Abhanga 4489
Tukaram shows that while scholars and yogis cannot capture God through learning or meditation, simple cowherd women hold him easily through pure, sincere love, proving that heartfelt devotion alone reaches God.
The verse
चारी वेद ज्याची कीर्ती वाखाणिती । बांधवी तो हातीं गौळणीच्या ॥१॥
गौळणिया गळा बांधिती धारणीं । पायां चक्रपाणी लागे तया ॥२॥
तयाघरीं रिघे चोरावया लोणी । रितें पाळतूनि शिरे माजी ॥३॥
माजी शिरोनियां नवनीत खाये । कवाड तें आहे जैसें तैसें ॥४॥
जैसा तैसा आहे अंतर्बाह्यात्कारीं । म्हणउनि चोरी नसंपडे ॥५॥
नसंपडे तयां करितां खटपट । वाउगे बोभाट वर्माविण ॥६॥
वर्म जाणती त्या एकल्या एकटा । बैसतील वाटा निरोधूनि ॥७॥
निवांत राहिल्या निःसंग होऊनि । निश्चळि ज्या ध्यानीं कृष्णध्यान ॥८॥
न ये क्षणभरी योगियांचे ध्यानीं । धरिती गौळणी भाविका त्या ॥९॥
भाविका तयांसी येतो काकुलती । शाहाण्या मरती नसंपडे ॥१०॥
नलगे वेचावी टोळी धनानांवें । तुका म्हणें भावें चाड एका ॥११॥
Literal translation
Vedas-praise — gauḷaṇī-bind-him-by-hand; bind-his-neck — Cakra-pāṇī-falls-at-her-feet; steals-butter-from-her-house — empty-watched-sneaks-in; inside-eats-navanīta — door-as-is; antar-bāhya-as-is — chōrī-not-caught; not-caught-by-effort — vain-shouting-without-mark; mark-known-by-those-alone — sit-blocking-paths; quietly-niḥsanga — niścaḷa-Krṣṇa-dhyāna; not-in-yogis'-dhyāna — gauḷaṇī-bhāvika-hold-him; bhāvika-coming-pleading — wise-die-not-caught; no-troops-money — Tukā: bhāva-chāḍa-of-One.
What it means
An 11-verse yamak-bandha celebrating-the-Vedic-Lord-as-bound-by-gauḷaṇī. The paradox: the Vedas spend-eternity-praising-his-glory, but the simple-cowherd-women bind-him-at-the-neck. Chakra-pāṇī (he-who-holds-the-discus, Viṣṇu) falls-at-the-gauḷaṇī's-feet. He steals-butter from their-house — but-because he's-antar-bāhya-the-same (transcends inside-outside), the theft-can't-be-caught. Yogis-can't-touch-him-in-dhyāna, but-the-bhāvika-gauḷaṇī-hold-him. The closing: no-money-no-troops-no-name needed — only bhāva — and chāḍa-of-One (need-of-the-One) is fulfilled. Pair with 4483 (gopī-cluster), 4495 (bāla-līlā-butter-stealing), 4487 (spaṭika-śilā).
For someone today
Tukaram plays with a wonderful contradiction here: the four Vedas spend endless verses praising God's greatness, yet it is the simple cowherd women who manage to catch him and tie him by the neck when he sneaks in to steal their butter. Learned yogis sit in deep meditation for years and still cannot find him there, but the cowherd women, holding nothing but sincere, unguarded love, hold him easily. Tukaram's point is sharp and clear, no amount of scholarship, effort, wealth, or clever strategy can capture God, only genuine, wholehearted feeling can. All you truly need is that one sincere longing.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे एक सुंदर विरोधाभास मांडतात: चारही वेद देवाच्या महतीचे अखंड वर्णन करतात, तरीही साध्या गवळणी त्याला लोणी चोरताना पकडून गळ्याला बांधतात. विद्वान योगी वर्षानुवर्षे ध्यान करूनही त्याला तिथे शोधू शकत नाहीत, पण गवळणी, ज्यांच्याकडे फक्त निखळ, निर्व्याज प्रेमाशिवाय काहीच नाही, त्या त्याला सहज धरतात. तुकारामांचा मुद्दा स्पष्ट आणि तीव्र आहे, कोणतीही विद्वत्ता, मेहनत, संपत्ती किंवा हुशारी देवाला पकडू शकत नाही, फक्त खरी, मनापासूनची भावनाच त्याला पकडू शकते. फक्त तीच एक मनापासूनची ओढ पुरेशी आहे.
Where this applies
- When you are trying to reach a deep spiritual experience through study or technique but feel it slipping away
- When someone with less formal education or status seems to have a more genuine connection to faith than you do
- When you are tempted to think wealth, achievement, or cleverness will bring you closer to God
- When you realize a simple, honest feeling accomplished more than years of careful effort