Abhanga 3537
Crossing beyond life's struggles costs nothing but sincere devotion, and once the way is ready, the call is to rise and go now.
The verse
उलंघूनि गेले सिंधु । हा भवबंधु तोडोनियां ॥१॥
आतां हळुहळु ते चि वाहीं । चालों कांही अधिकारें ॥ध्रु.॥
न लगे मोल द्यावा रुका । भावें एका कारणें ॥२॥
भीमातिरीं थडवा केला । उठा चला लवलाहें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Crossed-sindhu — breaking-bhava-bandhu. Slowly-let-flow — walk-by-some-adhikāra. No-mōla-of-rukā — for-one-bhāva-one-kāraṇa. On-Bhīmā-bank-thaḍavā-made — get-up-walk-quickly.
What it means
A striking 3-verse Pandharpur-yātrā-image text. They've crossed the ocean of bhava; let things flow slowly; no need to pay any price — for one bhāva, one reason; on the bank of the Bhīmā (Chandrabhāgā) river, the crossing-point has been made — get up and walk quickly! The Bhīmā/Chandrabhāgā at Pandharpur is the canonical pilgrim-river. The closing call uṭhā chalā lavalāhē is the classic Vārkarī-summons.
For someone today
Tukaram describes pilgrims who have already crossed the ocean of worldly attachment, breaking free from its binding current, and now move forward calmly, each walking at their own fitting pace. He insists that reaching this crossing does not cost any price, not even a small coin, since it comes purely through sincere devotion for a single true purpose. He announces that a resting place has been made right on the bank of the Bhima river at Pandharpur, and calls out urgently for everyone to get up and go quickly.
मराठी: जे भवसागर ओलांडून गेले, त्या बंधनाच्या प्रवाहातून मुक्त झाले, ते आता हळुहळू आपापल्या क्षमतेनुसार पुढे चालतात, असे तुकाराम सांगतात. हा प्रवास कोणत्याही किमतीने विकत घ्यावा लागत नाही, फक्त एका खऱ्या श्रद्धेसाठी, एका हेतूसाठी तो घडतो असे ते सांगतात. भीमा नदीच्या काठावर एक थांबण्याची, ओलांडण्याची जागा तयार झाली आहे, असे ते सांगतात. शेवटी तुकाराम आवाहन करतात, उठा आणि लगेच चला.
Where this applies
- When you feel ready to leave behind an old cycle of struggle and move forward at your own pace
- When you worry that spiritual progress requires money or status rather than sincerity
- When you're waiting for the right moment to finally act on something you've been putting off
- When a community gathers for a shared journey, like a pilgrimage, and calls everyone to join without delay