संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2427 of 4582

Abhanga 2427

Stop overthinking and arguing about spiritual matters, and trust that simple remembrance and joyful devotion are enough to draw the divine near.

When you catch yourself endlessly deliberating instead of just doing the simple practice you know helps.

When you want to stop being swayed by every competing opinion and trust what you already know is good for you.

When you notice that singing or chanting together lifts your spirit faster than any argument could.

The verse

असोत हे तुझे प्रकार सकळ । काय खळखळ करावी हे ॥१॥ आमुचें स्वहित जाणतसों आम्ही । तुझें वर्म नामीं आहे तुझ्या ॥ध्रु.॥ विचारितां आयुष्य जातें वांयांविण । रोज जन्मा गोवण पडतसे ॥२॥ राहेन मी तुझे पाय आठवूनी । आणीक तें मनीं येऊं नेदीं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे येथें येसी अनायासें । थोर तुज पिसें कीर्तनाचें ॥४॥

Literal translation

Let all your modes be — what use this commotion. We know our own welfare — your secret is in your Name. Thinking, life passes in vain — daily, into birth-entanglement. I'll stay remembering your feet — nothing else in mind. Tuka says: you come here without effort — you have a great madness for kīrtana.

What it means

THE YOUR-SECRET-IS-IN-YOUR-NAME + LORD-HAS-A-MADNESS-FOR-KĪRTANA ABHANG.

THE SECRET-IN-THE-NAME: āmuchē svahita jāṇatasōm āmhī — tujhē varma nāmīm āhē tujhyā — we know our own welfare — your secret is in your Name. We-know our-own-welfare; your-secret (varma) is-in-your-Name. Tukārām claims-to-have-discovered the-Lord's-weak-point — the Name-itself.

THE LORD'S MADNESS-FOR-KĪRTANA: Tukā mhaṇē yēthē yēsī anāyāsē — thōra tuja pisē kīrtanāchē — you come here without effort — you have a great madness for kīrtana. Pisē = madness, frenzy. You come-here without-effort; you-have a-great madness (pisē) for-kīrtana. A celebrated reversal: the Lord-himself has-a-madness-for-kīrtana — bhakti-pulls-him irresistibly.

The two-paired-claims: (a) we-know your-weak-point (the Name); (b) you-are-mad for-kīrtana — so-bhakti-wins.

[T]

For someone today

For today: let your modes be; your secret is in your Name ; thinking wastes life; remember your feet; you have a great madness for kīrtana — you come without effort .

Where this applies

When you're tangled in overthinking or debate about spiritual questions instead of simply practicing
When you feel confident you already know what's genuinely good for you, despite others' opinions
When you want a simple daily anchor, like repeating a name, instead of a complicated routine
When you notice that joyful group singing or chanting draws people in more easily than argument does

Nāma (the Name) Bhakti