Abhanga 2297
Tukārām argues the divine Name is more forgiving and more universal than mantras, rituals, or restricted practices, open equally to everyone regardless of failure or status.
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
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
- When you feel you got a prayer or ritual wrong and fear it will backfire, take comfort that the Name forgives imperfection
- When you feel excluded from formal religious practice because of your background, caste, or past mistakes
- When you worry that saying a prayer sleepily or half-heartedly makes it worthless
- When you feel it is too late for you to change because of your past or your circumstances, and think grace is out of reach