संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2429 of 4582

Abhanga 2429

For today: five-part bhakti-program — sing by bhāva (purify chitta); don't mind others' merits-faults; bow at saints' feet; speak samādhāna-bringing words; do at least a little para-upakāra.

When you want to purify your mind through heartfelt singing or prayer instead of empty ritual.

When you're tempted to talk about someone else's faults behind their back.

When you have the chance to do even a small favor for another person.

The verse

भावें गावें गीत । शुद्ध करूनियां चित्त ॥१॥ तुज व्हावा आहे देव । तरि हा सुलभ उपाव ॥ध्रु.॥ आणिकांचे कानीं । गुण दोष मना नाणीं ॥२॥ मस्तक ठेंगणा । करी संतांच्या चरणा ॥३॥ वेचीं तें वचन । जेणें राहे समाधान ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे फार । थोडा तरी पर उपकार ॥५॥

Literal translation

Sing the song by bhāva — purifying the chitta. If you want Dēva — this is the easy means. Others' merits-faults — don't bring to mind. Keep head bowed — at saints' feet. Spend the word — by which samādhāna remains. Tuka says: much — at least a little para-upakāra.

What it means

THE FIVE-PART PRACTICAL BHAKTI-PROGRAM ABHANG. Tukārām's most-concise practical ethical-summary.

The five-step program — each step is one verse:

Sing-the-song-by-bhāva (purify the chitta): bhāvē gāvē gīta — śuddha karūniyām chitta
Don't-bring-others'-merits-and-faults-to-mind: āṇikāñchē kānīm — guṇa-dōṣa manā nāṇīm (= avoid gossip + judgment)
Keep-head-bowed-at-saints'-feet: mastaka ṭhēngaṇā — karī santāñchyā charaṇā (= humility before sant-sanga)
Spend-words-that-bring-samādhāna: vēchīm tē vachana — jēṇē rāhē samādhāna (= speech-as-peace-bringing)
At-least-a-little-para-upakāra: thōḍā tarī para upakāra (= some altruistic-service)

The frame: tuja vhāvā āhē Dēva — tari hā sulabha upāva — if you want Dēva, this is the easy means. The whole-program is "easy" (sulabha) — accessible to-all without-elaborate-ritual.

This is one of Tukārām's most-compact practical-ethics-summaries, often used in modern Vārkarī education as a five-rule-of-life for bhaktas.

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For someone today

For today: five-part bhakti-program — sing by bhāva (purify chitta); don't mind others' merits-faults; bow at saints' feet; speak samādhāna-bringing words; do at least a little para-upakāra.

Where this applies

When you want a spiritual practice that doesn't require rituals, temples, or special training.
When you catch yourself gossiping about or silently judging someone else's flaws.
When you're around a teacher, elder, or wise friend and are tempted to act superior instead of humble.
When you're about to speak and could choose words that calm the room instead of stirring it up.

Sant-sang / Sant-pūjā Bhakti