Abhanga 2001
For today: by Rāma — bath, twilight-rite, kriyā-karma done — bhava-śrama warded off; others got distanced doing fuss — uselessly clamoring without varma; who held trust in Rāma-Nāma — cut the bhava-noose; Tuka says — kali-kāla made small — by Nāma-sankīrtana, by the devout.
The verse
रामें स्नानसंध्या केलें क्रियाकर्म । त्याचा भवश्रम निवारला ॥१॥ आणिकें दुरावलीं करितां खटपट । वाउगे बोभाट वर्माविण ॥ध्रु.॥ रामनामीं जिंहीं धरिला विश्वास । तिंहीं भवपाश तोडियेले ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे केलें कळिकाळ ठेंगणें । नामसंकीर्तनें भाविकांनीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: By Rāma — bath, twilight-rite, kriyā-karma done — his bhava-śrama warded off. Others got distanced doing fuss — uselessly clamoring without varma. Who held trust in Rāma-Nāma — they cut the bhava-noose. Tuka says: kali-kāla made small — by Nāma-sankīrtana, by the devout.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| रामें स्नानसंध्या केलें क्रियाकर्म | "by Rāma — bath, twilight-rite, kriyā-karma done" |
| त्याचा भवश्रम निवारला | "his bhava-śrama warded off" |
| आणिकें दुरावलीं करितां खटपट | "others got distanced doing fuss" |
| वाउगे बोभाट वर्माविण | "uselessly clamoring without varma" |
| रामनामीं जिंहीं धरिला विश्वास | "who held trust in Rāma-Nāma" |
| तिंहीं भवपाश तोडियेले | "they cut the bhava-noose" |
| तुका म्हणे केलें कळिकाळ ठेंगणें | "Tuka says — kali-kāla made small" |
| नामसंकीर्तनें भाविकांनीं | "by Nāma-sankīrtana, by the devout" |
What it means
Rāma-Nāma-substitutes-all-rituals + cuts-bhava-noose abhang.
The opening: Rāmē snāna-samdhyā kēlē kriyā-karma — tyāchā bhava-śrama nivāralā — by Rāma — bath, twilight-rite, kriyā-karma done — his bhava-śrama warded off. Saying-Rāma is-itself the bath, twilight-rite, and-kriyā-karma; the bhava-śrama (samsāra-fatigue) is-warded-off. Tukārām's classic position: the Name substitutes all-ritual-action.
The contrast: āṇikē durāvalīm karitām khaṭa-paṭa — vā'ugē bōbhāṭa varmā-viṇa — others got distanced doing fuss — uselessly clamoring without varma. Others performing-elaborate-rituals (khaṭa-paṭa) get-distanced-from-the-Lord; useless-clamor without-the-secret (varma).
The trust-cuts-bond: Rāma-Nāmīm jihīm dharilā viśvāsa — tihīm bhava-pāśa tōḍiyēlē — who held trust in Rāma-Nāma — they cut the bhava-noose. Trust-in-Rāma-Nāma cuts the samsāra-noose.
The closing — kali-yuga conquered: Tukā mhaṇē kēlē kaḷi-kāḷa ṭhēngaṇē — Nāma-sankīrtanē bhāvikāmnīm — Tuka says: kali-kāla made small — by Nāma-sankīrtana, by the devout. Ṭhēngaṇē = short, cut-down. The mighty kali-kāla itself made-puny by-Nāma-sankīrtana (= the kali-yuga's powers can't-stand-against the Name-singing of-the-devout).
[T]
For someone today
For today: by Rāma — bath, twilight-rite, kriyā-karma done — bhava-śrama warded off; others got distanced doing fuss — uselessly clamoring without varma; who held trust in Rāma-Nāma — cut the bhava-noose; Tuka says — kali-kāla made small — by Nāma-sankīrtana, by the devout.
Where this applies
- Rāma-Nāma-replaces-all-ritual.* Rāmē-snāna-samdhyā-kriyā-karma-bhava-śrama-nivāralā.
- Useless-clamor-without-varma.* Āṇikē-khaṭa-paṭa-bōbhāṭa-varmā-viṇa.
- Trust-in-Rāma-Nāma-cuts-bhava-noose.* Rāma-Nāmīm-viśvāsa-bhava-pāśa-tōḍiyēlē.
- Kali-kāla-made-small-by-Nāma-sankīrtana.* Kaḷi-kāḷa-ṭhēngaṇē-Nāma-sankīrtanē-bhāvikāmnīm.