संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2342 of 4582

Abhanga 2342

Choosing one steady practice and holding to it, however small, is worth more than scattering devotion across many pursuits.

When you are tempted to chase many spiritual practices and want to settle into one instead.

When you are building a family tradition of prayer or fasting meant to last for generations.

When you wonder if a small daily practice really matters, and need reassurance that it does.

The verse

पंढरीची वारी आहे माझे घरीं । आणीक न करीं तीर्थव्रत ॥१॥ व्रत एकादशी करीन उपवासी । गाइन अहर्निशीं मुखीं नाम ॥२॥ नाम विठोबाचें घेईंन मी वाचे । बीज कल्पांतींचें तुका म्हणे ॥३॥

Literal translation

Paṇḍharī's vārī is in my house — I don't do other tīrtha-vrata. I'll do the ēkādaśī-vrata, fasting — I'll sing night-and-day the Name in the mouth. The Name of Viṭhobā I'll take in my mouth — Tukā says: the seed at the end-of-kalpa.

What it means

THE MOST-FAMOUS VĀRKARĪ-VOW ABHANG — Paṇḍharī's-vārī is in my house.

THE OPENING LINE — THE VĀRKARĪ-VOW: Paṇḍharīcī vārī āhē mājhē gharīm — āṇīka na karīm tīrtha-vrata — Paṇḍharī's vārī is in my house — I don't do other tīrtha-vrata. Paṇḍharī's-vārī (the annual-pilgrimage to-Paṇḍharī) is-in-my-house (as our family-tradition); I-don't-do other-tīrtha-vrata. THE FAMOUS VĀRKARĪ DECLARATION: the Vārkarī-bhakta has-no-other-pilgrimage, only-Paṇḍharī.

The ēkādaśī-vrata: vrata ēkādaśī karīna upavāsī — gā'ina ahar-niśīm mukhīm nāma — I'll do the ēkādaśī-vrata, fasting — I'll sing night-and-day the Name in the mouth. I'll-do the ēkādaśī-vrata (the fortnightly fast); I'll-sing the-Name night-and-day.

THE NAME-AS-KALPĀNTA-SEED: nāma Viṭhōbāchē ghē'īmna mī vāchē — bīja kalpāntīñchē Tukā mhaṇē — the Name of Viṭhobā I'll take in my mouth — Tukā says: the seed at the end-of-kalpa. The Name of Viṭhobā I'll-take in-my-mouth; Tukā says: (it is)-the seed at-the-end-of-kalpa (= the seed-of-the-final-fruit at-the-cosmic-end). Eschatological Name-doctrine: the Name is the seed-of-final-mokṣa-fruit at-the-kalpānta.

This abhang is one-of-the-most-recited-Vārkarī-vow-statements — declaring the bhakta's tradition-bound-commitment to Paṇḍharī-vārī, ēkādaśī, and-the-Name.

[T]

For someone today

For today: Paṇḍharī's vārī is in my house — no other tīrtha-vrata; I'll do ēkādaśī-vrata, fasting — I'll sing night-and-day the Name; the Name of Viṭhobā I'll take in my mouth — Tukā says: the seed at the end-of-kalpa.

Where this applies

When you feel pulled toward many spiritual practices at once and want to simplify to one
When you are deciding what family tradition of prayer or fasting to build and keep
When you doubt whether a small daily practice like repeating a name really matters
When you want a steady, lifelong commitment instead of scattered, occasional devotion