Abhanga 4336
Wherever someone who holds God's name lives becomes sacred, because that name has redeemed saints, sinners, kings, and even animals alike.
The verse
नाम आहे जयापाशीं । जेथें राहे तेथें चि काशी ॥१॥
ऐसा नामाचा महिमा । जाणे वाल्मीक शंकर उमा ॥ध्रु.॥
नाम प्रल्हादबाळ । जाणे पापी आजामेळ ॥२॥
नाम जाणे तो नारद । नामें ध्रुवा अक्षय पद ॥३॥
नाम गणिकेतें तारी । पशु गजेंद्र उद्धारी ॥४॥
नाम जाणे हणुमंत । जाणताति महासंत ॥५॥
नाम जाणे शुकमूर्ति । जाणे राजा परिक्षिती ॥६॥
नाम जाणे तुका । नाहीं संसाराचा धोका ॥७॥
Literal translation
Nāma āhe jayāpāśīm — jethe rāhe tethe chi kāśī: one-with-Nāma — wherever he stays, there is Kāśī. Aisā nāmācā mahimā — jāṇe Vālmīka Śankara Umā: such (is) Nāma's mahimā — Vālmīka, Śankara, Umā know. Nāma Prahlāda-bāḷa — jāṇe pāpī Ajāmeḷa: Nāma — Prahlāda-bāḷa; the sinner Ajāmīḷa knows. Nāma jāṇe tō Nārada — Nāme Dhruvā akṣaya pada: Nārada knows Nāma — by Nāma Dhruva (got) imperishable pada. Nāma gaṇikete tārī — paśu Gajendra uddhārī: Nāma saved the gaṇikā — redeemed paśu Gajendra. Nāma jāṇe Hanumanta — jāṇatāti mahāsanta: Hanumanta knows Nāma — mahā-santas know. Nāma jāṇe Śuka-mūrti — jāṇe rājā Parikṣiti: Śuka-mūrti knows Nāma — King Parikṣiti knows. Nāma jāṇe Tukā — nāhīm samsārācā dhōkā: Tukā knows Nāma — no danger of samsāra.
What it means
A 7-verse Nāma-mahimā with a canonical 9-figure redemption-list: Vālmīka, Śankara-Umā, Prahlāda, Ajāmīḷa, Nārada, Dhruva, gaṇikā, Gajendra, Hanumanta, Śuka, Parikṣiti — and Tukā. Wherever the Nāma-bearer stays — there is Kāśī.
For someone today
Tukārām testifies: the Nāma turns any place into Kāśī; the Nāma-knower has no samsāra-danger — all sages and sinners were saved by it.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's canonical Nāma-mahimā with full 9-figure redemption-list
- Companion to 2787, 2843, 2972 (redemption-lists)
- Daily-recited Vārkarī Nāma-mahimā