Abhanga 419

When you call out sincerely, this protecting mother runs to help without weighing your flaws, so fear of harm or death has no real hold on you.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A clan-deity-rescues-all-classical-bhaktas ḍānkā abhang. Within the ḍānkā cluster. Eight claims:

1. खेचर खडतर — काळ कांपती असुर — नांदे भीमातीर पंढरपुर पाटणीं — Khēcara, khaḍatara — kāḷa-asuras tremble — dwells at Bhīmā-tīra Pandharpur paṭṇī. The opening-image: Khēcara (the sky-walker / Viṭhobā as cosmic-deity)—terrible—kāḷa-asuras tremble;dwells at Bhīmā-tīra Pandharpur paṭṇī. Pandhari-Viṭhāī as terror to asuras.

2. आतां करी कां रे हाकारा — सहस्र नामें एकसरा — दवडिते खेचरा अंगसंगें धरूनी — make hākārā now — sahasra-nāmas at once — chases khēcara by anga-sanga. The invocation-mechanism: make thehākārā(calling-cry) now; thesahasra-nāmas(thousand-names) all at once; (She) chases thekhēcara(here = the afflicting-spirit) — byanga-sanga(body-touch). The deity descends and chases by body-presence.

3-7. [Classical-rescue-list] — Sītā in Vāsugī's vana, hair-loose Mother came; Prahlāda from Mahiṣāsura, gnashing teeth into ranga; Vasudeva's seven sons eaten by Kāla, came at bhōga-vēḷē; Pāṇḍavas wandering-mad, drew out by body-touch. The list-of-classical-rescues: every famous bhakta-rescue — Sītā, Prahlāda, Vasudeva, Pāṇḍavas — performed by this kuḷa-devatā. (Note: in classical Sītā-rescue, it is Hanumat / Rāma; here Tukaram credits the kuḷa-devatā / Viṭhāī for all rescues. Same with Prahlāda, who was classically rescued by Narasimha.)

1. नामाचें चिंतन तेथें धांवते आपण — न विचारितां हीण — भाव देखे जयाचा — nāma-cintana — She runs Herself — without considering hīṇa — sees whose bhāva. The bhāva-test claim: wherenāma-cintana(name-meditation) is, She runs Herself; without consideringhīṇa(deficiency), She sees whosebhāva. No-deficiency-test, only bhāva-test.

2. कुळीची कुळदेवता तुका म्हणे आम्हां माता — काय भय भूतां काळ यमदूताचें — clan-deity, Tuka says — our mātā — what fear of bhūta, kāḷa, yama-dūta? The closing-claim: the clan-deity, our mother; what fear ofbhūta(ghosts),kāḷa(death),yama-dūta(death's-messengers)? Mother-protected from all death-and-evil.

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram gathers up some of the most famous rescue stories in Indian tradition, Sita's ordeal, Prahlada saved from a demon, Vasudeva's children, the Pandavas' distress, and says the same protecting mother stands behind every one of them. He does not ask you to prove you deserve rescue first; the text says she runs to you without weighing your flaws, she looks only at your sincerity. Calling out her many names and trusting her presence is what chases fear away, whether that fear is of ghosts, death, or whatever is stalking you. Because this protector is claimed as family, as mother, Tukaram says there is nothing left to be afraid of.

मराठी: तुकाराम भारतीय परंपरेतील काही सर्वात प्रसिद्ध रक्षणकथा एकत्र आणतात, सीतेची कसोटी, प्रल्हादाला राक्षसापासून वाचवणे, वसुदेवाची मुले, पांडवांचे संकट, आणि सांगतात की या सगळ्यांमागे तीच एक रक्षणकर्ती माता उभी आहे. ती तुम्हाला आधी लायकी सिद्ध करायला सांगत नाही, ओवीत म्हटले आहे की ती तुमचे दोष न मोजता धावत येते, ती फक्त तुमचा भाव पाहते. तिची अनेक नावे घेणे आणि तिच्या उपस्थितीवर विश्वास ठेवणे हेच भीती पळवून लावते, मग ती भीती भुताची असो, मृत्यूची असो, किंवा कशाचीही असो. ही रक्षणकर्ती आपली स्वतःची माता आहे असे मानले की, तुकाराम म्हणतात, मग भ्यायला काहीच उरत नाही.

Where this applies

• Viṭhāī terrifies asuras. Active-protector.
• Sahasra-nāmasandanga-sanga chase affliction. Mechanism.
• All classical-rescues to clan-deity. Anti-fragmentation.
• Runs without considering hīṇa. Bhāva-test only.
• No fear with Mother. Total protection.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 4497 — Tukaram describes a life so soaked in devotion that Krishna's presence fills every ordinar
• Abhanga 3808 — Seize this joy of devotion boldly and without hesitation, because in that wholehearted sur