Abhanga 1644
Purify yourself not through your own cleverness or stored merit, but through devotion, surrender, the company of wise elders, and steadily keeping the sacred name in your mind.
The verse
पवित्र होईंन चरित्रउच्चारें । रूपाच्या आधारें गोजिरिया ॥१॥ आपुरती बुद्धी पुण्य नाहीं गांठी । पायीं घालीं मिठी पाहें डोळां ॥ध्रु.॥ गाईंन ओविया शिष्टांच्या आधारें । सारीन विचारें आयुष्या या ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तुझें नाम नारायणा । ठेवीन मी मना आपुलिया ॥३॥
Literal translation
I will become pure by uccāraṇa of caritra — by the support of the lovely-form. Own buddhi not enough — no puṇya at belt — embracing the feet, I see with eyes. I will sing the ovis with the support of the śiṣṭas — spend this life with vicāra. Tuka says: your name, Nārāyaṇā — I will place in my own mind.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पवित्र होईंन चरित्रउच्चारें | "pure — I will become — by uttering caritra" |
| रूपाच्या आधारें गोजिरिया | "by the support — of the lovely-form" |
| आपुरती बुद्धी पुण्य नाहीं गांठी | "own buddhi — not enough; — no puṇya at belt" |
| पायीं घालीं मिठी पाहें डोळां | "embracing the feet — see with eyes" |
| गाईंन ओविया शिष्टांच्या आधारें | "will sing — ovis — with support of śiṣṭas" |
| सारीन विचारें आयुष्या या | "will spend — with vicāra — this life" |
| तुका म्हणे तुझें नाम नारायणा | "Tuka says — your — name — Nārāyaṇā" |
| ठेवीन मी मना आपुलिया | "will place — in my own mind" |
What it means
Self-purification-through-uccāraṇa abhang.
The opening: pavitra hō'īna caritra-uccārē — rūpācyā ādhārē gōjiriyā — I will become pure by the uccāraṇa (= utterance) of caritra — by the support of the lovely-form (gōjirī). Caritra-uccāra = the speaking-of-(divine)-deeds; gōjirī rūpa = the charming-handsome-form. Self-purification by uttering deeds, supported by gazing-on-the-form.
The own-insufficiency: āpuratī buddhī puṇya nāhīm gāṇṭhī — pāyīm ghālīm miṭhī pāhē ḍōḷām — own buddhi not enough — no puṇya at the belt — embracing the feet, see with eyes. Pāyīm ghālīm miṭhī = embracing the feet; pāhē ḍōḷām = see with eyes (or: see at-eyes-level / at-eyes' direction).
The śiṣṭa-support: gā'īna ōviyā śiṣṭāñcyā ādhārē — sārīna vicārē āyuṣyā yā — will sing the ovis by the support of the śiṣṭas — will spend this life with vicāra. Ōvī = the traditional-stanza-form (warkari poetic-meter); śiṣṭa = the cultivated, well-conducted, learned. Singing in the established-tradition; spending this life with vicāra.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē tujhēm nāma Nārāyaṇā — ṭhēvīna mī manā āpuliyā — Tuka says: your name, Nārāyaṇa — I will place in my own mind. I-will-place-the-name-in-my-own-mind — the simple-final-program of nāma-storage.
[T]
For someone today
For today: I will become pure by uttering your caritra — supported by gazing on your lovely form; my own buddhi is not enough, no puṇya is at my belt — but embracing your feet, I see with my eyes; I will sing the ovis with the support of the cultivated-elders, spend this life with vicāra; Tuka says — your name, Nārāyaṇa — I will place in my own mind.
Where this applies
- When you feel your own cleverness or past achievements aren't enough to make you feel whole or worthy.
- When you're tempted to go it alone instead of leaning on the company of wise, good people.
- When you want a steady, quiet daily practice instead of grand one-time gestures.
- When you doubt you've earned enough merit and need a simpler, humbler path forward.