Abhanga 3997
Singing the divine Name should come from raw, heartfelt longing rather than polished performance, and imperfect, untrained devotion is still real devotion.
The verse
तुझें नाम गाया न सोपें डवळा । गाऊं कळवळा प्रेमाचिया ॥१॥
येइल आवडी जैसी अंतरींची । तैसी मनाची कीर्ती गाऊं ॥२॥
माझें मुख नामीं रंगो सर्वकाळ । गोविंद गोपाळ राम कृष्ण ॥३॥
अबद्ध चांगलें गाऊं जैसें तैसें । बाहे बाळ जैसें मायबापा ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे मज न लावीं वांकडें । मी तुझें बोबडें बाळ तान्हें ॥५॥
Literal translation
Name-not-sopē-davaḷā — sing-kaḷavaḷā-of-prema. As-āvaḍī-arises — sing-mana's-kīrti. Mouth-coloured-in-Name — Govinda-Gopāḷa-Rāma-Krṣṇa. Abaddha-chāngalē — baby-cries-bāhē. Tukā: don't-mark-vānkaḍē — I'm-bobaḍē-bāḷa-tānhē.
What it means
A 5-verse extended version of 3889. Singing your Name is no casual bowing; we will sing the heart-wrench of love. As the longing arises inside, just so we'll sing the mind's praise. Let my mouth be coloured in your Name always — Govinda-Gopāḷa-Rāma-Krṣṇa. Untaught is fine, sing as it comes — as a baby cries out to mother-father. Don't mark me crooked — I am your lisping baby. Pair with 3889 (compact-version of same).
For someone today
Tukaram says singing the divine Name is not some polite, casual gesture, it is meant to carry the heart-wrenching cry of real love. Sing as your longing actually feels inside, not as a performance meant to sound polished. He wants his mouth colored by the Name at all times, and he is not embarrassed that his singing is untrained, because a baby crying out to its mother and father does not worry about getting the words right either. He ends by asking not to be judged or corrected too harshly, since he is only a lisping infant still learning to call out.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की नाम गाणे हे काही सोपे, औपचारिक नमन नाही, त्यात खऱ्या प्रेमाची कळवळ असायला हवी. आतून जशी ओढ वाटते तशीच गावी, ती नुसती सफाईदार सादरीकरण नसावी. त्यांना वाटते की आपले मुख सदैव नामाने रंगलेले असावे, आणि आपले गाणे अशिक्षित, अव्यवस्थित आहे याची त्यांना लाज वाटत नाही, कारण बाळ आई-वडिलांना हाक मारताना शब्द नीट जुळवत नाही. शेवटी ते विनवतात की मला फार कठोरपणे तपासू नका, कारण मी अजून बोबडे बोलणारे तान्हे बाळ आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel self-conscious that your prayer or practice is not polished or well-trained
- When you catch yourself performing devotion for how it looks rather than feeling it
- When grief or longing wells up and you need permission to express it messily, without formality
- When you are just beginning something spiritual and worry you are doing it wrong