Abhanga 2803
This is a simple, heartfelt prayer. Tukaram tells God directly that God himself is the atonement for his sin, no elaborate ritual is needed to make up for it. He asks God to shame away the wickedness in him and wash off that stain, then follows with a warmer request: fill him with the sweetness of love, and come live inside his heart. He closes with the most intimate address he has for God, Pandurang, calling him his own dearest one, someone bound up with his very life.
The verse
आतां माझ्या मायबापा । तूं या पापा प्रायिश्चत्त ॥१॥
फजित हे केले खळ । तो विटाळ निवारीं ॥ध्रु.॥
प्रेम आतां पाजीं रस । करीं वास अंतरीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे पांडुरंगा । जिवलगा माझिया ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ātām mājhyā māyabāpā — now, my mother-father; tūm yā pāpā prāyaścitta — you are theprāyaścitta(atonement) for thispāpa(sin). Fajita he kele khaḷa — thekhaḷa(wicked-one) (was) madefajita(publicly-shamed); to viṭāḷa nivārī — remove thatviṭāḷa(pollution). Prema ātām pājīm rasa — now pour theprema-rasa(love-juice); karīm vāsa antarī — reside in theantar(inner). Tukā says: Pāṇḍurangā — jivalagā mājhiyā — Pāṇḍurangā — myjivalaga(life-attached, dearest).
What it means
A short petition-prayer. Ātām mājhyā māyabāpā — tūm yā pāpā prāyaścitta — now my mother-father — you are the prāyaścitta (atonement) for this sin. The covenant-claim: YOU yourself are the atonement for my sin — not some-other ritual-act. The bhakti-economy of redemption: the Lord-himself-is-the-prāyaścitta.
The dhrūpada: fajita he kele khaḷa — to viṭāḷa nivārī — the wicked-one was made publicly-shamed — remove that pollution. The bhakta's khaḷa-side (his own wicked-tendency) has been fajita-publicly-shamed — now remove that pollution.
The second verse: prema ātām pājīm rasa — karīm vāsa antarī — now pour the prema-rasa — reside in the antar. The petition: pour the love-juice (let me drink it); reside in my inner. The pājīm-rasa (cause-to-drink-juice) is the affectionate-feeding image.
The close: Pāṇḍurangā — jivalagā mājhiyā — Pāṇḍurangā — my jivalaga (life-attached, dearest). The most-intimate-address: jivalaga (the one-tied-to-my-life).
For someone today
This is a simple, heartfelt prayer. Tukaram tells God directly that God himself is the atonement for his sin, no elaborate ritual is needed to make up for it. He asks God to shame away the wickedness in him and wash off that stain, then follows with a warmer request: fill him with the sweetness of love, and come live inside his heart. He closes with the most intimate address he has for God, Pandurang, calling him his own dearest one, someone bound up with his very life.
मराठी: हे एक साधे आणि मनापासूनचे प्रार्थनागीत आहे. तुकाराम देवाला थेट सांगतात की माझ्या पापाचे प्रायश्चित्त तूच आहेस, त्यासाठी कोणत्याही विस्तृत विधीची गरज नाही. माझ्यातील दुष्टपणाला लज्जित करून तो कलंक पुसून टाक अशी ते विनवणी करतात, आणि पुढे अधिक हळुवारपणे मागतात — प्रेमाचा रस मला पाज, आणि माझ्या अंतरात वस्ती कर. शेवटी ते पांडुरंगाला सर्वात जिव्हाळ्याने संबोधतात — माझा जिवलगा, माझ्या जिवाशी जोडलेला असा.
Where this applies
- When guilt over a mistake makes you feel you must perform elaborate rituals to earn forgiveness
- When you want a simple, direct way to ask for cleansing instead of complicated religious procedure
- When you long for a warm, intimate closeness with the divine rather than a formal or distant relationship
- When you need to voice a plain, heartfelt request for love to fill your inner life