Abhanga 3879
Even someone who ignored God their whole life can be saved by a single sincere call at the very moment of death, showing that it is never too late for grace.
The verse
आजामेळा अंत मरणासी आला । तोंवरि स्मरला नाहीं तुज ॥१॥
प्राण जातेवेळे म्हणे नारायण । त्यासाटीं विमान पाठविलें ॥ध्रु.॥
बहुत कृपाळु होसी जगन्नाथा । त्रैलोक्यसमर्था सोइरिया ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भक्तकाज तूं कैवारी । तुज साही चारी वणिऩताती ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ajāmīḷa's-anta-maraṇa — no-smaraṇa-of-you-till-then. At-prāṇa-leaving-said-Nārāyaṇa — vimāna-sent. Very-krpāḷu-Jagannātha — trailokya-samartha-sōiriyā. Tukā: bhakta-kāja-kaivārī — six-four-praise.
What it means
A 3-verse Ajāmīḷa-narrative text. Ajāmīḷa's death came — and until then he had not remembered you. At the moment his life was leaving, he saidNārāyaṇa— and for him you sent a celestial-chariot. You are very compassionate, Jagannātha — the mighty-kinsman of the three worlds. You are the champion of the bhaktas' cause — even the six Vedāngas and four Vedas describe you. Compare 2843 (canonical-5-figure-redemption-list includes Ajāmīḷa); 2787 (bhakti-redeems-fallen-list).
For someone today
Tukaram retells the story of Ajamila, a man who lived his entire life without ever remembering God, until the very moment death arrived. In that last instant, as his life was slipping away, he simply spoke the name Narayana, and God responded immediately, sending a celestial chariot to carry him. Tukaram marvels at this depth of compassion, calling God the great, merciful kinsman of all three worlds who champions the cause of anyone who turns to him, even at the very last second. It's a striking claim: it is genuinely never too late, one true call is enough.
मराठी: तुकाराम अजामेळाची कथा सांगतात, जो संपूर्ण आयुष्यभर देवाचे स्मरण न करता जगला, अगदी मृत्यू येईपर्यंत. शेवटच्या क्षणी, प्राण जाताना, त्याने फक्त 'नारायण' असे म्हटले, आणि देवाने लगेच प्रतिसाद देत त्याच्यासाठी विमान पाठवले. तुकारामांना या करुणेच्या खोलीचे आश्चर्य वाटते, आणि ते देवाला त्रैलोक्याचा कृपाळू सोयरा म्हणतात, जो शेवटच्या क्षणीही देवाकडे वळणाऱ्या भक्ताची बाजू घेतो. हा एक ठाम दावा आहे: खरोखर कधीही उशीर झालेला नसतो, एक खरी हाक पुरेशी असते.
Where this applies
- When you feel you've wasted your whole life without any real spiritual practice and it's too late to start
- When someone close to you is near death and you wonder if a late turn toward God still counts
- When you're afraid your years of neglect or wrongdoing have permanently closed the door to grace
- When you need hope that even a single sincere moment of turning to God can still matter