Abhanga 1542
For today: we abide in this awareness, making Hari-kathā pure; we alone are the devas on earth, the treasure caught in our mouth; both lineages cross by singing and hearing in joy-form; this mantra doesn't waver — no caste-lineage, no time-occasion needed; my Viṭhṭhala is the rest — I store the longing in my heart.
The verse
येणें बोधें आम्ही असों सर्वकाळ । करूनि निर्मळ हरिकथा ॥१॥ आम्ही भूमीवरी एक देवांचे । निधान हें वाचे सांपडलें ॥ध्रु.॥ तरतील कुळें दोन्ही उभयतां । गातां आइकतां सुखरूप ॥२॥ न चळे हा मंत्र न म्हणों यातीकुळ । न लगे काळ वेळ विचारावी ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे माझा विठ्ठल विसांवा । सांटवीन हांवा हृदयांत ॥४॥
Literal translation
With this bōdha, we are sarva-kāḷa — making Hari-kathā nirmaḷa. We on bhūmī are the only Devas — this nidhāna has been caught in vācā. Both kuḷas of both sides will cross — by gātām-āikatām in sukha-rūpa. This mantra doesn't waver — don't say yāti-kuḷa — no need to consider kāḷa-vēḷa. Tuka says: my Viṭhṭhal is visāvā — I will store hāmvā in hṛdaya.
मराठी: येणें — बोधें — आम्ही — असों — सर्व-काळ; — करूनि — निर्मळ — हरि-कथा. आम्ही — भूमी-वरी — एक — देवांचे; — निधान — हें — वाचे — सांपडलें. तरतील — कुळें — दोन्ही — उभयतां; — गातां — आइकतां — सुख-रूप. न — चळे — हा — मंत्र — न — म्हणों — याति-कुळ; — न — लगे — काळ — वेळ — विचारावी. Tukā म्हणे — माझा — विठ्ठल — विसांवा; — सांटवीन — हांवा — हृदयांत.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| येणें बोधें आम्ही असों सर्वकाळ | "with this — bōdha — we — are — sarva-kāḷa" |
| करूनि निर्मळ हरिकथा | "making — nirmaḷa (pure) — Hari-kathā" |
| आम्ही भूमीवरी एक देवांचे | "we — on bhūmī — alone — of Devas" |
| निधान हें वाचे सांपडलें | "nidhāna (treasure) — this — to vācā — has been caught (sāmpaḍalēm)" |
| तरतील कुळें दोन्ही उभयतां | "kuḷas — both — both-sides — will cross" |
| गातां आइकतां सुखरूप | "by singing, hearing — sukha-rūpa" |
| न चळे हा मंत्र न म्हणों यातीकुळ | "does not waver — this mantra; — let's not say — yāti-kuḷa" |
| न लगे काळ वेळ विचारावी | "no need — kāḷa-vēḷa (time-occasion) — to be considered" |
| तुका म्हणे माझा विठ्ठल विसांवा | "Tuka says — my — Viṭhṭhala — is visāvā (rest / refuge)" |
| सांटवीन हांवा हृदयांत | "I will store (sāṭavīna) — hāmvā (= craving / longing) — in (the) hṛdaya" |
What it means
We-are-devas-on-earth abhang. The opening: yēṇē bōdhēm āmhī asōm sarva-kāḷa — karūnī nirmaḷa Hari-kathā — withthis bōdha(= awareness / illumination) — we are — always; — makingHari-kathā—nirmaḷa(pure). We always abide in this awareness, making the kathā pure.
The bold-claim: āmhī bhūmī-varī ēka Devāñcē — nidhāna hēm vācē sāmpaḍalēm — we — onbhūmī— alone —of Devas; — this nidhāna (treasure) — to vācā — has been caught. We bhaktas alone are the devas on earth; this treasure is caught in our mouth. (Striking-claim: bhūmī-varī ēka Devāñcē — bhaktas as the only-devas-on-earth. Compare 1495's Hari-as-bhakta's-debtor + 1488's vīra-juñjhāra — bhakta-as-divine-presence theme.)
The lineage-rescue: taratīla kuḷē dōnnhī ubhayatām — gātām āikatām sukha-rūpa — kuḷas — both sides — will cross — by singing and hearing — sukha-rūpa (joy-formed).Both family-lineages (mother's and father's, or singer's and listener's) cross over by singing and hearing — in joy-form. (Compare 1485'skōṭi-kuḷē-Hari-singer's-vāṭulī — same lineage-rescue theme.)
The democratization: na caḷē hā mantra na mhaṇōm yāti-kuḷa — na lagē kāḷa vēḷa vicārāvī — thismantra— doesn'twaver; — let's not say —yāti-kuḷa(caste-and-lineage); — no need —kāḷa-vēḷa(time-and-occasion) — to consider. The famous warkari-claim: no caste-or-lineage-restriction; no time-or-occasion-restriction; the mantra is unwaveringly powerful. (Compare 1411 / 1444 / 1447 — same anti-restriction register; here as complete-list.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē mājhā Viṭhṭhala visāvā — sāṭavīna hāmvā hṛdayānta — Tuka says — myViṭhṭhala— isvisāvā(= rest / refuge); — I willstore—hāmvā(= craving / longing) — in (the)hṛdaya. Viṭhṭhala is my refuge; I'll store the longing in my heart.
[T]
For someone today
For today: we abide in this awareness, making Hari-kathā pure; we alone are the devas on earth, the treasure caught in our mouth; both lineages cross by singing and hearing in joy-form; this mantra doesn't waver — no caste-lineage, no time-occasion needed; my Viṭhṭhala is the rest — I store the longing in my heart.
Where this applies
- When someone tells you that devotion is only for certain castes or families
- When you feel unqualified for a spiritual life because of your background
- When you sing or listen to devotional songs with your family, hoping it helps everyone
- When you keep waiting for the right moment or ritual before you start practicing