Abhanga 4465
Nothing purifies or steadies you like God's Name, everything else in life behaves like a thief stealing your time, while the Name is the one true companion.
The verse
नाम पावन पावन । त्याहून पवित्र आहे कोण ॥१॥
शिव हालाहालें तापला । तो ही नामें शीतळ जाला ॥ध्रु.॥
शिवास नामाचा आधार । केला कळिकाळ किंकर ॥२॥
मरण जालें काशीपुरी । तेथें नाम चि उद्धरी ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे अवघीं चोरें। एक हरिनाम सोइरें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Name-pāvana-pāvana — most-pavitra. Shiva-Hālāhala-tāpalā — by-Name-shītala. Shiva-Name-ādhāra — kaḷikāḷa-kimkara. Death-at-Kāśīpurī — Name-only-uddharī. Tukā: all-thieves — one-Hari-Nāma-sōyarē.
What it means
A canonical 4-image Name-pāvana text. The Name is purifying-pure — than it, who else is pure? Śiva was burning by the Hālāhala-poison — he too became cool by the Name. Śiva took the Name as support — thereby he made the kali-time (his) servant. When death came at Kāśīpurī — there only the Name rescues. Tukā says: all else are thieves — one only — Hari-Nāma — is kin-friend. The 4-image cluster: (1) Name = most-pavitra — (2) Hālāhala-burning-Shiva cooled-by-Name — (3) Shiva makes Time-his-servant by-Name — (4) Kāśī-death-only-Name-rescues (refers to Kāśī tradition where dying-at-Kāśī gives liberation via Śiva's taraka-mantra). The closing: everything-else-(wealth/relations/world) is chōra (thief — they steal time, steal life), only Hari-Nāma is sōyarē (true kin-friend). Pair with 2855 (Hari-mhaṇatām-Name-mahima), 2909 (Name-as-sikkā), 2864 (clap-hands kīrtana).
For someone today
Tukārām says nothing is purer than God's Name, and he proves it with a striking image, Śiva himself was burning up from swallowing deadly poison, and it was the Name that finally cooled him down. He says Śiva leaned on the Name for support, and through it even time and death became his servant rather than his master. He extends this to the belief that at Kāśī, where people go to die, it is the Name alone that truly saves someone, not the place itself. He ends with a sharp line, everything else in life, wealth, relationships, distractions, behaves like a thief stealing your time and attention, while the Name is the one true, faithful companion you can actually count on.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की परमेश्वराच्या नामापेक्षा पवित्र काहीही नाही, आणि याचे उदाहरण म्हणून ते सांगतात की शिव स्वतः हलाहल विष प्यायल्याने जळत होते, आणि शेवटी त्या नामानेच त्यांना शीतल केले. ते सांगतात की शिवांनी नामाचाच आधार घेतला, आणि त्यामुळे काळसुद्धा त्यांचा स्वामी न राहता सेवक बनला. काशीक्षेत्री, जिथे लोक मृत्यूसाठी जातात, तिथेही केवळ नामच खरे तारते असे ते सांगतात, ती जागा नव्हे. शेवटी ते तीक्ष्ण शब्दांत म्हणतात, आयुष्यातील बाकी सगळे, धन, नाती, विचलित करणाऱ्या गोष्टी, हे तुझा वेळ आणि लक्ष चोरणाऱ्या चोरासारखे असतात, तर एकमेव हरिनाम हेच खरे, विश्वासू सोबती आहे.
Where this applies
- When you're overwhelmed by something painful and need something steady to hold onto
- When you're relying on a place, ritual, or possession to save you instead of your own inner practice
- When you notice how much of your time and attention gets stolen by things that don't actually matter
- When you want one reliable practice you can return to no matter what else is falling apart