Abhanga 517

In this abhang, Tukaram does something unusual: instead of asking anything for himself, he asks the divine for a disciple who will carry his mission forward after he is gone. He doesn't want just any follower; he wants someone bold and spiritually grounded, whose reputation reaches far, and who will one day stand at Vitthal's temple door calling out Tuka's own name. It is a picture of legacy: what you build in devotion should be handed to someone strong enough to protect and continue it, not left to fade away. Real successors aren't small or timid, and it is right to hope for people who will carry your work forward with courage and conviction.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A give-me-such-a-śiṣya-petition abhang. Unusual register: Tukaram asks the deva for a future-disciple who will carry his vrata. Four claims:

1. कृपा करावी भगवंतें — ऐसा शिष्य द्यावा मातें — Bhagavanta show kṛpā — give me such a śiṣya. The opening-petition: Bhagavanta — showkṛpā; give me such aśiṣya (disciple).Don't-want-anything-else — but-give-me-this-one-specific-thing.The bhakta asks not for himself but for a successor.

2. माझें व्रत जो चालवी — त्यासि द्यावें त्वां पालवी — the one who carries my vrata — give him pālavī. The vrata-carrier-claim: the one whocālavī(continues, carries-forward) myvrata(vow, mission); give himpālavī(the cover-cloth, the protective-mantle). Mantle-of-protection-for-the-vrata-carrier. Pālavī is the cloth-corner-of-the-mother's-sari that the child holds onto for safety.

3. व्हावा ब्रम्हज्ञानी गुंडा — तिहीं लोकीं ज्याचा झेंडा — should be brahmajñānī-guṇḍa — whose jhēmḍā in tihīm-loka. The aspiration-claim: should be abrahmajñānī-guṇḍa(a knowledge-of-brahma bully = a forceful-bhakti-warrior with knowledge); whosejhēmḍā(flag, banner) flies in thetihīm-loka(three worlds). Bold-aspiration: the disciple should be a brahma-knower-and-fighter whose-flag-is-known-in-the-three-worlds. Don't ask for a small-disciple.

4. तुका तुका हाका मारी — माझ्या विठोबाच्या द्वारीं — calls Tuka-Tuka — at my Viṭhōbā's door. The closing-scene: the disciple callsTuka-Tuka(calls-Tuka-by-name); at myViṭhōbā's door. Disciple-calls-Tukaram-at-Viṭhōbā's-door. The future scene: a disciple loud-and-bold standing at Pandharī's-temple-door calling Tuka's-name.

[T]

For someone today

In this abhang, Tukaram does something unusual: instead of asking anything for himself, he asks the divine for a disciple who will carry his mission forward after he is gone. He doesn't want just any follower; he wants someone bold and spiritually grounded, whose reputation reaches far, and who will one day stand at Vitthal's temple door calling out Tuka's own name. It is a picture of legacy: what you build in devotion should be handed to someone strong enough to protect and continue it, not left to fade away. Real successors aren't small or timid, and it is right to hope for people who will carry your work forward with courage and conviction.

मराठी: या अभंगात तुकाराम एक वेगळीच गोष्ट करतात, स्वतःसाठी काहीही न मागता ते देवाकडे असा शिष्य मागतात जो त्यांच्यानंतर त्यांचं व्रत पुढे चालवेल. त्यांना कुठलाही सामान्य अनुयायी नको आहे, त्यांना हवा आहे असा शिष्य जो धाडसी असेल, ज्ञानी असेल, ज्याची कीर्ती तिन्ही लोकांत पोहोचेल, आणि जो एक दिवस विठोबाच्या दारात उभा राहून तुकारामाचं नाव घेऊन हाक मारेल. ही एक वारसा देण्याची कल्पना आहे, तुम्ही भक्तीने जे उभं केलं आहे ते इतकं सामर्थ्यवान कुणाकडे तरी सोपवायला हवं की ते टिकून राहील, विरून जाणार नाही. खरे वारसदार लहान किंवा भित्रे नसतात, त्यांच्याकडून धाडस आणि खात्री अपेक्षित असते.

Where this applies

• Ask deva for śiṣya. Right-disciple-gift.
• Vrata-carrier getspālavī. Mantle-of-protection.
• Bold-aspiration: brahma-bully + flag. Don't-ask-small.
• Disciple calls Tuka at door. Loud-bold-future.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is
• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2459 — Liberation does not have to be earned through grueling effort or endless searching; it is