Abhanga 1984
Tuka's one honest request is release from body-obsession and inner enemies like fear and anger, asking God to accept only his sincere devotion, never empty performance.
The verse
देवा आतां ऐसा करीं उपकार । देहेचा विसर पाडीं मज ॥१॥ तरीं च हा जीव सुख पावे माझा । बरें केशीराजा कळों आलें ॥ध्रु.॥ ठाव देई चित्ती राख पायांपाशीं । सकळ वृत्तींसी अखंडित ॥२॥ असे भय आतां लाज काम क्रोध । तोडावा संबंध यांचा माझा ॥३॥ मागणें तें एक हें चि आहे आतां । नाम मुखीं संतसंग देई ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे नको वरपंग देवा । घेई माझी सेवा भावशुद्ध ॥५॥
Literal translation
Lord — now do this favor — make me forget the body. Only then my jīva gets sukha — Kēśīrāja — it's come to knowing. Give place in chitta — keep me near your feet — all vṛttis unbroken. There's fear, shame, kāma, krōdha — break my connection with these. The only asking is this now — Nāma in mouth — give saint-sanga. Tuka says: don't take show-service, Lord — take my pure-bhāva-service.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| देवा आतां ऐसा करीं उपकार | "Lord — now do this favor" |
| देहेचा विसर पाडीं मज | "make me forget the body" |
| तरीं च हा जीव सुख पावे माझा | "only then my jīva gets sukha" |
| बरें केशीराजा कळों आलें | "well, Kēśīrāja — it's come to knowing" |
| ठाव देई चित्ती राख पायांपाशीं | "give place in chitta — keep me near your feet" |
| सकळ वृत्तींसी अखंडित | "all vṛttis unbroken" |
| असे भय आतां लाज काम क्रोध | "there's fear, shame, kāma, krōdha" |
| तोडावा संबंध यांचा माझा | "break my connection with these" |
| मागणें तें एक हें चि आहे आतां | "the only asking is this now" |
| नाम मुखीं संतसंग देई | "Nāma in mouth — give saint-sanga" |
| तुका म्हणे नको वरपंग देवा | "Tuka says — don't take show-service, Lord" |
| घेई माझी सेवा भावशुद्ध | "take my pure-bhāva-service" |
What it means
Make-me-forget-body + don't-take-show-service-take-pure-bhāva abhang. OPENS NEW ŚARAṆĀGATI CLUSTER.
The opening: Dēvā ātām aisā karī upakāra — dēhēchā visara pāḍī maja — Lord — now do this favor — make me forget the body. The first-and-fundamental request: make-me-forget-the-body (dēhēchā visara).
The realization: tarī cha hā jīva sukha pāvē mājhā — barē Kēśīrājā kaḷōm ālē — only then my jīva gets sukha — Kēśīrāja, it's come to knowing. Realization-after-trial: only-by-forgetting-the-body does-jīva-get-sukha.
The chitta-prayer: ṭhāva dē'ī chittī rākha pāyāmpāśīm — sakaḷa vṛttīsī akhaṇḍita — give place in chitta — keep me near your feet — all vṛttis unbroken. Anchor-the-chitta at-your-feet, with-all-vṛttis-unbroken-toward-you.
The break-connection prayer: asē bhaya ātām lāja kāma krōdha — tōḍāvā sambandha yāñcā mājhā — there's fear, shame, kāma, krōdha — break my connection with these. Sever-my-bond with the four-internal-enemies: bhaya, lāja, kāma, krōdha.
The only-asking: māgaṇē tē ēka hē chi āhē ātām — Nāma mukhīm santa-sanga dē'ī — the only asking is — Nāma in mouth, give saint-sanga. Two-things asked: Nāma-on-the-tongue + santa-sanga (saints' company).
The closing — anti-show: Tukā mhaṇē nakō varapanga Dēvā — ghē'ī mājhī sēvā bhāva-śuddha — Tuka says: don't take show-service, Lord — take my pure-bhāva-service. Varapanga = outward-show/pretense. Don't-take outward-display; take pure-bhāva-service. Tukārām's distinctive insistence on inner-purity over external-form.
[T]
For someone today
For today: Lord — now do this favor — make me forget the body; only then my jīva gets sukha — Kēśīrāja, it's come to knowing; give place in chitta, keep me near your feet — all vṛttis unbroken; there's fear, shame, kāma, krōdha — break my connection with these; the only asking is — Nāma in mouth, give saint-sanga; Tuka says — don't take show-service, Lord — take my pure-bhāva-service.
Where this applies
- When you're overly focused on physical appearance, comfort, or bodily concerns and want to loosen that grip
- When fear, shame, desire, or anger keep pulling your attention away from what matters
- When you're going through the motions of a practice or ritual without real sincerity behind it
- When you want to build a support system of people who take their growth seriously, like you do