Abhanga 544

God's protection of the devoted is not a distant legend but something real and ready right now, and Tukaram says devotion itself is the very reason the divine takes form.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A Dīnānātha-brīda-bhakti-cause-of-avatāra abhang. Theological-precision: bhakti is the cause of the avatāra. Five claims:

1. दीनानाथा तुझीं ब्रिदें चराचर — घेसील कैवार शरणागता — Dīnānātha — brīda in cara-acara — kaivāra of śaraṇāgata. The opening-brīda-claim: Dīnānātha (lord-of-the-lowly);Your brīda (epithets, vows-of-honor) in cara-acara (movable-immovable = the whole world);You take the kaivāra (defense, side) of the śaraṇāgata (refuge-taker).Brīda-known-everywhere; defender-of-refuge-takers.

2. पुराणीं जे तुझे गर्जती पवाडे — ते आम्हां रोकडे कळों आले — in purāṇa Your pavāḍa — rōkaḍē for us. The purāṇa-becomes-cash-claim: what thepurāṇa(sacred-stories)garjatī(proclaim, thunder-out) — Yourpavāḍa(great-deeds, exploits); they have comerōkaḍē(cash, ready-cash, real-and-ready) — for us. Sacred-stories-become-personal-cash-experience. (The rōkaḍē image: the pavāḍa of the purāṇa are not just stories from-the-past; for-us-they-are-cash-in-hand-now.)

3. आपुल्या दासांचें न साहासी उणें — उभा त्याकारणें राहिलासी — dāsa's uṇē not borne — standing for him. The standing-for-the-dāsa-claim: You don'tsāhāsī(bear, tolerate) theuṇē(deficiency, lack) of Yourdāsa; for him You have remained-standing (ubhā rāhilāsī). Pandharī-pose-as-eternal-readiness-for-the-dāsa. (The standing-on-brick-pose is now-read as eternal-vigil-for-the-bhakta.)

4. चक्र गदा हातीं आयुधें अपारें — न्यून तेथें पुरें करूं धावें — cakra-gadā in hand — apāra weapons — nyūna — run to make pūrṇa. The weapons-and-running-claim: cakra (discus), gadā (mace) in hand;weapons apāra (without-limit, immeasurable);where there is nyūna (lack, deficiency) — You run (dhāvē) to make it pūrṇa (full, complete).Armed-and-running-to-fill-the-bhakta's-lack.

5. तुका म्हणे तुज भक्तीचें कारण — करावया पूर्ण अवतार — Tuka says: bhakti is Your kāraṇa — to make pūrṇa avatāra. The closing-theological-claim: Tuka says: for You,bhaktiis thekāraṇa(cause, reason); to make theavatāra(incarnation)pūrṇa(complete, full). Bhakti-is-the-cause-of-the-avatāra; the avatāra is for-bhakti-not-bhakti-for-the-avatāra. Theological-precision-of-bhakti-priority. (This is one of the bolder theological-claims: the avatāra exists because-of-bhakti, not the other-way-around.)

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For someone today

Tukaram says God's reputation as protector of the helpless is known throughout all creation, and that reputation is not just an old story, it becomes real and immediate for those who take refuge in it, as real as cash in hand. God cannot bear to see any devotee left lacking, and stands ready, armed and prepared, to run and fill whatever is missing. Tukaram even makes a bold claim: God did not become human out of some separate divine plan, but because of devotion itself, bhakti is the very reason the incarnation happened at all. Your devotion is not incidental to the divine story, it is the point of it.

मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज म्हणतात की गरिबांचा कैवारी म्हणून देवाची कीर्ती संपूर्ण सृष्टीत पसरलेली आहे, आणि ही कीर्ती फक्त जुनी कथा नाही, जे शरण जातात त्यांच्यासाठी ती हातात रोख पैशासारखी खरीखुरी अनुभवाला येते. आपल्या भक्ताला काही कमी पडलेले देवाला सहन होत नाही, आणि तो शस्त्रसज्ज होऊन ती उणीव भरून काढायला धावायला तयार असतो. तुकाराम एक धाडसी विधानही करतात, देव कुठल्या वेगळ्या योजनेमुळे मानवी रूपात आला नाही, तर भक्तीमुळेच अवतार घडला. तुमची भक्ती ही देवाच्या कथेत केवळ एक भाग नाही, ती त्या कथेचे मूळ कारण आहे.

Where this applies

• Brīdaincara-acara. Universal-vow.
• Purāṇa-pavāḍa—rōkaḍē. Past-as-present.
• Dāsa-uṇē — running. Pandharī-as-readiness.
• Bhakti—kāraṇa of avatāra. Theological-priority.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4581 — Tukaram closes his songs by confessing his own unworthiness and boldness, offering everyth
• Abhanga 4182 — Steady, patient longing combined with trust in the protector's own promise to protect is w
• Abhanga 4532 — The Lord embraces everyone without asking their status, and the devotion of his devotees p
• Abhanga 4568 — God bears his devotees' burdens on his own head and stands guard over them, so their heart