Abhanga 4045
God takes on countless names and forms purely out of love for devotees, even entering humble homes and becoming the servant of his own servants.
The verse
देव धरी नाना सोंगें । नाम श्रेष्ठ पांडुरंग ॥१॥
तो हा गवळियाचे घरीं । नाम सारितो मुरारि ॥ध्रु.॥
धन्य यशोदेचें प्रारब्ध । नाचे अंगणीं गोविंद ॥२॥
ऐशा भक्तांसाटीं देवें । नाना धरियेलीं नांवें ॥३॥
होय दासांचा जो दास । तुका म्हणे विठ्ठलास ॥४॥
Literal translation
Deva dharī nānā sōnge — Deva takes many sōngas; nāma śreṣṭha Pāṇḍuranga — the supreme Name (is) Pāṇḍuranga. Tō hā gavaḷiyāñce gharīm — he (comes) to the gavaḷī's house; nāma sāritō Murāri — takes on the Name Murāri. Dhanya Yaśōdeñce prārabdha — blessed is Yaśodā's prārabdha; nāche angaṇīm Govinda — Govinda dances in (her) angaṇa. Aiśā bhaktāmsāṭīm Deve — for such bhaktas, Deva; nānā dhariyelīm nāve — (has) taken many Names. Hōya dāsāñcā jō dāsa — he becomes dāsa of dāsas; Tukā mhaṇe Viṭhṭhalāsa — Tukā says: Viṭhṭhala.
What it means
A 4-verse Deva-takes-many-forms text by Tukārām.
The claim: Deva takes-many-sōngas-(disguises) and-Names. Pāṇḍuranga is-supreme; (he-becomes)-Murāri at-the-cowherd's-house. Yaśodā's prārabdha-is-blessed — Govinda-dances-in-her-angaṇa. For-such-bhaktas, Deva-takes-many-names. Viṭhṭhal becomes-dāsa-of-dāsas.
The closing-line is canonical: Viṭṭhal becomes-dāsa-of-dāsas — the supreme-Lord-takes-the-position-of-bhakta's-servant.
For someone today
Tukaram marvels at how God takes on so many different forms and names, all for the sake of devotees. The highest of these names is Pandurang, yet the same God also went to live in a humble cowherd's house and took on the name Murari there. He calls Yashoda especially fortunate, since Govinda himself danced right in her courtyard as her child. Tukaram's larger point is that God adopts all these different names and forms purely out of love for devotees, and in the end willingly becomes the servant of his own servants.
मराठी: तुकाराम आश्चर्य व्यक्त करतात की देव भक्तांसाठी किती वेगवेगळी रूपे आणि नावे धारण करतो. यातील सर्वश्रेष्ठ नाव पांडुरंग आहे, तरीही तोच देव एका साध्या गवळ्याच्या घरी राहायला गेला आणि तिथे मुरारी हे नाव धारण केले. ते यशोदेला विशेष भाग्यवान म्हणतात, कारण गोविंद स्वतः तिच्या अंगणात, तिचे बाळ म्हणून नाचला. तुकारामांचा मुख्य मुद्दा असा आहे की देव भक्तांवरील प्रेमापोटीच ही वेगवेगळी नावे आणि रूपे धारण करतो, आणि शेवटी स्वतःच्या दासांचाही दास होण्यास तयार असतो.
Where this applies
- When you wonder whether God feels distant or reserved for only the most spiritually advanced
- When you want to see the sacred showing up in ordinary, humble settings
- When you feel unworthy of closeness with something greater than yourself
- When you need reassurance that devotion is met with real intimacy, not distance