संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 279 of 4582

Abhanga 279

This abhang names the right-shape of asking-petition:

When you've been worried that asking-for-fulfillment depletes the Source — and the abhang says Ganga is not lessened
When my desire is small and you are the king of the generous — and you accept this asymmetry
When the kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-glance is what you ask — and you receive this prayer-form

The verse

तान्हेल्याची धणी । फिटे गंगा नव्हे उणी ॥१॥ माझे मनोरथ सिद्धी । पाववावे कृपानिधी ॥ध्रु.॥ तूं तों उदाराचा राणा । माझी अल्प चि वासना ॥२॥ कृपादृष्टीं पाहें । तुका म्हणे होईं साहे ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: The thirsty's full-drinking — the Ganga is not made lesser. Fulfill my desires, kṛpā-nidhi. You are the udārā-rāṇā; my vāsanā is small. Look with kṛpā-dṛṣṭi. Tuka says: be the sāhe.

मराठी: तान्हेल्याची धणी — फिटे गंगा नव्हे उणी. माझे मनोरथ सिद्धी पाववावे कृपानिधी. तूं तों उदाराचा राणा — माझी अल्प चि वासना. कृपादृष्टीं पाहें — तुकाराम म्हणतात — होईं साहे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
तान्हेल्याची धणी "the tānhalī (thirsty)'s dhaṇī (full-drinking)"
फिटे गंगा नव्हे उणी "fits (= happens / is met) — the Ganga is not made uṇī (lesser)"
माझे मनोरथ सिद्धी पाववावे कृपानिधी "fulfill my manōratha — kṛpā-nidhi (treasure-of-grace)"
तूं तों उदाराचा राणा "you are the udārā-rāṇā (king-of-the-generous)"
माझी अल्प चि वासना "my vāsanā is small"
कृपादृष्टीं पाहें "look with kṛpā-dṛṣṭi (grace-glance)"
तुका म्हणे होईं साहे "Tuka says: be the sāhe (help / supporter)"

What it means

A short prayer abhang. Three claims:

  1. तान्हेल्याची धणी — फिटे गंगा नव्हे उणी — the thirsty's full-drinking — the Ganga is not lessened. The abundance-frame. The thirsty's complete-satisfaction (= dhaṇī phitē — full-drinking fulfilled) does not lessen the Ganga. The Source-supply is unaffected by the bhakta's drinking-full. (Compare 157's cosmic-cow whose milk doesn't fit in three worlds.)

  2. माझे मनोरथ सिद्धी पाववावे कृपानिधी — fulfill my desires, kṛpā-nidhi. Direct petition to the kṛpā-nidhi (treasure-of-grace).

  3. तूं तों उदाराचा राणा — माझी अल्प चि वासना — you are the king-of-the-generous; my desire is small. The asymmetry-claim. You are vast in generosity; my desire is small. The small-vāsanā can be fulfilled by the king-of-generosity without strain.

  4. कृपादृष्टीं पाहें — तुका म्हणे होईं साहे — look with kṛpā-dṛṣṭi; Tuka says: be (my) help. The closing-petition. Look (= attend to me) with grace-glance; be the sāhe (help / supporter / sustainer). The bhakta does not specify the form of help; just asks the deity to be the sāhe.

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For someone today

This abhang names the right-shape of asking-petition:

  1. Recognize the abundance-frame. Tānhaliyācī dhaṇī — Gangā navhē uṇī. Your asking does not deplete the Source. Don't hold back from asking on the assumption that asking-takes-from-others. The Ganga is not lessened.

  2. Direct petition with naming. Mājhē manōratha siddhī pāvavāve, kṛpā-nidhi. Name the asking and the addressed. Don't beat around the bush; don't disguise the asking as something else.

  3. Honest asymmetry: large generosity, small desire. Tūm tōm udārāchā rāṇā — mājhī alpa chi vāsanā. Honestly recognize the asymmetry: the deity's generosity is vast; your desire is small. Don't inflate your desire to match the largeness; don't shrink the largeness to match your desire. Both stand as they are.

  4. Ask for the kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-glance, not the specific outcome. Kṛpā-dṛṣṭīm pāhē. The bhakta asks for the glance of grace, not for specific deliverables. (Compare 219's deva knows your āvaḍī — don't specify.)

  5. Ask the deity to be the sāhe* (help / sustainer). Tukā mhaṇē — hōīm sāhe. The general-petition: be my supporter. The deity figures out what kind of help; the bhakta just asks for the role*.

For today: when asking the deity / a real-presence for help, follow this shape: recognize abundance; ask directly; honest-asymmetry; ask for grace-glance; ask for the sāhe-role. The small-vāsanā can be fulfilled without depleting the Ganga.

मराठी: ही ओवी asking-petition चं right-shape नाव सांगते:

  1. Abundance-frame ओळखा. तान्हेल्याची धणी — गंगा नव्हे उणी. तुमचं asking Source ला deplete करत नाही. Asking-takes-from-others या गृहीतावर asking hold back करू नका. Ganga lessened होत नाही.

  2. Direct petition with naming. माझे मनोरथ सिद्धी पाववावे, कृपानिधी. Asking आणि addressed name करा. फिरू-फिरून बोलू नका; asking दुसरं काही म्हणून disguise करू नका.

  3. Honest asymmetry: large generosity, small desire. तूं तों उदाराचा राणा — माझी अल्प चि वासना. Honestly asymmetry recognize करा: देवाची generosity vast; तुमची desire small. Largeness match करायला desire inflate करू नका; desire match करायला largeness shrink करू नका. दोन्ही जसे आहेत तसे.

  4. Kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-glance मागा, specific outcome नाही. कृपादृष्टीं पाहें. Bhakta grace-glance मागतो, specific deliverables नाही.

  5. देवाला sāhe* (help / sustainer)-role मागा. होईं साहे. General-petition: माझा supporter हो. देव कोणत्या प्रकारची help figure out करतो; bhakta फक्त role मागतो*.

आज: देव / real-presence कडून help मागताना, हा shape follow करा: abundance recognize करा; directly मागा; honest-asymmetry; grace-glance मागा; sāhe-role मागा. Small-vāsanā Ganga deplete न करता fulfill होऊ शकते.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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