Abhanga 4141
Keeping the divine name constantly on your lips through every ordinary daily act removes worldly confusion and brings a devotion greater than any distant liberation.
The verse
मुखीं विठ्ठलाचें नाम । मग कैचा भवभ्रम ॥१॥
चालतां बोलतां खातां । जेवितां निद्रा करितां ॥ध्रु.॥
सुखें असों संसारीं । मग जवळी च हरि ॥२॥
मुक्तिवरील भक्ती जाण । अखंड मुखीं नारायण ॥३॥
मग देवभक्त जाला । तुका तुकीं उतरला ॥४॥
Literal translation
Mukhīm Viṭhṭhalāñce nāma — maga kaichā bhava-bhrama — Viṭhṭhala's Name in mouth — then where bhava-bhrama. Chālatām bōlatām khātām — jevitām nidrā karitām — walking-speaking-eating-dining-sleeping. Sukhe asōm samsārīm — maga javaḷī cha Hari — be in samsāra in sukha — Hari near. Mukti-varīla bhakti jāṇa — akhaṇḍa mukhīm Nārāyaṇa — know bhakti is above mukti — continuous Nārāyaṇa in mukha. Maga deva-bhakta jālā — Tukā tukīm utaralā — then deva-bhakta became (one) — Tukā descended-into-balance.
What it means
Canonical bhakti-supremacy claim: Name-in-mouth removes worldly-delusion; bhakti is above mukti; in all daily-acts, Hari is near. The closing pun Tukā tukīm utaralā — Tukā has descended-into-balance (tukā = balance-of-the-scale; tuka = the same).
For someone today
Tukaram says that once Vitthal's name is on your lips, there's no longer room for the confusion and delusion of worldly life. Whether you're walking, talking, eating, or sleeping, ordinary daily life itself becomes joyful, because God feels close through all of it. He goes further and says this kind of devotion is actually greater than liberation itself, since a mind constantly filled with the divine name makes the devotee and God feel like one and the same, life settling into perfect balance.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की एकदा विठ्ठलाचे नाम ओठांवर आले की संसारातील गोंधळ आणि भ्रमाला जागाच उरत नाही. चालणे, बोलणे, खाणे किंवा झोपणे, अशा प्रत्येक क्षणी सामान्य दैनंदिन जीवनच आनंददायी बनते, कारण या सगळ्यातून देव जवळ वाटतो. ते पुढे जाऊन म्हणतात की अशी भक्ती मुक्तीहूनही श्रेष्ठ आहे, कारण मन सतत दिव्य नामाने भरलेले असल्यास भक्त आणि देव एकच वाटू लागतात, आयुष्य परिपूर्ण समतोलात स्थिरावते.
Where this applies
- When ordinary daily activities like walking or eating start to feel meaningful because of a constant inner practice
- When you value the steady feeling of connection more than any distant spiritual goal or reward
- When repeating a name, mantra, or phrase throughout the day keeps your mind clear of confusion
- When you notice life feels balanced and calm because of a simple habit you've built into every moment