Abhanga 1509
The verse
गायें नाचें वायें टाळी । साधन कळी उत्तम हें ॥१॥ काय जाणों तरले किती । नाव ऐती या बैसा ॥ध्रु.॥ सायासाचें नाहीं काम । घेतां नाम विठोबाचें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे निर्वाणीचें । शस्त्र साचें हें एक ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Sing-dance-play-clap — sādhana, for kaḷi, this is uttama. What do I know — how many tarale? — the nāva is aitī, sit on this. Of sāyāsa, no kāma — when taking nāma of Viṭhobā. Tuka says: of nirvāṇa — śastra sācēm — this one.
मराठी: गायें — नाचें — वायें — टाळी; — साधन — कळी — उत्तम — हें. काय — जाणों — तरले — किती? — नाव — ऐती — या — बैसा. सायासाचें — नाहीं — काम; — घेतां — नाम — विठोबाचें. Tukā म्हणे — निर्वाणीचें; — शस्त्र — साचें — हें — एक.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| गायें नाचें वायें टाळी | "sing — dance — play (instruments) — clap (cymbals)" |
| साधन कळी उत्तम हें | "sādhana — kaḷi (= Kali-yuga) — uttama (best) — this" |
| काय जाणों तरले किती | "what — do I know — how many — crossed (taralē)?" |
| नाव ऐती या बैसा | "the nāva (= boat / name) — aitī (= spread out / ready) — sit on this" |
| सायासाचें नाहीं काम | "of sāyāsa (toil) — kāma (use) — there is none" |
| घेतां नाम विठोबाचें | "when taking — Viṭhobā's nāma" |
| तुका म्हणे निर्वाणीचें | "Tuka says — of nirvāṇa" |
| शस्त्र साचें हें एक | "śastra (weapon) — sācēm (true) — this one" |
What it means
Sing-dance-clap-best-sādhana-for-Kali abhang. The opening democratization-of-bhakti: gāyē nācē vāyē tāḷī — sādhana kaḷī uttama hēm — sing — dance — play — clap; — sādhana — for Kali-yuga — uttama (best) — this. In Kali-yuga, the best practice is the simplest: sing-dance-play-clap. (Foundational warkari-formula; cf. Bhāgavata-Purāṇa 12.3.51-52: kalau kīrtanāt — by kīrtana alone in Kali-yuga.)
The collective-claim: kāya jāṇōm taralē kitī — nāva aitī yā baisā — what do I know — how many have crossed-over; — the nāva (= boat / name) is aitī (= spread out, ready); — sit on this. The nāva-pun: boat and name (Marathi nāva = both boat and name in some usages). Countless have crossed; the boat / name is ready — get on*.
The no-toil-claim: sāyāsācēm nāhīm kāma — ghētām nāma Viṭhōbācē — of sāyāsa — there is no kāma (use / requirement); — when taking — Viṭhobā's nāma. No toil is needed for this method. (Compare 1453's na lagē sāyāsīm; same anti-toil register.)
The closing-claim: nirvāṇīcēm — śastra sācēm hē ēka — of nirvāṇa — the true śastra (weapon) — this one. This (nāma) is the true final-weapon. (Compare 1500's nāma nirvāṇīcā bāṇa — same theme; here the warrior-image as śastra not bāṇa*.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: sing-dance-play-clap — this is the best sādhana for Kali-yuga; countless have crossed by this boat / name — sit on it; no toil needed when taking Viṭhobā's name; this alone is the true final-weapon.
Where this applies
- Sing-dance-play-clap-best-sādhana-Kali.* Gāyē-nācē-vāyē-tāḷī-sādhana-kaḷi-uttama.
- Boat-spread-sit-on-it.* Nāva-aitī-baisā.
- No-toil-when-taking-Viṭhobā's-name.* Sāyāsa-na-nāma-Viṭhōbā.
- True-nirvāṇa-weapon.* Nirvāṇī-śastra-sācēm.