Abhanga 4315
7-day-fast — don't-leave-kīrtana.
The verse
सातादिवसांचा जरी जाला उपवासी । तरीं कीर्तनासी टाकुं नये ॥१॥
फुटो हा मस्तक तुटो हें शरीर । नामाचा गजर सोडूं नये ॥ध्रु.॥
शरीराचे होत दोनी ते ही भाग । परि कीर्तनाचा रंग सोडों नये ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ऐसा नामीं ज्या निर्धार । तेथें निरंतर देव असे ॥३॥
Literal translation
7-day-fast — don't-leave-kīrtana. Head-burst-body-cut — don't-leave-Nāma-gajara. Body-2-pieces — don't-leave-kīrtana-ranga. Tukā: such-niścaya-in-Nāma — deva-nirantara-there.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 3-verse don't-leave-kīrtana-even-at-life-cost text. Even if one has fasted seven days, one should not abandon the kīrtana. Even if the head bursts, even if the body is cut — don't leave the Name's roar. Even if the body becomes two pieces — don't leave the festival of kīrtana. Tukā says: where such decisive-resolution is in the Name — there Deva is always-present. Three escalating-stakes for kīrtana-commitment: (1) 7-day-fast (physical-exhaustion); (2) head-burst-body-cut (mortal-threat); (3) body-in-two-pieces (extreme-mortality). The principle: Deva-nirantara-where-such-niścaya-in-Nāma — Lord's presence is correlated to the absoluteness of the bhakta's kīrtana-commitment. Pair with 4292 (bole-taisā-chāle).
For someone today
Tukārām: don't-leave-kīrtana-even-after-7-day-fast — even-if-your-head-bursts-or-body-is-cut — where-such-resolution-is, Deva-is-always-there.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE don't-leave-kīrtana-even-at-life-cost canonical