Abhanga 2044
True devotion means dropping every label of caste or spiritual rank and giving your whole mind, body, and love to the one sustainer who holds everyone equally.
The verse
न म्हणे कवणां सद्धि साधक गंव्हार । अवघा विश्वंभर वांचूनियां ॥१॥ ऐसें माझे बुद्धि काया वाचा मन । लावीं तुझें ध्यान पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥ गातां प्रेमगुण शंका माझ्या मनीं । नाचतां रंगणीं नाठवावी ॥२॥ देई चरणसेवा भूतांचें भजन । वर्णा अभिमान सांडवूनि ॥३॥ आशापाश माझी तोडीं माया चिंता । तुजविण वेथा नको कांहीं ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे सर्व भाव तुझे पायीं । राहे ऐसें देई प्रेम देवा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Don't call anyone siddha, sādhaka, gamvhāra — only Viśvambhara is all. Such — my buddhi-kāyā-vāchā-mana — fix your dhyāna, Pāṇḍuranga. Singing prema-guṇas — doubt in my mind — dancing in rangaṇa, don't let me remember. Give feet-service — bhūta-bhajana — making varṇa-abhimāna abandoned. Break my āśā-pāśa, māyā, chintā — no concern except you. Tuka says: all bhāva at your feet — give such prema, Deva.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न म्हणे कवणां सद्धि साधक गंव्हार | "don't call anyone siddha, sādhaka, gamvhāra" |
| अवघा विश्वंभर वांचूनियां | "only Viśvambhara is all" |
| ऐसें माझे बुद्धि काया वाचा मन | "such — my buddhi-kāyā-vāchā-mana" |
| लावीं तुझें ध्यान पांडुरंगा | "fix your dhyāna, Pāṇḍuranga" |
| गातां प्रेमगुण शंका माझ्या मनीं | "singing prema-guṇas — doubt in my mind" |
| नाचतां रंगणीं नाठवावी | "dancing in rangaṇa, don't let me remember" |
| देई चरणसेवा भूतांचें भजन | "give feet-service — bhūta-bhajana" |
| वर्णा अभिमान सांडवूनि | "varṇa-abhimāna making-abandoned" |
| आशापाश माझी तोडीं माया चिंता | "break my āśā-pāśa, māyā, chintā" |
| तुजविण वेथा नको कांहीं | "no concern except you" |
| तुका म्हणे सर्व भाव तुझे पायीं | "Tuka says — all bhāva at your feet" |
| राहे ऐसें देई प्रेम देवा | "give such prema — Deva" |
What it means
No-categories-only-Viśvambhara + varṇa-abhimāna-abandon + prema-prayer abhang.
The opening — no categories: na mhaṇē kavaṇām siddha sādhaka gamvhāra — avaghā Viśvambhara vāñchūniyām — don't call anyone siddha, sādhaka, gamvhāra — only Viśvambhara is all. Siddha = perfected; sādhaka = seeker; gamvhāra = village-rustic / ignorant. Don't-label-anyone-by-spiritual-grade; only-Viśvambhara is-everything.
The dhyāna-prayer: aisē mājhē buddhi kāyā vāchā mana — lāvīm tujhē dhyāna Pāṇḍurangā — fix your dhyāna on my buddhi-kāyā-vāchā-mana, Pāṇḍuranga. Fix-dhyāna-of-you on-my-four-instruments.
The doubt-clearing: gātām prēma-guṇa śankā mājhyā manī — nāchatām rangaṇī nāṭhavāvī — singing prema-guṇas — doubt in mind — dancing in rangaṇa, don't let me remember. In kīrtana-dance, let-me-not-remember any doubt.
THE ANTI-CASTE-LINE: dē'ī charaṇa-sēvā bhūtāñchē bhajana — varṇā abhimāna sāṇḍavūni — give feet-service, bhūta-bhajana — making varṇa-abhimāna abandoned. Varṇa-abhimāna = caste-pride. Give-me feet-service and bhūta-bhajana (worship of all-beings) — make-me-abandon varṇa-abhimāna. Explicit anti-caste-pride prayer.
The chain-break: āśā-pāśa mājhī tōḍī māyā chintā — tuja-viṇa vēthā nakō kāhīm — break my āśā-pāśa, māyā, chintā — no concern except you.
The closing-prema-prayer: Tukā mhaṇē sarva bhāva tujhē pāyīm — rāhē aisē dē'ī prēma Dēvā — Tuka says: all bhāva at your feet — give such prema.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't call anyone siddha-sādhaka-gamvhāra — only Viśvambhara is all; fix your dhyāna on my buddhi-kāyā-vāchā-mana, Pāṇḍuranga; singing prema-guṇas — doubt in mind — dancing, don't let me remember; give feet-service, bhūta-bhajana — varṇa-abhimāna abandoned; break my āśā-pāśa, māyā, chintā — no concern except you; Tuka says — all bhāva at your feet — give such prema.
Where this applies
- When you catch yourself ranking people by status, caste, education, or spiritual achievement
- When your mind wanders with doubt right in the middle of prayer or a moment of devotion
- When pride about your background or position keeps you from serving or respecting someone else
- When you feel weighed down by cravings, worry, and endless what-ifs and want to let them go