Abhanga 4251
You do not need mastery of yoga, ritual, or philosophy to reach the divine; honest lowliness and simple devotion are enough, and the rest can be entrusted to God.
The verse
संतजना माझी यावया करुणा । म्हणउनी दीन हीन जालों ॥१॥
नेणें योग युक्ती नाहीं ज्ञान मति । गातसें या गीती पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥
भाव भक्ती नेणें तप अनुष्ठान । करितों कर्तिन विठ्ठलाचें ॥२॥
ब्रम्हज्ञान ध्यान न कळे धारणा । एका नारायणा वांचूनियां ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे माझा विटोबासी भार । जाणे हा विचार तो चि माझा ॥४॥
Literal translation
Santas-karuṇā — became-dīna-hīna. No-yoga-jñāna — sing-Pāṇḍuranga-gītā. No-bhāva-bhakti-tapa-anuṣṭhāna — do-Viṭhṭhala-kīrtana. No-brahma-jñāna-dhyāna-dhāraṇā — only-Nārāyaṇa. Tukā: burden-on-Viṭhōbā — knows-vichāra.
What it means
A 4-verse via-negativa-self-description text. For the santas' compassion to come to me, I became poor-and-lowly. I don't know yoga or technique, have no knowledge or wisdom; I just sing this song to Pāṇḍuranga. I don't know devotion-bhāva or austerity or rite; I do the kīrtana of Viṭhṭhal. I don't know brahma-knowledge or meditation or concentration — only Nārāyaṇa alone. Tukā says: my burden is on Viṭhōbā — he knows this thinking; he is mine. Pair with 3401 (Vārkarī-via-negativa-self-description 6-verse).
For someone today
Tukaram openly admits he has none of the usual qualifications for a spiritual life: no mastery of yoga, no learning or clever technique, no proper devotion, austerity, or ritual, and no skill in meditation or philosophy. He says he made himself poor and lowly on purpose, precisely so the saints' compassion would reach him. All he does is sing to Pandurang and take part in kirtana, holding on to Narayana and nothing else. In the end he simply hands his whole burden over to Vithoba, trusting that God understands what he needs even when he himself does not have the answers.
मराठी: तुकाराम स्पष्टपणे कबूल करतात की त्यांच्याकडे अध्यात्मिक जीवनासाठी लागणारी नेहमीची पात्रता नाही, योगाचं ज्ञान नाही, बुद्धी किंवा युक्ती नाही, नीट भक्ती, तप किंवा अनुष्ठानही नाही, आणि ध्यान-धारणेचंही कौशल्य नाही. ते म्हणतात की त्यांनी स्वतःला मुद्दाम दीन आणि हीन केलं, जेणेकरून संतांची करुणा त्यांच्यापर्यंत पोहोचावी. ते फक्त पांडुरंगाचं गीत गातात आणि विठ्ठलाचं कीर्तन करतात, फक्त नारायणाला धरून राहतात, दुसरं काहीही नाही. शेवटी ते आपलं सगळं ओझं विठोबावर सोपवतात, आणि विश्वास ठेवतात की त्यांना काय हवं आहे हे विठोबाला कळतं, जरी स्वतः तुकारामांकडे त्याचं उत्तर नसलं तरी.
Where this applies
- When you feel unqualified or untrained compared to people who seem more spiritually advanced
- When you have no formal discipline, ritual, or technique but still want to reach out to the divine
- When you are willing to admit your own smallness so that help or compassion can reach you
- When you do not know the answers and want to hand the whole problem over to someone or something greater than yourself