Abhanga 813
Once you have truly surrendered yourself into God's care, like a child in its mother's hands, you do not need to know the outcome yourself, because the one holding you already knows.
The verse
जननी हे जाणे बाळकाचें वर्म । सुख दुःख धर्म जें जें कांहीं ॥१॥ अंधापुढें जेणें दिधला आधार । त्याचा हा विचार तो चि जाणे ॥ध्रु.॥ शरणागता जेणें घातलें पाठीशीं । तो जाणे तेविशीं राखों तया ॥२॥ कासे लागे तया न लगती सायास । पोहोणारा त्यास पार पावी ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे जीव विठ्ठलाचे हातीं । दिला त्याची गति तो चि जाणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Jananī — knows — bāḷaka-varma — sukha-duḥkha-dharma — whatever. Andha-puḍhē — ādhāra — given — vicāra — He-only — knows. Śaraṇāgata — pāṭhīśīm — put — knows — rākhōm tayā. Kāsē lāgē — sāyāsa — none — swimmer — across. Tuka says: jīva — Viṭhṭhal — hāta — given — gati — He knows.
मराठी: जननी हे जाणे बाळकाचें वर्म — सुख-दुःख-धर्म जें जें कांहीं. अंधा-पुढें जेणें दिधला आधार — त्याचा हा विचार तो च जाणे. शरणागता जेणें घातलें पाठीशीं — तो जाणे ते-विशीं राखों तया. कासे लागे तया न लगती सायास — पोहोणारा त्यास पार पावी. Tuka म्हणे: जीव विठ्ठलाचे हातीं — दिला, त्याची गति तो च जाणे.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जननी हे जाणे बाळकाचें वर्म | "jananī — knows — bāḷaka-varma" |
| सुख दुःख धर्म जें जें कांहीं | "sukha-duḥkha-dharma — whatever" |
| अंधापुढें जेणें दिधला आधार | "andha-puḍhē — ādhāra — given" |
| त्याचा हा विचार तो चि जाणे | "vicāra — he-only — knows" |
| शरणागता जेणें घातलें पाठीशीं | "śaraṇāgata — pāṭhīśīm — put" |
| तो जाणे तेविशीं राखों तया | "knows — rākhōm tayā" |
| कासे लागे तया न लगती सायास | "kāsē lāgē — sāyāsa — none" |
| पोहोणारा त्यास पार पावी | "swimmer — across" |
| जीव विठ्ठलाचे हातीं | "jīva — Viṭhṭhal — hāta" |
| दिला त्याची गति तो चि जाणे | "given — gati — He knows" |
What it means
A jananī-knows-bāḷaka-varma-andha-given-support-śaraṇāgata-on-back-clinging-to-flank-no-effort-jīva-in-Viṭhṭhal-hand-He-knows-gati abhang. Jananī-image-and-jīva-in-His-hand register. Five claims:
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Jananī-बाळक-वर्म-जाणे — सुख-दुःख-धर्म-काहीं. Mother-knows-varma-claim. The mother knows thebāḷaka'svarma(vital-secret, what-it-needs); whatever thesukha-duḥkha-dharmais. Mother-knows-child-needs.
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अंधा-आधार-दिला — त्याचा-vicāra-तोच-जाणे. Andha-given-support-knows-claim. He who has-given the support before-the-blind; thatvicārahe-only knows. Support-giver-knows-the-need.
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Śaraṇāgata-पाठीशीं-घातलं — रखों-तया-जाणे. Śaraṇāgata-on-back-knows-claim. He who has put theśaraṇāgataon-the-back; knows torākhōm tayā(keep him). On-back-He-knows-to-keep.
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Kāsē-lāgē — सायास-नको — पोहोणारा-पार-पावी. Clinging-to-flank-swimmer-carries-claim. One whokāsē lāgē(clings-to-the-flank) (of the swimmer); doesn't needsāyāsa; the swimmer carries him across. Cling-no-effort-swimmer-carries.
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Tuka: जीव-Viṭhṭhal-हातीं-दिला — गति-तोच-जाणे. Jīva-in-Viṭhṭhal-hand-He-knows-gati-claim. Tuka says: thejīvainViṭhṭhal'shāta(hand) — given; itsgati(course, fate) only-He knows. Jīva-given-into-hand-only-He-knows-gati.
[T]
For someone today
A mother does not need to be told what her child needs; she simply knows. Tukaram says the same is true of God toward anyone who has truly surrendered: the one who has already given the blind a support to lean on, or taken a surrendered soul under his protection, knows exactly how to care for them. You do not have to struggle to figure everything out. If you cling to someone who can swim, you do not need to swim yourself; they carry you across. Tukaram closes by saying his own life is in Vitthal's hands now, and only Vitthal knows where it is headed. That is real trust: not knowing the outcome, but knowing you are held.
मराठी: आईला आपल्या मुलाला काय हवं आहे हे कुणी सांगावं लागत नाही; तिला ते आपोआप कळतं. तुकाराम म्हणतात, जो खरोखर शरण गेला आहे त्याच्याबाबतीत परमेश्वराचंही असंच असतं. आंधळ्याला आधार देणारा, किंवा शरण आलेल्याला आपल्या पाठीशी घेणारा, त्याला नेमकं काय हवं हे आधीच जाणतो. सगळं स्वतः झगडून सोडवायची गरज नसते. जो पोहणाऱ्याच्या कासेला धरतो त्याला स्वतः पोहायची गरज उरत नाही; तो त्याला पैलतीरी नेतो. शेवटी तुकाराम म्हणतात, माझा जीव आता विठ्ठलाच्या हातात आहे आणि त्याची पुढची वाट फक्त तोच जाणतो. खरा विश्वास म्हणजे पुढे काय होणार हे कळणं नव्हे, तर आपल्याला कुणीतरी सांभाळतंय हे जाणवणं.
Where this applies
- Jananī knows. Mother-image.
- Cling-to-swimmer. No-effort.
- Jīva in His hand. Total-trust.