Abhanga 972
This verse is an honest admission of not knowing. Tukaram asks God to at least show him the essential truth, confessing that he himself does not know it, and he admits he has come up short in many ways, yet he has still come seeking shelter. He asks for courage, because with that courage his restless mind would finally settle in one place. Then he makes a striking claim: being kept safe should not depend on how deserving someone is, it should come from God's own power and love, the way a parent looks after even a spoiled, imperfect child.
The verse
वर्म तरि आम्हां दावा । काय देवा जाणें मी ॥१॥ बहुतां रंगीं हीन जालों । तरि आलों शरण ॥ध्रु.॥ द्याल जरि तुम्ही धीर । होईल स्थिर मन ठायीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सत्ताबळें । लडिवाळें राखावीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Varma — show. Dēva — jāṇē. Bahutām rangī — hīna. Śaraṇa. Dhīra — sthira — mana. Tuka says: sattā-baḷa — laḍivāḷa — keep.
मराठी: वर्म तरि आम्हां दावा — काय देवा जाणें मी?. बहुतां रंगीं हीन जालों — तरि आलों शरण. द्याल जरि तुम्ही धीर — होईल स्थिर मन ठायीं. Tuka म्हणे: सत्ता-बळें — लडिवाळें राखावीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वर्म तरि आम्हां दावा | "varma — show" |
| काय देवा जाणें मी | "Dēva — jāṇē" |
| बहुतां रंगीं हीन जालों | "bahutām rangī — hīna" |
| तरि आलों शरण | "śaraṇa" |
| द्याल जरि तुम्ही धीर | "dhīra" |
| होईल स्थिर मन ठायीं | "sthira — mana" |
| सत्ताबळें | "sattā-baḷa" |
| लडिवाळें राखावीं | "laḍivāḷa — keep" |
What it means
A show-me-the-varma-what-do-I-know-many-modes-deficient-came-śaraṇa-if-You-give-courage-mind-still-by-Your-sattā-keep-pampered-safe abhang. Keep-pampered-ones-by-Your-sattā register. Three claims:
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वर्म-दावा — मी-काय-जाणें — रंगीं-हीन — शरण-आलों. Show-me-and-I'm-śaraṇa-claim. Showvarma, Dēva; what do I know?;deficient in many ranga, but I came śaraṇa.
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धीर-दिल्या-तरि — मन-स्थिर-ठायीं. Give-courage-mind-still-claim. If You givedhīra; themanawill besthiraat theṭhāyī.
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Tuka: सत्ता-बळें — लडिवाळें-राखावीं. Sattā-baḷa-keep-pampered-claim. Tuka says: bysattā-baḷa; keep thelaḍivāḷa(pampered) safe. Don't-judge-by-merit; pamper-them.
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For someone today
This verse is an honest admission of not knowing. Tukaram asks God to at least show him the essential truth, confessing that he himself does not know it, and he admits he has come up short in many ways, yet he has still come seeking shelter. He asks for courage, because with that courage his restless mind would finally settle in one place. Then he makes a striking claim: being kept safe should not depend on how deserving someone is, it should come from God's own power and love, the way a parent looks after even a spoiled, imperfect child.
मराठी: ही ओवी न जाणण्याची प्रामाणिक कबुली आहे. तुकाराम देवाला विनवतात, निदान वर्म तरी दाखवा, कारण मला स्वतःला ते माहीत नाही, असे ते सांगतात. अनेक बाबतीत आपण कमी पडलो असे मान्य करूनही ते शरण आले आहेत. ते धीर मागतात, कारण तो धीर मिळाला तर अस्वस्थ मन एका जागी स्थिर होईल. मग तुकाराम एक ठाम विधान करतात, सांभाळले जाणे हे पात्रतेवर अवलंबून नसावे, ते देवाच्या स्वतःच्या सत्तेतून आणि प्रेमातून यावे, जसे आईवडील एखाद्या लाडावलेल्या, अपूर्ण मुलालाही सांभाळतातच.
Where this applies
- Show-the-secret. Varma.
- Just-came. Śaraṇa.
- Stillness. Dhīra.
- Pamper. Sattā-baḷa.