Abhanga 2111
You don't need perfect words, scholarly approval, or scripture's blessing to love God; sincere joy is itself the finest devotion.
The verse
न लगे पाहावें अबद्ध वांकडें । उच्चारावें कोडें नाम तुझें ॥१॥ नाहीं वेळ नाहीं पंडितांचा धाक । होत कां वाचक वेदवक्ते ॥ध्रु.॥ पुराणीं ही कोठें न मिळे पाहातां । तैशीं या अनंता ठेवूं नामें ॥२॥ आपुलिया मना उपजे आनंद । तैसे करूं छंद कथेकाळीं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही आनंदें चि धालों । आनंद चि ल्यालों अळंकार ॥४॥
Literal translation
No need to check for incorrect-crooked — just utter your Name with fondness. No time-restriction, no Paṇḍita-fear — let the Vēda-vaktās be Vēda-reciters. Even in Purāṇas, nowhere finding such — let us place such names on Ananta. As ānanda arises in our mind — do that whim at kathā-time. Tuka says: we are filled with ānanda — we wear ānanda as ornament.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न लगे पाहावें अबद्ध वांकडें | "no need to check for incorrect-crooked" |
| उच्चारावें कोडें नाम तुझें | "just utter your Name with fondness" |
| नाहीं वेळ नाहीं पंडितांचा धाक | "no time-restriction, no Paṇḍita-fear" |
| होत कां वाचक वेदवक्ते | "let the Vēda-vaktās be Vēda-reciters" |
| पुराणीं ही कोठें न मिळे पाहातां | "even in Purāṇas, nowhere finding such" |
| तैशीं या अनंता ठेवूं नामें | "let us place such names on Ananta" |
| आपुलिया मना उपजे आनंद | "as ānanda arises in our mind" |
| तैसे करूं छंद कथेकाळीं | "do that whim at kathā-time" |
| तुका म्हणे आम्ही आनंदें चि धालों | "Tuka says — we are filled with ānanda" |
| आनंद चि ल्यालों अळंकार | "we wear ānanda as ornament" |
What it means
No-grammar-no-Paṇḍit-fear + give-Lord-our-own-names + we-wear-ānanda-as-ornament abhang. RADICAL BHAKTI-DEMOCRATIZATION.
The opening — no grammar-check: na lagē pāhāvē abadda vānkaḍē — uchchārāvē kōḍē Nāma tujhē — no need to check for incorrect-crooked — just utter your Name with fondness. Abadda vānkaḍē = incorrect-and-crooked (grammatically wrong). Don't-bother-with-grammar; just-utter-the-Name with-fondness (kōḍē).
The no-restrictions: nāhīm vēḷa nāhīm paṇḍitāñchā dhāka — hōta kām vāchaka Vēda-vaktē — no time-restriction, no Paṇḍita-fear — let the Vēda-vaktās be Vēda-reciters. No-time-restrictions, no-Paṇḍita-fear; let-them-be-Vēda-reciters (= we-do-our-own-bhakti).
The radical license to give own-names: purāṇīm hī kōṭhē na miḷē pāhātām — taiśīm yā Anantā ṭhēvūm nāmē — even in Purāṇas, nowhere finding such — let us place such names on Ananta. Even-if-not-found-in-Purāṇas, we'll place-(our-own)-names on-Ananta. Permission to invent-names of-affection for-the-Lord.
The whim-at-kathā: āpuliyā manā upajē ānanda — taisē karūm chanda kathē-kāḷīm — as ānanda arises in our mind — do that whim at kathā-time. Follow-the-ānanda-impulse at-kathā.
The closing — ānanda-as-ornament: Tukā mhaṇē āmhī ānandē chi dhālōm — ānanda chi lyālōm aḷankāra — we are filled with ānanda — we wear ānanda as ornament. Filled-with-ānanda; we-wear ānanda-as-ornament.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no need to check for incorrect-crooked — just utter your Name with fondness; no time-restriction, no Paṇḍita-fear — let the Vēda-vaktās be reciters; even in Purāṇas, nowhere finding such — let us place such names on Ananta; as ānanda arises in our mind — do that whim at kathā-time; Tuka says — we are filled with ānanda — we wear ānanda as ornament.
Where this applies
- When you hesitate to pray or sing because you're not sure you're doing it correctly
- When you feel intimidated by people who seem more educated or credentialed than you
- When you want to talk to God in your own words instead of formal or scriptural language
- When you're waiting for the right occasion or method before you let yourself feel joy