Abhanga 4256
Devotion performed with ego still intact keeps God distant; only letting go of pride and becoming genuinely humble before everyone makes the divine reachable.
The verse
पंढरपुरींचें दैवत भजावें । काया वाचा जावें शरण त्या ॥१॥
मनीं ध्यान करी अहंता धरूनी । तया चक्रपाणी दूर ठेला ॥ध्रु.॥
मान अभिमान सांडुनियां द्यावे । अवघ्यां नीच व्हावें तरी प्राप्त ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे हें चि कोणासी सांगावें । सादर होउनि भावें भजें देवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Worship-Paṇḍharpur-daivata — kāyā-vāchā-go-śaraṇa. Meditate-with-ahamtā — Chakrapāṇī-stays-far. Abandon-māna-abhimāna — become-nīcha-to-all — then-attained. Tukā: to-whom-tell — sādara-bhāvēm-bhajē-Deva.
What it means
A 3-verse Paṇḍharpur-worship-discipline text. Worship the deity of Paṇḍharpur; by body-speech-mind go to its refuge. But if you meditate with ego held, Chakrapāṇī stays far. Abandon pride and self-importance; become lowly to all — only then is he attained. Tukā says: to whom can I say just this — become attentive, by bhāva, worship Deva. The condition: meditation-with-ahamtā-fails; nīcha-to-all is the prerequisite. Pair with 4250 (sant-foot-superior-to-tīrtha), 2730 (extreme-humility mī cha vikhaḷa).
For someone today
Tukaram urges going fully to the deity of Pandharpur, offering body, speech, and mind in surrender rather than a token gesture. But he warns that meditating while still clinging to ego keeps the Lord at a distance, no matter how devoted the outward practice looks. The real requirement is to let go of pride and self-importance and be willing to feel lowly before everyone, and only then does God actually become reachable. Tukaram says this is the one thing worth telling anyone, to become truly attentive and worship with genuine feeling instead of self-regard.
मराठी: तुकाराम सांगतात की पंढरपूरच्या देवाला काया, वाचा आणि मनाने पूर्णपणे शरण जावं, नुसतं वरवरचं कर्मकांड नको. पण ते इशाराही देतात की अहंकार बाळगून ध्यान केलं तर, बाहेरून कितीही भक्तीभाव दिसला तरी चक्रपाणी दूरच राहतो. खरी अट म्हणजे मान-अभिमान सोडून सगळ्यांसमोर स्वतःला लीन, नीच समजण्याची तयारी असणं, तेव्हाच देव खरोखर गाठता येतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात, हीच एक गोष्ट कुणालाही सांगण्यासारखी आहे, स्वतःच्या अहंकाराऐवजी खऱ्या भावाने, लक्ष देऊन देवाची भक्ती करावी.
Where this applies
- When your prayer or ritual feels correct on the outside but your ego is still running the show underneath
- When you find it hard to feel humble in front of people you consider beneath you
- When you want real closeness with the divine and not just the appearance of devotion
- When pride keeps you from fully surrendering to something greater than yourself