Abhanga 1427
God dwells wherever there is compassion, forgiveness, and peace, and repeating his name is worship enough to draw him close.
The verse
दया क्षमा शांति । तेथें देवाची वसति ॥१॥ पावे धांवोनियां घरा । राहे धरोनियां थारा ॥ध्रु.॥ कीर्तनाचे वाटे । बराडिया ऐसा लोटे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे घडे । पूजा नामें देव जोडे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Dayā, kṣamā, śānti — there is Deva's vasati. He reaches the house running — stays, taking thāra. On the kīrtana's vāṭa — like a barāḍiyā, he rolls in. Tuka says: when it happens — pūjā by nāma — Deva is joined.
मराठी: दया — क्षमा — शांति; — तेथें — देवाची — वसति. पावे — धांवोनियां — घरा; — राहे — धरोनियां — थारा. कीर्तनाचे — वाटे; — बराडिया — ऐसा — लोटे. Tukā म्हणे — घडे; — पूजा — नामें — देव — जोडे.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दया क्षमा शांति | "dayā (compassion), kṣamā (forbearance), śānti (peace)" |
| तेथें देवाची वसति | "there (tēthēm) — Deva's — vasati (= dwelling / abode)" |
| पावे धांवोनियां घरा | "reaches (pāvē) — running (dhāvōniyām) — to (the) house" |
| राहे धरोनियां थारा | "stays (rāhē) — having taken (dharōniyām) — thāra (= station / station-place)" |
| कीर्तनाचे वाटे | "on the kīrtana's vāṭa (path)" |
| बराडिया ऐसा लोटे | "barāḍiyā (= flood / cascade) — like — lōṭē (= rolls in / pours in)" |
| तुका म्हणे घडे | "Tuka says — (when) it happens (ghaḍē)" |
| पूजा नामें देव जोडे | "pūjā — by nāma — Deva — gets joined (jōḍē)" |
What it means
Where-dayā-kṣamā-śānti-Hari-dwells abhang. One of the most-quoted Tukaram-lines on the qualities-where-Hari-dwells. The opening: dayā kṣamā śāntī — tēthēm Devācī vasati — (where there is)dayā,kṣamā,śānti— there — isDeva'svasati(= dwelling). The triad of compassion-forbearance-peace is Hari's home. (Foundational Tukaram-virtue-triad; companion to nirvaira in 1423.)
The dynamic-image: pāvē dhāvōniyām gharā — rāhē dharōniyām thārā — hereaches(pāvē) —running(dhāvōniyām) — to (that)house; —stays(rāhē) — havingtaken (its) thāra(= station). Hari runs to the house of dayā-kṣamā-śānti; — takes a station there; — stays. The Hari-runs-to-his-bhakta trope; cf. 1410's Paṇḍharīcā rāṇā āikōna dhāvēla — same running-Hari image, this time toward dayā-kṣamā-śānti.
The flood-image: kīrtanācē vāṭē — barāḍiyā aisā lōṭē — on thekīrtana's —vāṭa(path); — like abarāḍiyā(= flood / cascade) — helōṭē(= rolls in / pours in). Barāḍiyā — the flash-flood-cascade of monsoon-streams; Hari rolls in like that on the kīrtana-path. (One of the most vivid Hari-comes-as-flood-in-kīrtana images.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē ghaḍē — pūjā nāmēm Deva jōḍē — Tuka says — when it happens —pūjā— bynāma—Devagetsjoined. The nāma-pūjā (= name-as-worship) is the joining mechanism. Pūjā by nāma (= just-saying-the-name) = jōḍa with Deva. (Foundational nāma-mahimā — the cheapness-yet-power of nāma-jāpa.)
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For someone today
For today: where dayā, kṣamā, śānti — there is Hari's home; he runs to that house and stays; on the kīrtana-path, he rolls in like a flash-flood; nāma-pūjā joins Hari.
Where this applies
- When you wonder where to find God and realize it is in a kind, forgiving, peaceful home, not a distant shrine
- When someone shows real compassion and patience and you sense something larger present in that room
- When you join a kirtana or group chanting and feel a rush of energy sweep through everyone
- When you feel too poor or too busy for elaborate worship and just want a simple way to stay connected