संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2564 of 4582

Abhanga 2564

While the body lasts, sing and dance boldly, treat devotion and service as your true strength, and keep pressing forward instead of retreating.

When you feel the daily grind is quietly wearing down your spirit

When you are tempted to hide your devotion instead of expressing it openly

When you feel discouraged and want to give up on something you have committed to

The verse

आतां देह अवसान । हें जतन तोंवरी ॥१॥ गाऊं नाचों गदारोळें । जिंकों बळें संसार ॥ध्रु.॥ या चि जीऊं अभिमानें । सेवाधनें बळकट ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे न सरें मागें । होईंन लागें आगळा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Now till body's end — this preservation. Sing-dance-noise — defeat samsāra by force. By this very pride live — strong with service-wealth. Tuka says: won't go back — will be ahead.

What it means

THE SING-DANCE-NOISE-DEFEATS-SAṀSĀRA ABHANG.

The line: gā'ūm nāchōm gadārōḷē — jinkōm baḷē samsāra — sing-dance-noise — defeat samsāra by force. Sing, dance, [make a] din (gadārōḷa) — by-force defeat samsāra. Bhakti-as-noisy-warfare against the world.

[T]

For someone today

For today: sing-dance-noise — defeat samsāra by force.

Where this applies

When daily routine and worldly demands feel like they are wearing you down
When you feel embarrassed to express your devotion loudly instead of keeping it quiet
When you feel tempted to give up or retreat from a practice you have committed to
When you need to remember that service and devotion are strengths, not weaknesses

Bhakti