Abhanga 2864
Lāgōnīyām pāyām vinavitōm tumhālā — falling at the feet, I implore you (all); kare ṭāḷī bōlā mukhe nāma — (strike) the ṭāḷī (clap) with the kara (hand), speak the nāma (Name) with the mukha (mouth).
The verse
लागोनियां पायां विनवितों तुम्हाला । करें टाळी बोला मुखें नाम ॥१॥
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल म्हणा वेळोवेळां । हा सुखसोहळा स्वर्गी नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
कृष्ण विष्णु हरि गोविंद गोपाळ । मार्ग हा प्रांजळ वैकुंठीचा ॥२॥
सकळांसीं येथें आहे अधिकार । कलयुगीं उद्धार हरिनामें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे नामापाशीं चारी मुक्ति । ऐसें बहुग्रंथीं बोलियेलें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Lāgōnīyām pāyām vinavitōm tumhālā — falling at the feet, I implore you (all); kare ṭāḷī bōlā mukhe nāma — (strike) the ṭāḷī (clap) with the kara (hand), speak the nāma (Name) with the mukha (mouth). Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala mhaṇā veḷōveḷā — say Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala — time-and-time-again; hā sukha-sōhaḷā svargī nāhī — this sukha-sōhaḷā (joy-festivity) is not in svarga (heaven). Krṣṇa Viṣṇu Hari Govinda Gopāḷa — Krṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Hari, Govinda, Gōpāḷa; mārga hā prāñjaḷa Vaikuṇṭhīñcā — this is the prāñjaḷa (clear, straight) path of Vaikuṇṭha. Sakaḷāmsīm yethē āhe adhikāra — all have adhikāra (qualification) here; kali-yugī uddhāra Hari-nāme — in Kali-yuga, uddhāra (lifting-up, deliverance) is by Hari-nāma. Tukā says: nāmā-pāśī chārī mukti — at the (Hari-)Nāma is the chārī (four-fold) mukti; aisē bahu-granthīm bōliyele — thus has been bōliyele (spoken) in many grantha (scriptures).
What it means
A canonical 4-verse clap-hands-and-say-Viṭṭhal Vārkarī kīrtana text. THE most-frequently-cited text for kīrtana-opening — almost every Vārkarī-kīrtana begins with this verse or one like-it.
Verse 1 (instruction): Lāgōnīyām pāyām vinavitōm tumhālā — kare ṭāḷī bōlā mukhe nāma — falling at the feet, I implore you (all) — clap with hand, say the Name with mouth. The bhakta begs the audience to clap-and-say-the-Name. The two-fold-instruction: kara-ṭāḷī + mukha-nāma.
Dhrūpada: Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala mhaṇā veḷōveḷā — hā sukha-sōhaḷā svargī nāhī — say Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala time-and-time-again — this joy-festivity is not in heaven. The repetition-injunction + the radical-claim: the joy-of-saying-Viṭṭhal-here is greater-than svarga (heaven).
Verse 2 (path): Krṣṇa Viṣṇu Hari Govinda Gopāḷa — mārga hā prāñjaḷa Vaikuṇṭhīñcā — Krṣṇa-Viṣṇu-Hari-Govinda-Gopāḷa — this is the clear-path of Vaikuṇṭha. The five-Name-list as the clear-path-to-Vaikuṇṭha. (Prāñjaḷa — clear, straight, simple.)
Verse 3 (democratization): Sakaḷāmsīm yethē āhe adhikāra — kali-yugī uddhāra Hari-nāme — all have adhikāra here — in Kali-yuga, uddhāra by Hari-nāma. The two-fold democratic-claim: (1) all-have-adhikāra (no caste, gender, learning-prerequisite); (2) in Kali-yuga, uddhāra is specifically-by-Hari-nāma.
Verse 4 (close): Tukā mhaṇe nāmā-pāśī chārī mukti — aisē bahu-granthīm bōliyele — at the Nāma is the four-fold mukti — thus said in many scriptures. The chārī mukti — the four-types of liberation (sāmīpya, sārūpya, sālōkya, sāyujya in some traditions; or alternate fourfold classifications) — all are at the Nāma. The scriptural-warrant: thus said in many granthas.
For someone today
THE canonical clap-hands-and-say-Viṭṭhal kīrtana text. Falling at the feet, I implore you all — clap with hand, say the Name with mouth. Say Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala time-and-time-again — this joy-festivity is not in heaven. Krṣṇa-Viṣṇu-Hari-Govinda-Gopāḷa — this is the clear path of Vaikuṇṭha. All have adhikāra here — in Kali-yuga, uddhāra is by Hari-nāma. At the Nāma is the four-fold mukti — thus said in many scriptures.
Five canonical-claims: (1) the basic-Vārkarī-practice is clap-hands + Name; (2) the joy-of-this exceeds svarga; (3) the five-Name-mantra is the clear-Vaikuṇṭha-path; (4) all have adhikāra (radical democratization); (5) the four-fold mukti is at the Nāma. The verse is the operational-textual-foundation of Vārkarī kīrtana-practice — used to begin nearly every kīrtana.
Where this applies
- THE canonical clap-hands-and-say-Viṭṭhal Vārkarī kīrtana text
- Recited at the opening of every Vārkarī kīrtana
- The all-have-adhikāra; uddhāra-by-Hari-nāma; chārī-mukti-at-Nāma democratization claims
- The five-Name-mantra (Krṣṇa-Viṣṇu-Hari-Govinda-Gopāḷa)
- Pairs with 2448 (nāma-sankīrtana-sādhana-paim-sōpē) as the foundational kīrtana-pair