Abhanga 3804
Tukaram points to the two great Vārkarī pilgrimage seasons, the Ashadhi gathering and the Kartiki gathering at Pandharpur, and says these two occasions are enough — you don't need to go chasing after anything else. Come with sincere devotion, he says, and you can carry away heaps of liberation, freely, like goods from a market. In the end, he admits he doesn't know or need anything else in life except Vitthal.
The verse
आषाढी निकट । आणी कार्तिकीचा हाट ॥१॥
पुरे दोन्ही च बाजार । न लगे आणीक व्यापार ॥ध्रु.॥
तें चि घ्यावें तें चि घ्यावें । कैवल्याच्या रासी भावें ॥२॥
कांहीं कोणा नेणे । विठो वांचूनि तुका म्हणे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Āṣāḍhī-near — Kārtikī's-hāṭa. These-two-bāzāras-suffice — no-other-vyāpāra-needed. Take-take by-bhāva — heaps-of-kaivalya. Tukā: I-know-nothing — only-Viṭhō.
What it means
A 3-verse canonical Vārkarī-vārī text. Āṣāḍhī is near — and Kārtikī's market. These two bāzārs alone suffice — no other commerce is needed. Take it, take it — by bhāva — heaps of liberation. Tukā says: I know nothing else — only Viṭhō. The twice-yearly Vārkarī-vārī (Āṣāḍhī = the Devśayanī Ekādaśī in Āṣāḍha; Kārtikī = the Prabodhinī Ekādaśī in Kārtika) is the central rhythm of Vārkarī-life — and Tukārām here calls them sufficient bāzārs for kaivalya. Pair with 2745 (Paṇḍharī-hāṭa-bhakti-market) and 3740 (Vaikuṇṭha-sukha-came-to-Paṇḍharī).
For someone today
Tukaram points to the two great Vārkarī pilgrimage seasons, the Ashadhi gathering and the Kartiki gathering at Pandharpur, and says these two occasions are enough — you don't need to go chasing after anything else. Come with sincere devotion, he says, and you can carry away heaps of liberation, freely, like goods from a market. In the end, he admits he doesn't know or need anything else in life except Vitthal.
मराठी: तुकाराम पंढरपूरच्या आषाढी आणि कार्तिकी या दोन मोठ्या वारकरी यात्रांकडे बोट दाखवतात आणि म्हणतात की या दोनच पुरेशा आहेत — यापलीकडे आणखी काही शोधण्याची गरज नाही. मनापासून भक्तिभावाने या, असे ते सांगतात, आणि बाजारातून माल घ्यावा तसे मुक्तीचे भांडार सहज घेऊन जा. शेवटी ते कबूल करतात की विठ्ठलाशिवाय त्यांना आयुष्यात दुसरे काहीही माहीत नाही, दुसरे काही नकोच आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel overwhelmed by too many spiritual paths or practices and want to simplify
- When a pilgrimage or gathering season comes around and you wonder if it's worth the effort
- When you're searching for meaning in many places instead of trusting one sincere devotion
- When you want to remind yourself that showing up with an open heart is enough