संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2401 of 4582

Abhanga 2401

When liberation already feels secure, the only thing left to want is the sweetness of loving devotion itself, sung and danced freely like a child at play.

When you keep worrying about your future or salvation instead of trusting it is already secure.

When you find joy and ease in the company of people who share your devotion.

When you want to approach your practice with the light, playful trust of a child rather than constant anxious calculation.

The verse

साकरेचें नाम घेतां कळे गोडी । तैसी आम्हां जोडी वैष्णवांची ॥१॥ मोक्ष गांठी असे ठेविला बांधोनी । सोस तो भजनीं आवडीचा ॥ध्रु.॥ भोजनाची चिंता माय वाहे बाळा । आम्हांसि तरी खेळावरि चित्त ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्ही देहउपकारें । गाऊं निरंतर नाचों लागों ॥३॥

Literal translation

Taking sugar's name knows the sweetness — such is our association with Vaiṣṇavas. Mokṣa is tied-and-stored at our waist — desire is in bhajana, with love. Mother carries food-concern for child — our chitta is on play. Tuka says: we by body-benefit — sing forever, begin to dance.

What it means

THE MOKṢA-TIED-AT-WAIST + CHITTA-ON-PLAY ABHANG. One of Tukārām's most-celebrated playful-bhakti images.

The sugar-sweetness: sākarēchē nāma ghētām kaḷē gōḍī — taisī āmhām jōḍī Vaiṣṇavāñchī — taking sugar's name knows the sweetness — such is our Vaiṣṇava-association. Just-mentioning sugar reveals-the-sweetness; such-is the Vaiṣṇava-association.

THE FAMOUS MOKṢA-TIED-AT-WAIST: mōkṣa gāṇṭhī asē ṭhēvilā bāndhōnī — sōsa tō bhajanīm āvaḍīchā — mokṣa is tied-and-stored at our waist — desire is in bhajana, with love. Gāṇṭhī = knot at the waist (where coins are tied). Mokṣa is-already tied-at-our-waist (= secured, like-coins-tied-in-a-knot); the-only-desire is-in-bhajana, with-love. The bhakta's-paradox: mokṣa is already-secured (not a-future-goal); the-real-desire is the present-bhajana-itself.

THE CHITTA-ON-PLAY: bhōjanāchī chintā māya vāhē bāḷā — āmhāmsi tarī khēḷāvari chitta — mother carries food-concern for child — our chitta is on play. The-mother carries the-child's-food-concern; the-child's-chitta is-on-play. The bhakta-as-child who-plays-while-the-Mother-God-handles-all-practicalities. A celebrated child-bhakti image.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē āmhī dēha-upakārē — gāūm nirantara nāchōm lāgōm — we, by body-benefit, sing forever, begin to dance. By-the-body's-benefit, we sing-without-cease and-begin-to-dance.

[T]

For someone today

For today: Vaiṣṇava-association is sugar-sweet; mokṣa already tied at the waist — desire only in bhajana ; mother carries food-concern — our chitta is on play ; sing forever, begin to dance.

Where this applies

When you're anxious about whether you've earned salvation or spiritual security, and need to loosen that grip.
When you're around people who share your devotion or values, and want words for why that company feels sweet.
When you're carrying every worry yourself instead of trusting that some things are already taken care of.
When you want permission to enjoy your practice playfully instead of treating it as a grim duty.