Abhanga 2288
Saying the Name with sincerity is itself liberation, needing no ash, staff, or pilgrimage.
The verse
मुखीं नाम हातीं मोक्ष । ऐसी साक्ष बहुतांसी ॥१॥ वैष्णवांचा माल खरा । तुरतुरा वस्तूसी ॥ध्रु.॥ भस्म दंड न लगे काठी । तीर्थां आटी भ्रमण ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आडकाठी । नाहीं भेटी देवाचे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Name in the mouth — mokṣa in the hand — such is the witness for many. The vaiṣṇavas' goods are genuine — the substance is ready-to-hand. No need for ash, staff, stick — no need for tīrtha-wandering toil. Tuka says: no obstacle-bar to the meeting with the Lord.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मुखीं नाम हातीं मोक्ष | "Name in the mouth — mokṣa in the hand" |
| ऐसी साक्ष बहुतांसी | "such is the witness for many" |
| वैष्णवांचा माल खरा | "the vaiṣṇavas' goods are genuine" |
| तुरतुरा वस्तूसी | "the substance is ready-to-hand" |
| भस्म दंड न लगे काठी | "no need for ash, staff, stick" |
| तीर्थां आटी भ्रमण | "no need for tīrtha-wandering toil" |
| तुका म्हणे आडकाठी | "Tuka says — no obstacle-bar" |
| नाहीं भेटी देवाचे | "to the meeting with the Lord" |
What it means
Name-in-mouth-mokṣa-in-hand + no-obstacle-to-Lord's-meeting abhang.
The Name-equals-mokṣa: mukhīm nāma hātīm mōkṣa — aisī sākṣa bahutāmsī — Name in the mouth — mokṣa in the hand — such is the witness for many. Name in-the-mouth — mokṣa in-the-hand; many bear witness to this. Tukārām's-foundational Name-doctrine: the-Name-itself-is-mokṣa.
The genuine vaiṣṇavas: vaiṣṇavāñchā māla kharā — turaturā vastūsī — the vaiṣṇavas' goods are genuine — the substance is ready-to-hand. Turaturā = ready, immediate. The vaiṣṇavas' goods are-genuine; the substance is-ready-to-hand.
No ascetic-paraphernalia needed: bhasma daṇḍa na lagē kāṭhī — tīrthām āṭī bhramaṇa — no need for ash, staff, stick — no need for tīrtha-wandering toil. Bhasma = ash (smeared by samnyāsīs). Daṇḍa = staff. Kāṭhī = stick. No-ash, no-staff, no-stick; no-tīrtha-wandering-toil. The anti-ritualist Tukārām — bhakti-of-the-Name needs-no-external-paraphernalia.
The closing — no obstacle: Tukā mhaṇē āḍa-kāṭhī — nāhīm bhēṭī Dēvāchē — Tuka says: no obstacle-bar to the meeting with the Lord. No-bar-(now)-to the-Lord's-meeting.
[T]
For someone today
For today: Name in mouth — mokṣa in hand — witness for many; vaiṣṇavas' goods genuine — substance ready-to-hand; no ash, staff, stick — no tīrtha-wandering; Tuka says — no obstacle to the Lord's meeting.
Where this applies
- When you feel you need special rituals or equipment before you can pray
- When you assume a poor person can't practice real devotion because they lack resources
- When you're delaying spiritual practice until you can afford a pilgrimage
- When you doubt whether simply saying the Name is really enough