Abhanga 3890
Tukaram says reaching God requires no wealth, hardship, or pilgrimage, only saying the Name with a loving, one-pointed mind, making devotion available to absolutely anyone.
The verse
यालागीं आवडी म्हणा राम कृष्ण । जोडा नारायण सर्वकाळ ॥१॥
सोपें हें साधन लाभ येतो घरा । वाचेसी उच्चारा राम हरि ॥ध्रु.॥
न लगती कष्ट न लगे सायास । करावा अभ्यास विठ्ठलाचा ॥२॥
न लगे तप तीर्थ करणें महादान । केल्या एक मन जोडे हरि ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे कांहीं न वेचितां धन । जोडे नारायण नामासाटीं ॥४॥
Literal translation
Say-Rāma-Krṣṇa-with-āvaḍī — jōḍā-Nārāyaṇa-sarva-kāḷa. Easy-sādhana — lābha-comes-home — tongue-uttering. No-kaṣṭa-no-sāyāsa — abhyāsa-of-Viṭṭhal. No-tapa-tīrtha-mahā-dāna — ēka-mana — jōḍē-Hari. Tukā: no-dhana-spending — Nārāyaṇa-jōḍē-for-Name.
What it means
THE canonical 4-verse easy-Name-sādhana text. Therefore say Rāma-Krṣṇa with love — earn Nārāyaṇa always. This is the easy practice — the gain comes home; just utter Rāma-Hari by the tongue. No hardship, no strain — just do this practice of Viṭṭhal. No tapa, no tīrtha, no mahā-dāna is needed — one-pointed-mind earns Hari. Without spending any dhana, Nārāyaṇa is earned for the (price of the) Name. Foundational Vārkarī Name-democratization-text: the Lord can be earned by anyone — no resources, no austerities, no pilgrimage, no large-charity needed. Companion to 2448 (Nāma-sankīrtana-sādhana-sōpē), 2855 (Hari-mhaṇatām-everything-happens), 3743 (Name-is-everything), 3103 (bhakti-democratization-by-alternatives).
For someone today
Tukaram offers what might be his most encouraging message: reaching God doesn't require wealth, hardship, austerities, pilgrimage, or grand charity, it simply requires saying the names Ram and Krishna with real love. He calls this the easy practice, the one where the reward truly comes home just from your tongue speaking Hari's name with sincerity. No suffering or straining is needed, no fasting, no travel to holy places, no large donations, just a one-pointed, focused mind is enough to earn Hari. This means the deepest reward in life doesn't belong only to the wealthy or the ascetic, it's available to absolutely anyone willing to say the Name with love.
मराठी: तुकाराम कदाचित त्यांचा सर्वात उभारी देणारा संदेश देतात: देव मिळवण्यासाठी संपत्ती, कष्ट, तप, तीर्थयात्रा किंवा मोठे दान लागत नाही, फक्त राम-कृष्ण हे नाव मनापासून प्रेमाने घ्यावे लागते. ते याला सोपे साधन म्हणतात, जिथे फक्त जिभेने प्रामाणिकपणे हरिनाम उच्चारल्याने लाभ घरी येतो. कोणतेही कष्ट किंवा त्रास लागत नाही, उपवास नाही, तीर्थयात्रा नाही, मोठे दान नाही, फक्त एकाग्र मनाने हरि मिळतो. याचा अर्थ जीवनातील सर्वात मोठे फळ केवळ श्रीमंतांना किंवा तपस्व्यांनाच मिळत नाही, तर प्रेमाने नाम घेणाऱ्या कोणालाही ते उपलब्ध आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel too poor, too busy, or too ordinary to pursue any serious spiritual life
- When you assume real devotion requires extreme fasting, pilgrimage, or large donations you can't afford
- When you want a simple, doable spiritual practice you can actually keep up with daily life
- When you're comparing yourself to people who seem to have more resources or time for spirituality