संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 44 of 4582

Abhanga 44

English: This abhang inverts a modern assumption. We are taught that supply comes from effort, extraction, leverage — that you must take what you need from finite sources. Tukaram is naming a different economy: surrender is the access to the infinite source. The position of बळिये भले शरणागत — strong well-placed surrendered ones — is not a paradox; it is bhakti's plain teaching that the resourceful position is the surrendered one. The kāmadhenu does not run out. The plate refills.

When you think surrender means give up — and you have to learn it is the access to a different economy

When you're trying to extract supply from finite sources (career, relationships, savings) — and you have to ask whether the surrendered position has access to a different store

When you find yourself unexpectedly resourced after a real surrender — and you have to recognize the kamadhenu mechanism

The verse

ब्रम्हादिक जया लाभासि ठेंगणे । बळिये आम्ही भले शरणागत ॥१॥ कामनेच्या त्यागें भजनाचा लाभ । जाला पद्मनाभ सेवाॠणी ॥ध्रु.॥ कामधेनूचिया क्षीरा पार नाहीं । इच्छेचिये वाही वरुषावे ॥२॥ बैसलिये ठायीं लागलें भरतें । त्रिपुटीवरतें भेदी ऐसें ॥३॥ हरि नाहीं आम्हां विष्णुदासां जगीं । नारायण अंगीं विसावला ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे बहु लाटे हें भोजन । नाहीं रिता कोण राहत राहों ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: Even Brahma and the (other gods) stoop for this gain — we are the strong, surrendered ones, well-placed. By abandoning desire (we obtain) the gain of bhajan; Padmanabha has become a debtor of (our) service. The Kāmadhenu's milk has no limit; let it rain (according to) wish. Where I sit, the tide flows in — such that it pierces beyond the triputi. We Vishnu-servants have no Hari (apart from us); Narayana rests in our body. Tuka says: this meal heaves in waves; no one stays empty.

मराठी: ब्रह्मादिकही या लाभाला झुकतात — आम्ही बलवान, चांगले शरणागत आहोत. कामनेच्या त्यागाने भजनाचा लाभ; पद्मनाभ सेवाॠणी झाला. कामधेनूच्या क्षीराला पार नाही; इच्छेनुसार वाहो. जिथे बसतो तिथे भरतं लागतं — त्रिपुटीच्या वरही भेदून जाणारं. आम्हा विष्णुदासांना (वेगळा) हरि नाही; नारायण अंगात विसावला. तुकाराम म्हणतात — हे भोजन भरपूर लाटांनी वाहतं; कुणी रिकामं राहत नाही.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
ब्रम्हादिक जया लाभासि ठेंगणे	"even Brahma and others stoop for this gain"
बळिये आम्ही भले शरणागत	"we are the strong — surrendered ones, well-placed"
कामनेच्या त्यागें	"by abandoning desire"
जाला पद्मनाभ सेवाॠणी	"Padmanabha has become the debtor-of-service" (पद्मनाभ = Vishnu; ॠणी = debtor)
कामधेनूचिया क्षीरा पार नाहीं	"the Kāmadhenu's milk has no limit" (कामधेनू = wish-fulfilling cow)
बैसलिये ठायीं लागलें भरतें	"where I sit, the tide flows in"
त्रिपुटीवरतें भेदी ऐसें	"such that it pierces beyond the triputi (the threefold knot of knower/knowing/known)"
बहु लाटे हें भोजन	"this meal heaves in waves"
नाहीं रिता कोण	"no one (stays) empty"

What it means

The abhang's structural claim is surrender-as-access. बळिये आम्ही भले शरणागत — we are the strong, surrendered ones, well-placed — frames surrender not as weakness but as the position from which the inexhaustible supply becomes available. The kāmadhenu (wish-cow) gives endlessly; the bhakta's plate is filled by tide. पद्मनाभ सेवाॠणी — Padmanabha is debtor of service — is the role-reversal: the deity owes the bhakta. [T] [Tradition]

For someone today

English: This abhang inverts a modern assumption. We are taught that supply comes from effort, extraction, leverage — that you must take what you need from finite sources. Tukaram is naming a different economy: surrender is the access to the infinite source. The position of बळिये भले शरणागत — strong well-placed surrendered ones — is not a paradox; it is bhakti's plain teaching that the resourceful position is the surrendered one. The kāmadhenu does not run out. The plate refills.

मराठी: ही ओवी आधुनिक गृहीतकाला उलटवते. आम्हाला शिकवलं आहे की पुरवठा प्रयत्न, उत्खनन, leverage मधून येतो — मर्यादित source कडून घ्यायला लागतो. तुकाराम वेगळं अर्थव्यवस्था सांगत आहेत: शरणागती ही अमर्याद source ची access आहे. बळिये भले शरणागत ही stand अंतर्विरोध नाही; bhakti चा सोपा शिकवण — resourceful position म्हणजे शरणागत position. कामधेनू संपत नाही. पात्र पुन्हा भरतं.

Where this applies

When you think surrender means give up. Tukaram's reframe: surrender is access to a different economy.
When you're trying to extract from finite sources. Ask whether the surrendered position would resource you from somewhere else.
When you find yourself unexpectedly resourced after surrender. Note the mechanism — the kāmadhenu — and trust it.