॥३॥
Literal translation
Amara āhām — amara āhām — kharēm kī khōṭēm — pāhā. Don't say 'dēha is mine' — then bharavasā will be known. Where is fear? — sakaḷika is one's own. Deva alone is barē — Tuka says: you are kharē.
मराठी: अमर — आहां — अमर — आहां; — खरें — कीं — खोटें — हें — पाहा. न म्हणां — देह — माझा — ऐसा; — मग — भरवसा — कळेल. कैंचा — धाक — कैंचा — धाक? — सकिळक — हें — आपुलें. देव चि — बरे — देव चि — बरे; — Tukā म्हणे — खरे — तुम्ही.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अमर आहां अमर आहां | "(you are) amara (immortal) — (you are) amara" |
| खरें कीं पाहा खोटें हें | "kharēm kī khōṭēm (true or false) — pāhā (see / test) — this" |
| न म्हणां देह माझा ऐसा | "don't say (na mhaṇām) — dēha — mājhā (mine) — like this" |
| मग भरवसा कळेल | "then — bharavasā (assurance / trust) — kaḷēla (will be known)" |
| कैंचा धाक कैंचा धाक | "where is dhāka (fear)? — where is fear?" |
| सकिळक हें आपुलें | "sakaḷika (= all / everything) — this — is āpulēm (one's own)" |
| देव चि बरे देव चि बरे | "Deva alone (chi) is barē (= real / good / true)" |
| तुका म्हणे खरे तुम्ही | "Tuka says — kharē (real / true) — tumhī (you)" |
What it means
You-are-immortal-don't-say-body-is-mine abhang. The opening is one of Tukaram's strongest declarations: amara āhām amara āhām — kharēm kī pāhā khōṭēm hēm — you areamara(immortal); you areamara— see whether this iskharēm(true) orkhōṭēm(false). Repeated twice for emphasis. Then the challenge: test it for yourself.
The condition: na mhaṇām dēha mājhā aisā — maga bharavasā kaḷēla — don't saydēha mājhā aisā(= 'this body is mine'); — thenbharavasā(= assurance / trust) will be known. The single-step practice for realizing the immortality: stop calling the body 'mine'. Once that goes, bharavasā (the assured-knowledge) of immortality arrives.
The result: kaimcā dhāka — kaimcā dhāka — sakaḷika hēm āpulēm — where is fear? — where is fear? —sakaḷika(= everything / the all) isāpulēm(= one's own). With the body-identification gone, fear has nowhere to land; what was 'other' is now all-one's-own (= ātmaika).
The closing: Deva chi barē Deva chi barē — Tukā mhaṇē kharē tumhī — Deva alone (Deva chi) isbarē(= real / good / true) — Tuka says:kharē tumhī(= real are you). The Deva and you-as-realizer — these alone are kharē. The body-mine-identification is the khōṭēm (false) that veils the kharē.
[T]
For someone today
For today: you are immortal — test whether this is true; stop saying 'this body is mine' — then assurance comes; where is fear? — everything is your own; Deva alone is real, you (the realizer) are real.
Where this applies
- When you are afraid of aging, illness, or death because you have fully identified with your body.
- When you catch yourself gripping tightly to my body, my looks, my health as your whole identity.
- When fear feels overwhelming and you want to loosen its hold on you.
- When you are doubting a spiritual claim and want permission to test it yourself instead of taking it on faith.