संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2293 of 4582

Abhanga 2293

Loving devotion and service to God matter more than knowledge or even liberation itself, so much that Tukārām says he would rather be reborn to keep serving than accept freedom that ends his closeness to God.

When you doubt you know enough to be truly devoted, remember that joyful singing and dancing count more than learning.

When shame about showing your faith openly holds you back, let it go and join the singing anyway.

When you are tempted by an easy escape that would cost you your closeness in service, you can choose to stay and serve instead.

The verse

आम्हीं नामाचें धारक नेणों प्रकार आणीक । सर्व भावें एक विठ्ठल चि प्रमाण ॥१॥ न लगे जाणावें नेणावें गावें आनंदें नाचावें । प्रेमसुख घ्यावें वैष्णवांचे संगती ॥ध्रु.॥ भावबळें घालूं कास लज्जा चिंता दवडूं आस । पायीं निजध्यास म्हणों दास विष्णूचे ॥२॥ भय नाहीं जन्म घेतां मोक्षपदा हाणों लाता । तुका म्हणे सत्ता धरूं निकट सेवेची ॥३॥

Literal translation

We are bearers of the Name — we don't know any other type — in every bhāva, Viṭhṭhal alone is the standard. No need to know or not-know — sing in ānanda, dance — take prema-sukha in vaiṣṇavas' company. We'll gird with bhāva-strength — drive away lajjā, chintā, āśā — firm dhyāsa at the feet — we'll call ourselves Viṣṇu's dāsas. No fear in taking birth — we'll kick the mokṣa-pada — Tukā says — we'll hold the sattā of close sēvā.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
आम्हीं नामाचें धारक नेणों प्रकार आणीक	"we are bearers of the Name — we don't know any other type"
सर्व भावें एक विठ्ठल चि प्रमाण	"in every bhāva, Viṭhṭhal alone is the standard"
न लगे जाणावें नेणावें गावें आनंदें नाचावें	"no need to know or not-know — sing in ānanda, dance"
प्रेमसुख घ्यावें वैष्णवांचे संगती	"take prema-sukha in vaiṣṇavas' company"
भावबळें घालूं कास लज्जा चिंता दवडूं आस	"we'll gird with bhāva-strength — drive away lajjā, chintā, āśā"
पायीं निजध्यास म्हणों दास विष्णूचे	"firm dhyāsa at the feet — we'll call ourselves Viṣṇu's dāsas"
भय नाहीं जन्म घेतां मोक्षपदा हाणों लाता	"*no fear in taking birth — we'll kick the mokṣa-pada*"
तुका म्हणे सत्ता धरूं निकट सेवेची	"Tukā says — we'll hold the sattā of close sēvā"

What it means

THE BHAKTI-OVER-MUKTI DECLARATION. Name-bearers-only-Viṭhṭhal-pramāṇa + we-kick-mokṣa-pada abhang.

The opening — Name-bearers: āmhīm nāmāchē dhāraka nēṇōm prakāra āṇīka — sarva bhāvē ēka Viṭhṭhala chi pramāṇa — we are bearers of the Name — we don't know any other type — in every bhāva, Viṭhṭhal alone is the standard. We-are-Name-bearers; don't-know-any-other-type; in-every-bhāva, Viṭhṭhal-alone is-the-standard (pramāṇa).

The sing-and-dance: na lagē jāṇāvē nēṇāvē gāvē ānandē nāchāvē — prēma-sukha ghyāvē vaiṣṇavāñchē sangatī — no need to know or not-know — sing in ānanda, dance — take prema-sukha in vaiṣṇavas' company. No-need-to-know-or-not-know; sing-in-ānanda, dance; take prema-sukha in-vaiṣṇavas'-company. The simple-bhakti.

The gird-with-bhāva: bhāva-baḷē ghālūm kāsa lajjā chintā davaḍūm āsa — pāyīm nija-dhyāsa mhaṇōm dāsa Viṣṇūchē — we'll gird with bhāva-strength — drive away lajjā, chintā, āśā — firm dhyāsa at the feet — we'll call ourselves Viṣṇu's dāsas. Kāsa ghālaṇē = to gird-the-loins, to prepare-for-action. We'll gird-with-bhāva-strength; drive-away lajjā-chintā-āśā; have firm-dhyāsa at-the-feet; we'll-call-ourselves Viṣṇu's-dāsas.

THE WE-KICK-MOKṢA-PADA LINE: bhaya nāhīm janma ghētām mōkṣa-padā hāṇōm lātā — Tukā mhaṇē sattā dharūm nikaṭa sēvēchī — no fear in taking birth — we'll kick the mokṣa-pada — Tukā says — we'll hold the sattā of close sēvā. Mōkṣa-padā lātā hāṇōm = we kick the mokṣa-position-(with a foot) — i.e., contemptuously dismiss it. No-fear of-taking-birth — we-will-kick-the-mokṣa-pada (the position of liberation); Tukā says — we will hold the sattā (authority) of close-sēvā. THE BOLDEST BHAKTI-OVER-MUKTI DECLARATION in all of Tukārām's-corpus — the bhakta-explicitly-prefers-rebirth-in-Viṣṇu's-sēvā to-liberation-itself.

[T]

For someone today

For today: we are Name-bearers — Viṭhṭhal alone is standard; no need to know — sing, dance, take prema-sukha with vaiṣṇavas; gird with bhāva-strength — drive away lajjā-chintā-āśā — Viṣṇu's dāsas; no fear of birth — we kick the mokṣa-pada — Tukā says — close-sēvā's sattā.

Where this applies

When you feel unfit for spiritual life because you lack scriptural learning or clever arguments
When you are overthinking your faith instead of simply singing and finding joy with others who love God
When embarrassment about how devotion looks to others is holding you back from joining in wholeheartedly
When you are offered an easy exit from a life of service and would rather stay close and keep serving