Abhanga 1829
God can be worshipped in the middle of ordinary daily work by anyone, man or woman, of any caste, because sincere devotion, not birth or status, is the only requirement.
The verse
कृष्ण गातां गीतीं कृष्ण ध्यातां चित्ती । ते ही कृष्ण होती कृष्णध्यानें ॥१॥ आसनीं शयनीं भोजनीं जेवितां । म्हणारे भोगिता नारायण ॥ध्रु.॥ ओविये दळणीं गावा नारायण । कांडितां कांडण करितां काम ॥२॥ नर नारी याति हो कोणी भलतीं । भावें एका प्रीती नारायणा ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे एका भावें भजा हरी । कांति ते दुसरी रूप एक ॥४॥
Literal translation
Singing Kṛṣṇa in song, meditating Kṛṣṇa in chitta — they too become Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa-dhyāna. In sitting, sleeping, eating — say: the enjoyer is Nārāyaṇa. In oviyā-grinding sing Nārāyaṇa — while pounding, while doing work. Men, women, of any jāti — by bhāva, one prīti for Nārāyaṇa. Tuka says: with one bhāva, worship Hari — the radiance is the second, the form is one.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कृष्ण गातां गीतीं कृष्ण ध्यातां चित्ती | "singing Kṛṣṇa — in song — meditating Kṛṣṇa — in chitta" |
| ते ही कृष्ण होती कृष्णध्यानें | "they too — become Kṛṣṇa — by Kṛṣṇa-dhyāna" |
| आसनीं शयनीं भोजनीं जेवितां | "in sitting — in sleeping — in eating — while eating" |
| म्हणारे भोगिता नारायण | "say — the enjoyer — (is) Nārāyaṇa" |
| ओविये दळणीं गावा नारायण | "in oviyā-grinding — sing Nārāyaṇa" |
| कांडितां कांडण करितां काम | "while pounding — while doing work" |
| नर नारी याति हो कोणी भलतीं | "men, women, of any jāti" |
| भावें एका प्रीती नारायणा | "by bhāva — one prīti — for Nārāyaṇa" |
| तुका म्हणे एका भावें भजा हरी | "Tuka says — with one bhāva — worship Hari" |
| कांति ते दुसरी रूप एक | "the radiance — (is) the second — (but) the form is one" |
What it means
Bhakti-accessible-to-all-in-everyday-work + anti-jāti-and-anti-gender abhang. Foundational Vārkarī mass-bhakti universalism.
The opening: Kṛṣṇa gātām gītī Kṛṣṇa dhyātām chittī — tē hī Kṛṣṇa hōtī Kṛṣṇa-dhyānē — singing Kṛṣṇa in song, meditating Kṛṣṇa in chitta — they too become Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa-dhyāna. The bhakta becomes-the-object-of-his-bhakti through Kṛṣṇa-dhyāna. (= transformation-by-meditation.)
The everyday-life line: āsanīm śayanīm bhōjanīm jēvitām — mhaṇā rē bhōgitā Nārāyaṇa — in sitting, sleeping, eating — while eating, say: the enjoyer is Nārāyaṇa. During-all-everyday-acts, recognize Nārāyaṇa as the enjoyer. (= anti-special-time-of-bhakti; bhakti-in-the-flow-of-life.)
The work-line: ōviyē daḷaṇīm gāvā Nārāyaṇa — kāṇḍitām kāṇḍaṇa karitām kāma — in oviyā-grinding sing Nārāyaṇa — while pounding, while doing work. Ōviyā = the women's-grinding-song (= the traditional-Marathi-women's-song while grinding-grain at the chakkī). Sing-Nārāyaṇa during-the-grinding, pounding, and-everyday-work. (= bhakti-of-the-working-woman; the most-democratic register.)
The anti-jāti-and-anti-gender line: nara nārī yāti hō kōṇī bhalatīm — bhāvē ēkā prīti Nārāyaṇā — men, women, of any jāti — by bhāva, one prīti for Nārāyaṇa. Men, women, of-any-jāti can-have-this prīti. Bhāva is-the-only-qualification; jāti-and-gender are no-bar.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē ēkā bhāvē bhajā Hari — kānti tē dusarī rūpa ēka — Tuka says: with one bhāva, worship Hari — the radiance is the second, the form is one. Kānti = radiance, splendor; rūpa ēka = form is one. Many-radiances appear, but-the-form-is-one (= though many-faces of Nārāyaṇa appear, the underlying-form is single).
This abhang is foundational for the Vārkarī tradition's claim that bhakti is accessible to all-people-of-any-jāti-or-gender, in-the-midst-of-everyday-work. Pairs with the anti-caste cluster (1606, 1676, 1687, 1690, 1718, 1751-1752, 1783, 1825).
[T]
For someone today
For today: singing Kṛṣṇa in song, meditating Kṛṣṇa in chitta — they too become Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa-dhyāna; in sitting, sleeping, eating — say: the enjoyer is Nārāyaṇa; in oviyā-grinding, sing Nārāyaṇa — while pounding, while doing work; men, women, of any jāti — by bhāva, one prīti for Nārāyaṇa; Tuka says — with one bhāva, worship Hari — the radiance is the second, the form is one.
Where this applies
- When you think you have no time for spiritual practice because your day is full of chores and work
- When someone is told their caste, gender, or social status makes them less fit for devotion or worship
- When a woman doing ordinary household labor wonders whether her daily work can also be sacred
- When you meet people who worship in different forms or names and wonder if they are really reaching the same truth
- When you assume real devotion requires a temple, a special hour, or a particular kind of person