संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4049 of 4582

Abhanga 4049

All the Vedas, shastras, and puranas condense to one simple practice: surrender to Vithoba and sing the Name with steady devotion.

When you feel you must master vast amounts of scripture before you can practice devotion.

When you are searching for one simple, steady thing to hold onto amid conflicting teachings.

When you doubt that ordinary sincere devotion could really be enough.

The verse

वेद अनंत बोलिला । अर्थ इतका चि शोधिला ॥१॥ विठोबासी शरण जावें । निजनष्टि नाम गावें ॥ध्रु.॥ सकळशास्त्रांचा विचार । अंतीं इतका चि निर्धार ॥२॥ अठरापुराणीं सिद्धांत । तुका म्हणे हा चि हेत ॥३॥

Literal translation

Vedas spoke endlessly; the artha (meaning), examined, is this much: take-śaraṇa-of-Viṭhōbā; with-nija-niṣṭhā sing the Name. The vichāra of all-śāstras — at end, this much is the nirdhāra. In the 18 purāṇas — Tukā says — this is the siddhānta.

What it means

A canonical condensation: all-Vedas-Śāstras-18-Purāṇas come-to-this-much — Viṭhōbā-śaraṇa + Name-with-niṣṭhā.

For someone today

The entire textual-tradition condenses to two acts: take Viṭhōbā's refuge, sing the Name.

Where this applies

Canonical bhakti-condensation (companion to 2855 Hari-mhaṇatām, 3103 democratization)