संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2904 of 4582

Abhanga 2904

A useful claim that there is no restriction — everything is Govinda. Don't restrict — here is no obstacle. The tongue makes immeasurable-measure — Viṭṭhal, my father, has ripened. At all times — all is Govinda, Gōpāḷa. The verse conveys an experience of being saturated in devotion, where the whole of one's experience is Govinda and the tongue can never finish praising him. Two operative claims: (1) there is no restriction or obstacle in devotion; (2) all is Govinda at all times. This pairs with 2888, where Viṭṭhal is described as having ripened into the bhakta's own wealth.

When you hesitate to express your devotion fully because you fear overdoing it.

When you want to feel that every moment and everything around you is touched by the sacred.

When you need permission to let your praise and gratitude pour out without holding back.

The verse

न करा टांचणी । येथें कांहीं आडचणी ॥१॥ जिव्हा अमुप करी माप । विठ्ठल पिकला माझा बाप ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सर्वकाळ । अवघा गोविंद गोपाळ ॥३॥

Literal translation

Na karā ṭānchaṇī — don't doṭānchaṇī(chiseling-out, restriction, deficiency-making); yethē kāmhī āḍchaṇī — here is noāḍchaṇī(obstacle, restriction). Jivhā amupa karī māpa — the tongue does themāpa(measure)amupa(immeasurable, vast); Viṭhṭhala pikalā mājhā bāpa — Viṭṭhal, my father, haspikalā(ripened). Tukā says: sarva-kāḷa — at allkāḷa(times); avaghā Govinda Gōpāḷa — all (is) Govinda, Gōpāḷa.

What it means

A short no-restriction-all-Govinda claim verse. Na karā ṭānchaṇī — yethē kāmhī āḍchaṇī — don't restrict here — there's no obstacle. The opening: no restriction-or-obstacle in this bhakti-domain.

Jivhā amupa karī māpa — Viṭhṭhala pikalā mājhā bāpa — the tongue measures immeasurably — Viṭṭhal my father has ripened. The bhakta-tongue does amupa-māpa (immeasurable-measure) — i.e., the tongue-cannot-finish-measuring Viṭṭhal who has-fully-ripened.

(Pairs with 2888 avaghā pikalā Viṭṭhal — all of Viṭṭhal has ripened.)

The close: Tukā mhaṇe sarva-kāḷa — avaghā Govinda Gōpāḷa — at all times — all is Govinda, Gōpāḷa. The bhakti-saturation-claim: at-all-times, everything is-Govinda.

For someone today

A useful claim that there is no restriction — everything is Govinda. Don't restrict — here is no obstacle. The tongue makes immeasurable-measure — Viṭṭhal, my father, has ripened. At all times — all is Govinda, Gōpāḷa. The verse conveys an experience of being saturated in devotion, where the whole of one's experience is Govinda and the tongue can never finish praising him. Two operative claims: (1) there is no restriction or obstacle in devotion; (2) all is Govinda at all times. This pairs with 2888, where Viṭṭhal is described as having ripened into the bhakta's own wealth.

मराठी: हा भक्तीत कोणतीही मर्यादा नाही, सर्वकाही गोविंदच आहे असा दावा करणारा उपयुक्त अभंग आहे. बंधन घालू नका — इथे कोणतीही अडचण नाही. जीभ मोजते ते अमोल — विठ्ठल, माझा बाप, पिकला आहे. सर्वकाळ — सगळे गोविंद-गोपाळच आहे. हा अभंग भक्तीने पूर्णपणे भारून जाण्याचा अनुभव सांगतो, जिथे संपूर्ण अनुभवच गोविंद आहे आणि जीभ त्याचे स्तवन कधीच संपवू शकत नाही. दोन मुख्य दावे : (१) भक्तीच्या क्षेत्रात कोणतेही बंधन किंवा अडथळा नाही; (२) सर्वकाळ सगळे गोविंदच आहे. हा अभंग २८८८ शी जोडलेला आहे, जिथे विठ्ठल भक्ताचेच धन बनून पिकल्याचे वर्णन आहे.

Where this applies

When you hold back from fully expressing your devotion out of caution or self-doubt
When gratitude or praise wells up in you and you wonder if it is too much to say
When ordinary life feels flat and you want to see the sacred in everything around you
When you need a reminder that there is no limit on how much love you can offer