Abhanga 3841
Tukārām's minimalist-bhakti. (I have) no japa-tapa, no life-squeezing; I have not put squeezing-pressure on (my) mind. Lying in place, I called out the dhāvā — my difficulty is your (concern), Deva. I have not brought and offered water — (my) sevā is only of chintana. We have spent (only) words; (you) have taken liberally by true bhāva. The verse permits the canonical minimalist-bhakti claim.
The verse
नाहीं जप तप जीवाची आटणी । मनासी दाटणी नाहीं केली ॥१॥
निजलिया ठायीं पोकारिला धांवा । सांकडें तें देवा तुझें मज ॥ध्रु.॥
नाहीं आणूनियां समपिऩलें जळ । सेवा ते केवळ चिंतनाची ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आम्हीं वेचिलीं उत्तरें । घेतलीं उदारें साच भावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Nāhī japa tapa jīvāñcī āṭaṇī — no japa-tapa, no jīva-āṭaṇī; manāsī dāṭaṇī nāhī kelī — no dāṭaṇī on mana. Nijaliyā ṭhāyīm pōkārilā dhāvā — lying-in-place I called dhāvā; sāmkaḍe te Devā tujhe maja — the sāmkaḍa is yours, Deva, for me. Nāhī āṇūnīyām samarpīle jaḷa — no water brought-and-offered; sevā te kevaḷa chintanāñcī — sevā only of chintana. Tukā mhaṇe āmhīm vechilīm uttare — Tukā says: we spent (only) words; ghetalīm udāre sācha bhāve — (you) took with udāra-bhāva.
What it means
A 3-verse minimalist-bhakti claim by Tukārām.
The claim: No-japa-tapa-no-mind-squeezing; called-dhāvā-from-where-I-was; my-sankaḍa-is-yours. No-water-offering — only-chintana-sevā. We-spent-only-words; you-took-with-udāra-bhāva (liberality).
The argument is striking: minimalist-bhakti suffices — no-elaborate-ritual, only-chintana-and-call.
For someone today
Tukārām's minimalist-bhakti. (I have) no japa-tapa, no life-squeezing; I have not put squeezing-pressure on (my) mind. Lying in place, I called out the dhāvā — my difficulty is your (concern), Deva. I have not brought and offered water — (my) sevā is only of chintana. We have spent (only) words; (you) have taken liberally by true bhāva. The verse permits the canonical minimalist-bhakti claim.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's no-japa-tapa, only-chintana-sevā canonical claim
- Companion to 3103