Abhanga 1539
For today: utter the simple names always — Hari, Gōvinda, Rāma-Kṛṣṇa; festivals and tīrthas come to bathe in the kathā-ocean; all gain comes when seated at home, bhāva held at one place; ordinary cattle serve, but the kāmadhenu is unique; Ananta is easily attained when this vital-secret is known.
The verse
सरळीं हीं नामें उच्चारावीं सदा । हरि बा गोविंदा रामकृष्णा ॥१॥ पुण्य पर्वकाळ तीर्थे ही सकळ । कथा सिंधुजळ न्हाऊं येती ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघे चि लाभ बैसलिया घरा । येती भाव धरा एके ठायीं ॥२॥ सेळ्या मेंढ्या गाई सेवा घेती म्हैसी । कामधेनु तैसी नव्हे एक ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे सुखें पाविजे अनंता । हें वर्म जाणतां सुलभ चि ॥४॥
Literal translation
These straight nāmas should be uttered always — Hari, bā, Gōvindā, Rāma-Kṛṣṇā. Puṇya parva-kāḷa, tīrthas, all — come to bathe in kathā-sindhu-jaḷa. All lābha at home, when bhāva is held at one place. Sheep, cows, buffaloes give service — kāmadhenu is unique, not like them. Tuka says: Ananta sukhēm-pāvijē — when this varma is known, sulabha.
मराठी: सरळीं — हीं — नामें — उच्चारावीं — सदा; — हरि — बा — गोविंदा — राम-कृष्णा. पुण्य — पर्व-काळ — तीर्थे — ही — सकळ; — कथा — सिंधु-जळ — न्हाऊं — येती. अवघे — चि — लाभ — बैसलिया — घरा; — येती — भाव — धरा — एके — ठायीं. सेळ्या — मेंढ्या — गाई — सेवा — घेती — म्हैसी; — कामधेनु — तैसी — नव्हे — एक. Tukā म्हणे — सुखें — पाविजे — अनंता; — हें — वर्म — जाणतां — सुलभ — चि.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सरळीं हीं नामें उच्चारावीं सदा | "saraḷa (= straight / simple) — these nāmas — should be uttered — always" |
| हरि बा गोविंदा रामकृष्णा | "Hari, bā, Gōvindā, Rāma-Kṛṣṇā" |
| पुण्य पर्वकाळ तीर्थे ही सकळ | "puṇya parva-kāḷa (festival-times), tīrthas — all" |
| कथा सिंधुजळ न्हाऊं येती | "by kathā — sindhu-jaḷa (ocean-water) — come to bathe" |
| अवघे चि लाभ बैसलिया घरा | "all — lābhas — come — when seated at home" |
| येती भाव धरा एके ठायीं | "let bhāva — be held — at one place" |
| सेळ्या मेंढ्या गाई सेवा घेती म्हैसी | "sheep, ewes, cows — give service — buffaloes" |
| कामधेनु तैसी नव्हे एक | "kāmadhenu — like that — is not — one (= unique)" |
| तुका म्हणे सुखें पाविजे अनंता | "Tuka says — peacefully — Ananta is attained (pāvijē)" |
| हें वर्म जाणतां सुलभ चि | "this varma — when known — is sulabha (easy)" |
What it means
Straight-names-utter-always abhang. The opening: saraḷīm hīm nāmēm uccārāvīm sadā — Hari bā Gōvindā Rāma-Kṛṣṇā — thesesaraḷa(= straight / simple) names — should beuttered always; —Hari, bā, Gōvindā, Rāma-Kṛṣṇā. The list-of-warkari-names; bā (= father) is the affectionate-form. Just utter these always.
The festivals-bathe-in-kathā: puṇya parva-kāḷa tīrthē hī sakaḷa — kathā sindhu-jaḷa nhā'ūm yētī — thepuṇya parva-kāḷa(= meritorious-festival-times) and alltīrthas —come to bathe— in (the)kathā-sindhu-jaḷa(= ocean-of-kathā-water). Striking-inversion: usually people go to tīrthas to bathe; here the tīrthas themselves come to bathe in kathā-water.
The home-claim: avaghē chi lābha baisaliyā gharā — yētī bhāva dharā ēkē ṭhāyīm — alllābha— comes — whenseated at home; — letbhāva— beheld— atone place. Stay home; gather all bhāva at one focus; all gain comes. (Compare 1530's na-lagē-bāhērī-avaghēm-gharīm-baisaliyā — same theme.)
The kāmadhenu-image: sēḷyā mēṇḍhyā gā'ī sēvā ghētī mhaisī — kāmadhenu taisī navhē ēka — sheep, ewes, cows — give service — buffaloes; —kāmadhenu— like that — is not —one(= unique). Ordinary cattle give service; kāmadhenu is unique. (= the Hari-name is the kāmadhenu; ordinary-religious-practices are the regular-cattle.)
The closing-formula: sukhēm pāvijē Anantā — hēm varma jāṇatām sulabha chi — peacefully —Anantaisattained; — when thisvarmaisknown— it iseasy. Knowing the secret makes Hari-attainment easy.
[T]
For someone today
For today: utter the simple names always — Hari, Gōvinda, Rāma-Kṛṣṇa; festivals and tīrthas come to bathe in the kathā-ocean; all gain comes when seated at home, bhāva held at one place; ordinary cattle serve, but the kāmadhenu is unique; Ananta is easily attained when this vital-secret is known.
Where this applies
- When you feel you can't practice devotion because you can't travel to a temple or pilgrimage site
- When you're comparing your simple daily practice to other people's elaborate rituals
- When you want a spiritual practice that feels effective without being complicated
- When you're staying home and wonder if that diminishes your spiritual life