Abhanga 3161
Simple, unashamed devotion, even without deep learning or moral mastery, can be a complete offering in itself.
The verse
सुख वाटे परी वर्म । धर्माधर्म न कळे ॥१॥
गायें नाचें एवढें जाणें । विठ्ठल म्हणे निर्लज्ज ॥ध्रु.॥
अवघें माझें एवढें धन । साधन ही सकळ ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे, पायां पडें । तुमच्या कोडें संतांच्या ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sukha vāṭe parī varma — sukha feels but the varma; dharmādharma na kaḷe — dharma-adharma doesn't come-known. Gāye nāche evaḍhe jāṇe — sing-dance, this much I know; Viṭṭhala mhaṇe nirlajja — Viṭhṭhal calls (me) nirlajja. Avaghe mājhe evaḍhe dhana — all my dhana is this much; sādhana hī sakaḷa — all sādhana. Tukā mhaṇe pāyām paḍem — Tukā says: I fall at feet; tumachyā kōḍe samtāñcyā — for your kōḍa, O sants.
What it means
Tukārām's shameless-bhakti claim: I-just-sing-and-dance; Viṭṭhal-calls-me-shameless; that's-all-my-wealth-and-practice; at-sants'-feet I-fall.
For someone today
Tukaram admits plainly that he feels the sweetness of devotion but does not know the deep secret behind it, and cannot tell right conduct from wrong. All he knows how to do is sing and dance, and he says Vitthal even calls him shameless for it. Yet that singing and dancing is his entire wealth and his entire spiritual practice, and with that alone he falls at the sants' feet. It is a bold claim that simple, unashamed devotion, even without learning or philosophy, is enough.
मराठी: तुकाराम स्पष्टपणे कबूल करतात की भक्तीचा गोडवा त्यांना जाणवतो, पण त्यामागचे खोल रहस्य त्यांना कळत नाही, आणि धर्म-अधर्म यातला फरकही त्यांना समजत नाही. त्यांना फक्त गाणे आणि नाचणे एवढेच येते, आणि विठ्ठल त्यांना यासाठी निर्लज्ज म्हणतो असे ते सांगतात. तरीही हे गाणे-नाचणेच त्यांची संपूर्ण संपत्ती आणि संपूर्ण साधना आहे, आणि याच बळावर ते संतांच्या पायी लीन होतात. शिक्षण किंवा तत्त्वज्ञानाशिवायही साधी, निर्लज्ज भक्तीच पुरेशी आहे, हा एक धाडसी दावा आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel unqualified for spiritual life because you do not know the scriptures or rules
- When you worry that simply loving and expressing devotion openly looks foolish to others
- When you want permission to let your one simple practice, like singing, be enough
- When you feel embarrassed about being emotionally open in your faith or love