True Worship

नये जरी तुज मधुर उत्तर । दिधला सुस्वर नाहीं देवें ॥१॥

If you cannot sing sweet melodies, know that God did not give you a fine voice without reason. Vitthal does not hunger f…

जया नाहीं नेम एकादशीव्रत । जाणावें तें प्रेत शव लोकीं ॥१॥

One who does not observe the Ekadashi vow should be known as a walking corpse in this world. Death counts his days at ev…

करावी ते पूजा मनें चि उत्तम । लौकिकाचें काम काय असे ॥१॥

The best worship is done with a sincere mind; what use is worship performed only for public show? The One who knows the …

एकादशीव्रत सोमवार न करिती । कोण त्यांची गति होइल नेणों ॥१॥

Those who do not keep the Ekadashi vow or observe the Monday fast, who can tell what will become of them? What can I do?…

वळितें जें गाई । त्यासि फार लागे काई ॥१॥

A cow that yields milk willingly needs very little coaxing. God is pleased by words spoken with genuine feeling; one sin…

कंठीं कृष्णमणी । नाहीं अशुभ ते वाणी ॥१॥

One who does not wear the sacred tulsi beads at the throat, whose speech holds nothing auspicious, whether man or woman,…

वक्त्या आधीं मान । गंध अक्षता पूजन । श्रोता यति जाला जाण । तरी त्या नाहीं उचित ॥…

The speaker should be honored first with sandalwood paste, sacred rice, and worship. If a listener has taken the vow of …

काय कशी करिती गंगा । भीतरिं चांगा नाहीं तो ॥१॥

What can the Ganga do for one who is impure within? A grain that is uncooked and rotten on the inside cannot serve in an…

केला मातीचा पशुपति । परि मातीसि काय म्हणती । शिवपूजा शिवासी पावे । माती मातीमाजी…

They make Shiva's image out of clay, but can clay be called Shiva? The worship of Shiva reaches Shiva, while the clay re…

एकादशीस अन्न पान । जे नर करिती भोजन । श्वानविष्ठे समान । अधम जन तो एक ॥१॥

Those who eat food on Ekadashi are the lowest of people, no better than dog's filth. But hear the glory of this sacred v…

येथीचिया अळंकारें । काय खरें पूजन ॥१॥

What true worship can be done with the ornaments of this world? Let us set our sights on the path to Vaikuntha; all our …

पूजा समाधानें । अतिशयें वाढे सीण ॥१॥

True worship lies in contentment; excessive effort only increases suffering. You saints know this well; what has been sp…

तम भज्याय ते बुरा जिकीर ते करे । सीर काटे ऊर कुटे ताहां सब डरे ॥१॥

Those who worship in darkness are wretched, but those who remember God with devotion cut off the head, beat the breast, …

ऐक सांगतों एका भावें । सांपडे घरीं तें जीवउनि खावें । रे विठ्ठल ॥१॥

Listen, I tell you plainly: eat with gratitude whatever falls into your hands at home. Tilak-marks, rosaries, and saintl…

आहा रे भाई । गंगा नव्हे जळ । वृक्ष नव्हे वड पिंपळ । तुळसी रुद्राक्ष नव्हे माळ । …

The Ganga is not mere water. The banyan and the pipal are not ordinary trees. The rosary of tulsi or rudraksha is not a …

भाव देवाचें उचित । भाव तोचि भगवंत ॥१॥

Sincere devotion is the only offering God accepts; devotion itself is the Lord. Blessed, truly blessed is that pure disp…

काय दरा करील वन । समाधान नाहीं जंव ॥1॥

What can caves or forests do when there is no inner peace? Are there not plenty of creatures already dwelling there? Wha…

जें जें जेथें पावे । तें तें समर्पावें सेवे ॥1॥

Whatever comes at any moment, offer it in service. This is what is truly called worship: to swallow one's ego willingly.…

चहूं आश्रमांचे धर्म । न राखतां जोडे कर्म ॥1॥

The duties of the four stages of life, if not observed, bring karmic consequence. But simple, heartfelt devotion is diff…

मनोमय पूजा । हे चि पढीयें केशीराजा ॥1॥

The worship of the mind alone is what pleases Keshiraja. He accepts the offerings of imagination; outward show does not …

वर्णाश्रम करिसी चोख । तरि तूं पावसी उत्तम लोक ॥1॥

If you observe the duties of your caste and stage of life with care, you will reach a good destination. But you do not k…

शुद्ध चर्या हें चि संताचें पूजन । लागत चि धन नाहीं वित्त ॥1॥

Pure conduct itself is the worship of the saints. It does not cost any wealth or money. In the manner of the devotee in …

आधारावांचुनी । काय सांगसी काहाणी ॥1॥

Without a foundation, why do you go on telling stories? Until you know the Lord of Pandhari, everything is empty air. Wh…

न वजे वांयां कांहीं ऐकतां हरिकथा । आपण करितां वांयां न वजे ॥1॥

Nothing is wasted by hearing Hari's story. Nothing is wasted by taking part in it yourself. Nothing is wasted by going t…

अवघ्या उपचारा । एक मनें चि दातारा ॥1॥

All worship is rendered through the mind alone, O Generous One. Accept this service of mine, a poor man's offering to yo…

अंतरींचें ध्यान । मुख्य या नांवें पूजन ॥1॥

Meditation within the heart is the truest worship. All disturbance is sin, and it is sweet to dissolve all mental resolv…

भिIयापत्र अवलंबणें । जळो जिणें लाजिरवाणें । ऐसियासी नारायणें । उपेक्षीजे सर्वथा …

To rely on letters of recommendation and to live a shameful, dependent life: Narayana must surely forsake such a one. If…

न लगे देशकाळ । मंत्रविधानें सकळ । मनें चि निश्चळ । करूनि करुणा भाकावी ॥1॥

No special time, place, or ritual is needed. Simply make the mind steady and cry out to God. He comes to wherever you ar…

निर्वैर होणें साधनाचें मूळ । येर ते विल्हाळ सांडीमांडी ॥1॥

To become free of enmity is the root of all spiritual practice; everything else is mere play and pretense. Outward perfo…

चिंतनासी न लगे वेळ । सर्व काळ करावें ॥1॥

Contemplation requires no special hour; it should be done at all times. Blessed is the mouth that always speaks the name…

कुशळ वHा नव्हे जाणीव श्रोता । राहे भाव चित्ता धरूनियां ॥1॥

He is not the clever speaker, nor the learned listener. He simply holds devotion within his heart. Blessed is he in this…

सोंगें छंदें कांहीं । देव जोडे ऐसें नाहीं ॥1॥

God cannot be attained through pretense or indulgence. Discard all that is worthless; remove the veil from before your e…

जैसें दावी तैसा राहे । तरि कां देव दुरी आहे ॥1॥

If one lives as one preaches, then God is not far away at all. The root of suffering is that outward conduct and inner t…

पंडित तो चि एक भला । नित्य भजे जो विठ्ठला ॥1॥

The only pandit truly worthy of praise is the one who worships Vitthal daily. He sees all as equal Brahman, recognizing …

यYानिमित्त तें शरिरासी बंधन । कां रे तृष्णा वांयांविण वाढविली ॥1॥

Rituals only bind the body further; why have you needlessly nourished craving? Such devotion does not lead to the other …

कासियानें पूजा करूं केशीराजा । हा चि संदेह माझा फेडीं आतां ॥1॥

With what shall I worship you, O Lord of Keshi? Resolve this doubt of mine. If I bathe you with water, that water is alr…

जाऊनियां तीर्था काय तुवां केलें । चर्म प्रक्षािळलें वरीं वरीं ॥1॥

What have you accomplished by visiting a holy place? You have only washed the skin on the surface. By what means has the…

लापनिकशब्दें नातुडे हा देव । मनिंचे गुहए भाव शुद्ध बोला ॥1॥

God cannot be reached through cunning speech. Speak the pure truth of your innermost heart. The Supreme Bliss knows the …

वेचावें तें जीवें । पूजा घडे ऐशा नावें ॥1॥

One should spend one's very life; only then can worship truly happen. Forced labor remains forced labor, and Hari within…

काय धोविलें बाहेरी मन मळलें अंतरीं । गादलें जन्मवरीं असत्यकाटें काटलें ॥1॥

Why do you wash the outside when the mind is soiled within? You have been plastered over with falsehood since birth. You…

नाहीं देवापाशीं मोक्षाचे गांठोळें । आणूनि निराळें द्यावें हातीं ॥1॥

God does not keep bundles of liberation in a separate storeroom to hand over to you. When the senses are conquered and t…

तजिलें भेटवी आणूनि वासना । दाविल्याचे जना काय काज ॥1॥

That which was renounced, desire brings back again. What use is it to display renunciation to the world? Call upon God w…

पाहुनियां ग्रंथ करावें कीर्तन । तेव्हां आलें जाण फळ त्याचें ॥1॥

Study the scripture and then perform kirtan; only then does the scripture bear its fruit. Otherwise, all the recitation …

कथनी पठणी करूनि काय । वांचुनि रहणी वांयां जाय ॥1॥

What use is mere recitation and study without living it? Without true practice, everything goes to waste. Sweet words on…

कथाकाळींची मर्यादा सांगतों ते भावें वंदा । प्रीतीने गोविंदा हें चि एक आवडे ॥1॥

Hear the etiquette of the sacred gathering; I shall tell it, so receive it with devotion. What Govinda loves is this alo…

एका बोटाची निशाणी । परीपाख नाहीं मनीं ॥1॥

A mark is made with one finger, but there is no real testing in the mind. Then it is all a performance, an embrace witho…

पाहातां ठायाठाव । जातो अंतरोनि देव ॥1॥

When you look for God in place after place, He recedes into the distance. One should not get lost in judging qualities a…

देवाच्या उद्देशें जेथें जेथें भाव । तो तो वसे ठाव विश्वंभरें ॥1॥

Wherever devotion is directed toward God, there the Lord of the Universe makes His abode. When the impulses of greed hav…

लौकिकासाटीं या पसा†याचा गोवा । कांहीं नाहीं देवा लागों येत ॥1॥

The entanglement of ritual formality for the sake of appearances is of no use to God. The head once bowed at His feet sh…

आपुलें आपण जाणावें स्वहित । जेणें राहे चित्त समाधान ॥1॥

One should know one's own welfare for oneself: that which brings the mind to contentment. Maya is scattered in many colo…

लटिकें तें Yाान लटिकें ते ध्यान । जरि हरिकिर्तन िप्रय नाहीं ॥1॥

That knowledge is false, that meditation is false, if one has no love for Hari's kirtan. It is all mere pretense, a shop…

कासिया पाषाण पूजिती पितळ । अष्ट धातु खळ भावें विण ॥1॥

Why worship stone, brass, or alloys of eight metals if there is no devotion behind it? Feeling alone is the cause; feeli…

कां न वजावें बैसोनि कथे । ऐसें ऐका हो श्रोते । पांडुरंग तेथें । उभा असे तिष्ठत ॥…

Why not sit and attend the sacred narrative? Listen, O devotees: Panduranga Himself stands present there. Therefore have…

ज्यासी नावडे एकादशी । तो जिता चि नरकवासी॥1॥

One who does not observe Ekadashi lives in hell even while alive. One who does not cherish this sacred vow is feared eve…

थोर ती गळाली पाहिजे अहंता । उपदेश घेतां सुख वाटे ॥1॥

First, the great burden of ego must fall away; only then does receiving instruction bring joy. Memorizing scriptures by …

आवडीची सलगी पूजा । विषम दुजा भाव तो ॥1॥

Loving familiarity is the truest worship; formality and distance are signs of a divided heart. These are upside-down tru…

शHी द्याव्या देवा । नाहीं पदार्थी सेवा ॥1॥

Offer your full strength to God; true service lies not in material offerings alone. This is the highest law of dharma; t…

काहे लकडा घांस कटावे । खोद हि जुमीन मठ बनावे ॥1॥

Why do you chop wood and cut grass? Why do you dig the earth and build monasteries? Temples offer only the shade of a tr…

देवाची पूजा हे भूताचें पाळण । मत्सर तो सीण बहुतांचा ॥1॥

True worship of God is the nurturing of all living beings. Envy is the source of suffering for many. One should be angry…

 भावभिHवादें करावें कीर्तन । आशाबधी मन करूं नये ॥1॥

Perform kirtan with sincere devotion and feeling. Do not let the mind become bound by desire. Food, water, wealth, and r…

 इंिद्रयांसी नेम नाहीं । मुखीं राम ह्मणोनि काइऩ ॥1॥

When the senses are not disciplined, what use is it to chant Rama with the mouth? It is like food cooked with a fly in i…

 मुखें संति इंिद्रयें जती । आणिक नेणे भाव भHी॥1॥

Restraining the mouth is saintliness; restraining the senses is austerity. Beyond these, one need know no other devotion…

काय बा करिशी सोवळें ओवळें । मन नाहीं निर्मळ वाउगें चि ॥1॥

What use is your ritual purity and impurity when the mind is not clean? It is all in vain. What use is carrying a load o…

ग्रासोग्रासीं भाव । तरी देहिं च जेवी देव ॥1॥

If with every morsel you hold devotion, then God Himself dines with you in the body. Hold to that remembrance which is t…