The Abhang – Amruthani Goed, by Sant Namdeo, a revered Marathi saint-poet, describes that chanting God’s name is the highest spiritual practice.
Verse 1
अमृताहूनि गोड नाम तुझें देवा ।
मन माझें केशवा कां बा न घे
Amrutāhūni goḍ nām tuje devā |
Man māje Keshavā kāṅ bā na ghe ||1||
Tranlation: O God, your name is sweeter than nectar. O Keshava, why does my mind not accept it and recite it?
Word to Word Meaning
- अमृताहूनि (Amrutāhūni) – than nectar
- गोड (Goḍ) – sweet
- नाम (Nām) – name
- तुझें (Tujhe) – your
- देवा (Devā) – O God
- मन (Man) – mind
- माझें (Mājhe) – my
- केशवा (Keshavā) – O Keshava (Krishna/Vishnu)
- कां (Kāṅ) – why
- बा (Bā) – indeed / pray tell
- न घे (Na ghe) – does not accept / take
Verse 2
सांग पंढरिराया काय करुं यासी ।
कां रूप ध्यानासि न ये तुझें ॥२॥
Sāṅg Paṇḍharirāyā kāy karūn yāsī |
Kāṅ rūp dhyānāsī na ye tuje ||2||
Translation: O Lord of Pandharpur, tell me what I should do about this. Why does your form not appear in my meditation?
Word to Word Meaning
- सांग (Sāṅg) – tell
- पंढरिराया (Paṇḍharirāyā) – O Lord of Pandharpur (Vitthal)
- काय (Kāy) – what
- करुं (Karūn) – shall I do
- यासी (Yāsī) – about this
- कां (Kāṅ) – why
- रूप (Rūp) – form
- ध्यानासि (Dhyānāsī) – in meditation
- न ये (Na ye) – does not come
- तुझें (Tujhe) – your
Verse 3
किर्तनीं बैसतां निद्रे नागविलें ।
मन माझें गुंतलें विषयसुखा ॥३॥
Kīrtanīṁ baisatāṁ nidre nāgavileṁ |
Man māje guntaleṁ viṣayasukhā ||3||
Translation: While sitting in kirtan, sleep overcomes me. My mind remains entangled in worldly pleasures.
Word to Word Meaning
- किर्तनीं (Kīrtanīṁ) – in kirtan / devotional singing
- बैसतां (Baisatāṁ) – while sitting
- निद्रे (Nidre) – sleep
- नागविलें (Nāgavileṁ) – attacks / troubles
- मन (Man) – mind
- माझें (Mājhe) – my
- गुंतलें (Guntaleṁ) – entangled
- विषयसुखा (Viṣayasukhā) – in worldly pleasures
Verse 4
हरिदास गर्जती हरिनामाच्या कीर्ति ।
न ये माझ्या चित्तीं नामा म्हणे ॥४॥
Haridās garjatī Harināmāchyā kīrti |
Na ye mājhyā chittīṁ Nāmā mhaṇe ||4||
Translation: The devotees loudly proclaim the glory of Hari’s name. Yet it does not enter my heart, says Namdeo.
Word to Word Meaning
- हरिदास (Haridās) – devotees of Hari
- गर्जती (Garjatī) – loudly proclaim / roar
- हरिनामाच्या (Harināmāchyā) – of Hari’s name
- कीर्ति (Kīrti) – glory
- न ये (Na ye) – does not come
- माझ्या (Mājhyā) – into my
- चित्तीं (Chittīṁ) – heart / mind
- नामा (Nāmā) – Namdeo
- म्हणे (Mhaṇe) – says
– Translation by Vaishali Koparkar and Prasad Koparkar.
