Abhanga 2297
For today: mantras attract madness quickly — abaddhas crossed by Name; āśōca afflicts other letters — Name taken slothfully crosses; rāga-jñāna's destruction takes time — Name is auspicious at all times; other bhajanas prohibited — Name un-prohibited in all mouths; Tukā says — tapas strain — the vēśyā was uplifted by the Name.
The verse
मंत्र चळ पिसें लागतें सत्वर । अबद्ध ते फार तरले नामें ॥१॥ आशोचे तो बाधी आणिकां अक्षरां । नाम निदसुरा घेतां तरे ॥ध्रु.॥ रागज्ञानघात चुकतां होय वेळ । नाम सर्वकाळ शुभदायक ॥२॥ आणिकां भजना बोलिला निषेध । नाम तें अभेद सकळां मुखीं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे तपें घालिती घालणी । वेश्या उद्धरूनि नेली नामें ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Mantras quickly attract madness — the abaddha — many — have crossed by Name. Āśōca afflicts other letters — the Name — taken even slothfully — one crosses. Rāga-jñāna's destruction takes time when missed — the Name is auspicious at all times. Other bhajanas have prohibition spoken — the Name is abhēda in all mouths. Tukā says: tapas perform the strain — ★ the vēśyā was uplifted-and-taken by the Name ★.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मंत्र चळ पिसें लागतें सत्वर | "mantras quickly attract madness" |
| अबद्ध ते फार तरले नामें | "the abaddha — many — have crossed by Name" |
| आशोचे तो बाधी आणिकां अक्षरां | "āśōca afflicts other letters" |
| नाम निदसुरा घेतां तरे | "the Name — taken even slothfully — one crosses" |
| रागज्ञानघात चुकतां होय वेळ | "rāga-jñāna's destruction takes time when missed" |
| नाम सर्वकाळ शुभदायक | "the Name is auspicious at all times" |
| आणिकां भजना बोलिला निषेध | "other bhajanas have prohibition spoken" |
| नाम तें अभेद सकळां मुखीं | "the Name is abhēda (un-prohibited) in all mouths" |
| तुका म्हणे तपें घालिती घालणी | "Tukā says — tapas perform the strain" |
| वेश्या उद्धरूनि नेली नामें | "the vēśyā was uplifted-and-taken by the Name" |
What it means
Name-supremacy-over-mantra-tapas-bhajana-restriction + vēśyā-uplifted-by-Name abhang. A 4+1-verse Name-doctrine abhang.
MANTRA vs NAME: mantra chaḷa pisē lāgatē satvara — abaddha tē phāra taralē nāmē — mantras quickly attract madness — the abaddha — many — have crossed by Name. Chaḷa = agitation, madness. Abaddha = loose-in-articulation, irregular-utterers. Mantras (when wrongly-recited) quickly-attract madness; (but) abaddhas (irregular-utterers), many, have-crossed by-the-Name (= the Name is forgiving in a way mantras are not).
ĀŚŌCA vs NAME: āśōchē tō bādhī āṇikām akṣarām — nāma nidasurā ghētām tarē — āśōca afflicts other letters — the Name — taken even slothfully — one crosses. Āśōca = ritual-impurity (esp. from birth/death in the family). Nidasurā = slothfully, half-asleep. Āśōca afflicts (= invalidates) other-mantric-letters; but-the-Name, taken-even-slothfully, still-crosses (= even-half-asleep-utterance of-the-Name brings-crossing).
RĀGA-JÑĀNA vs NAME-AT-ALL-TIMES: rāga-jñāna-ghāta chukatām hōya vēḷa — nāma sarva-kāḷa śubha-dāyaka — rāga-jñāna's destruction takes time when missed — the Name is auspicious at all times. The destruction-of-rāga-jñāna (i.e., the wrong-application of rāga-or-jñāna) takes-time-to-undo when-(a step-is-)missed; but the-Name is-auspicious at-all-times (no risk-of-mis-time).
BHAJANA-PROHIBITION vs NAME-IN-ALL-MOUTHS: āṇikām bhajanā bōlilā niṣēdha — nāma tē abhēda sakaḷām mukhīm — other bhajanas have prohibition spoken — the Name is abhēda in all mouths. Niṣēdha = prohibition (to certain people). Abhēda = without-distinction. Other-(restricted)-bhajanas have-prohibition-spoken (= certain people excluded); the-Name is-abhēda (without-restriction) in-all-mouths (= the Name is available-to-all, regardless-of-caste-or-status). A foundational equality-statement.
★ THE VĒŚYĀ-UPLIFTED LINE ★: Tukā mhaṇē tapē ghālitī ghālaṇī — vēśyā uddhārūni nēlī nāmē — Tukā says: tapas perform the strain — ★ the vēśyā was uplifted-and-taken by the Name ★. Vēśyā = prostitute, courtesan. Uddhārūni nēlī = was lifted-up-and-carried-away. ★ Tapas-perform-the-strain (= require strenuous effort); but the vēśyā was-uplifted-and-taken-(to-mokṣa) by-the-Name. ★ The classic reference to Bhāgavata-Purāṇa stories like Pingalā the courtesan (Bhāgavata 11.8), or Ajāmiḷa (who-called-his-son-Nārāyaṇa-at-death), where the-Name-uplifts-even-the-most-degraded. The Name's-universal-power.
[T]
For someone today
For today: mantras attract madness quickly — abaddhas crossed by Name; āśōca afflicts other letters — Name taken slothfully crosses; rāga-jñāna's destruction takes time — Name is auspicious at all times; other bhajanas prohibited — Name un-prohibited in all mouths; Tukā says — tapas strain — the vēśyā was uplifted by the Name.
Where this applies
- Mantras-attract-madness-Name-saves-abaddha.* Mantra-chaḷa-pisē-abaddha-taralē-nāmē.
- Āśōca-doesn't-touch-the-Name.* Āśōchē-bādhī-akṣarām-nāma-nidasurā-tarē.
- Name-auspicious-at-all-times.* Rāga-jñāna-ghāta-chukatām-vēḷa-nāma-sarva-kāḷa-śubha.
- Name-un-prohibited-in-all-mouths.* Bhajanā-niṣēdha-nāma-abhēda-sakaḷām-mukhīm.
- Vēśyā-uplifted-by-the-Name. Tapē-ghālaṇī-vēśyā-uddhārūni-nēlī-nāmē.