Abhanga 2124
You don't need scholarly knowledge to reach God, only steady, sincere focus on one form held in the heart, and God does not overlook the humble.
The verse
काय जाणों वेद । आम्ही आगमाचे भेद ॥१॥ एक रूप तुझें मनीं । धरूनि राहिलों चिंतनी ॥ध्रु.॥ कोठें अधिकार । नाहीं रानट विचार ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे दीना । नुपेक्षावें नारायणा ॥३॥
Literal translation
What do I know — Vēdas — or Āgamas' secrets? One form of yours in mind — holding, I stay in chintana. Where (is) authority — no rustic consideration. Tuka says: Nārāyaṇa — don't ignore the dīna.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय जाणों वेद | "what do I know — Vēdas" |
| आम्ही आगमाचे भेद | "or Āgamas' secrets" |
| एक रूप तुझें मनीं | "one form of yours in mind" |
| धरूनि राहिलों चिंतनी | "holding, I stay in chintana" |
| कोठें अधिकार | "where (is) authority" |
| नाहीं रानट विचार | "no rustic consideration" |
| तुका म्हणे दीना | "Tuka says — the dīna" |
| नुपेक्षावें नारायणा | "don't ignore — Nārāyaṇa" |
What it means
Don't-know-Vēdas + one-rūpa-in-chintana + no-rustic-consideration abhang.
The opening — disclaimer: kāya jāṇōm Vēda — āmhī āgamāchē bhēda — what do I know — Vēdas — or Āgamas' secrets. I-know-neither Vēdas nor-Āgamas-secrets. Anti-erudite-claim.
The single-rūpa-mind: ēka rūpa tujhē manī — dharūni rāhilōm chintanī — one form of yours in mind — holding, I stay in chintana. One-form held in-mind; I-stay in-chintana. Single-pointed-mūrti-meditation.
The no-authority: kōṭhē adhikāra — nāhīm rānaṭa vichāra — where (is) authority — no rustic consideration. Rānaṭa = rustic, rough. No authority-claim; not even rustic-consideration.
The closing — don't-ignore-dīna: Tukā mhaṇē dīnā — nu-pēkṣāvē Nārāyaṇā — Nārāyaṇa — don't ignore the dīna. Nārāyaṇa, don't-ignore the-dīna.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what do I know — Vēdas or Āgamas' secrets?; one form of yours in mind — holding, I stay in chintana; where is authority — no rustic consideration; Tuka says — Nārāyaṇa — don't ignore the dīna.
Where this applies
- When you feel unqualified for spiritual life because you lack scholarly or scriptural training.
- When you compare your simple faith to someone else's intellectual sophistication and feel inadequate.
- When you want to focus your mind steadily on one image or form of the divine rather than juggling many ideas.
- When you feel small, poor, or overlooked and need reassurance that God still sees you.