Abhanga 3417
Tukārām's CANONICAL claim: singing-gīta accomplishes what japa-tapa cannot.
The verse
नव्हतील जपें नव्हतील तपें । आम्हांसी हें सोपें गीतीं गातां ॥१॥
न करितां ध्यान न करितां धारणा । तो नाचे कीर्तनामाजी हरि ॥ध्रु.॥
जयासी नाहीं रूप आणि आकार । तो चि कटी कर उभा विटे ॥२॥
अनंत ब्रम्हांडें जयाचिया पोटीं । तो आम्हां संपुष्टीं भक्तिभावें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे वर्म जाणती लडिवाळें । जें होतीं निर्मळें अंतर्बाहीं ॥४॥
Literal translation
Won't-happen-by-japa-tapa — this-is-sōpē-for-us-by-gīta. No-dhyāna-no-dhāraṇā — Hari-dances-in-kīrtana. No-rūpa-no-ākāra — he-hands-on-waist-on-brick. Ananta-brahmāṇḍas-in-pōṭa — held-tight-by-us-through-bhakti-bhāva. Tukā: laḍivāḷas-know-varma — nirmaḷa-antar-bāhī.
What it means
★★ A foundational Vārkarī canonical text. What japa-tapa can't accomplish, our gīta does easily; no dhyāna-dhāraṇā needed, Hari dances-in-kīrtana; the formless one stands hands-on-waist on the brick; the Lord with ananta brahmāṇḍas in his belly is held-tight (contained) by us through bhakti-bhāva. Closes with the laḍivāḷa-doctrine: only those nirmaḷa antar-bāhī know the varma. Pairs with 3401 (Vārkarī via-negativa) as theological-twin: 3401 says I don't do japa-tapa, 3417 says japa-tapa can't accomplish what we do.
For someone today
Tukārām's CANONICAL claim: singing-gīta accomplishes what japa-tapa cannot.
Where this applies
- ★★ THE japa-tapa-can't-do-our-gīta-easy canonical
- formless-Lord-stands-on-brick line
- Lord-with-ananta-brahmāṇḍa-in-belly-held-tight-by-us-bhakti-bhāva
- laḍivāḷas-know-the-varma; nirmaḷa-antar-bāhī
- Pairs with 3401 (via-negativa) as Vārkarī theological-twin
- Companion to 2919 (kīrtana-supremacy)