Abhanga 4109
Tukaram says that singing devotion aloud, praising the qualities of the divine with your own voice, protects you from being overtaken by desire or by the anger of hostile people. He calls this practice a sword of peace, a striking paradox where gentleness itself becomes powerful enough to strip even death of its terror. He ends by calling this divine presence a generous friend beyond measure, showing that a simple daily practice of praise can become real inner protection against the things that usually shake us.
The verse
करावें कीर्तन । मुखीं गावे हरिचे गुण ॥१॥
मग कांहीं नव्हे बाधा । काम दुर्जनाच्या क्रोधा ॥ध्रु.॥
शांतिखड्ग हातीं । काळासी ते नागविती ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे दाता सखा । ऐसा अनंतासारिखा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kīrtana — sing-Hari-guṇa. No-bādha — kāma-durjana-krōdha. Śānti-khaḍga-strips-Kāḷa. Tukā: dātā-sakhā-Anantāsārikhā.
What it means
A 3-verse kīrtana-as-weapon text. Do kīrtana, sing Hari's qualities by mouth. Then no affliction comes — from kāma, nor from the wicked-one's wrath. With the peace-sword in hand, they strip Kāḷa naked. Such a giver-and-friend — like Ananta. The śānti-khaḍga (peace-sword) is the bhakta's-weapon — paradoxical (peace-is-the-sword) but effective even against Kāḷa.
For someone today
Tukaram says that singing devotion aloud, praising the qualities of the divine with your own voice, protects you from being overtaken by desire or by the anger of hostile people. He calls this practice a sword of peace, a striking paradox where gentleness itself becomes powerful enough to strip even death of its terror. He ends by calling this divine presence a generous friend beyond measure, showing that a simple daily practice of praise can become real inner protection against the things that usually shake us.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की मोठ्याने भक्तिगीत गाणे, स्वतःच्या आवाजाने देवाच्या गुणांची स्तुती करणे, यामुळे आपण वासनेच्या किंवा शत्रूंच्या रागाच्या तडाख्यातून वाचतो. ते या साधनेला शांतीची तलवार म्हणतात, एक विरोधाभास जिथे कोमलताच इतकी शक्तिशाली बनते की मृत्यूचीही भीती नष्ट होते. शेवटी ते या दैवी शक्तीला अपरिमित उदार मित्र म्हणतात, यातून हे दिसते की स्तुतीची साधी रोजची सवयही आपल्याला खरोखर हादरवणाऱ्या गोष्टींपासून खरे संरक्षण देऊ शकते.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's kīrtana-as-weapon; śānti-khaḍga canonical