Abhanga 1023

True devotion feels like a child clinging to a parent's lap, holding God's gentle feet in the mind and God's name in the throat, and refusing to let go.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A in-my-mind-I'll-hold-the-tender-feet-camp-of-all-wealth-in-my-throat-I'll-hold-the-name-creeper-of-nectar-body-cooled-and-stayed-I'll-see-the-blessed-face-lovely-beautiful-the-foremost-of-all-loveliness-I'll-do-body-contact-like-a-child-sit-on-your-lap-won't-get-down-mind-has-held-the-line-of-Viṭhōbā abhang. Mind-has-held-the-line-of-Viṭhōbā register. Five claims, organized as body-parts-and-Viṭhōbā:

1. चित्तीं-पाउलें — संपत्ति-बिढार. Tender-feet-camp-of-wealth-claim. In (my)chittī I will hold the sakumāra (tender) pāulē (footsteps);(they are) the biḍhāra (camp, abode) of all sampattī.

2. कंठीं-नाम — अमृत-वल्ली — तनु-शीतळ. Throat-name-amṛta-vallī-claim. In (my)kaṇṭhī (throat) I will hold the nāma, the vallī (creeper) of amrta;the tanu will become śītaḷa-rāhilī (cooled-and-stayed).

3. श्री-मुख-साजिरें — लावण्य-अगर. See-lovely-face-claim. I will see theśrī-mukha—sājirē-sundara (lovely-beautiful);the agara (foremost, distillate) of all lāvaṇyas.

4. अंग-संग-बाळ — कडिये-न-उतरीं. Body-contact-like-child-claim. I will doanga-sanga (body-contact) like a bāḷaka (child);I will sit on (your) kaḍī (lap), won't get-down. (Tuka the child climbing into Viṭhōbā's lap.)

5. Tuka: केला-तैसा-होय — मनें-सोय. Mind-has-held-the-line-of-Viṭhōbā-claim. Tuka says: this is what was done; themanashas held thesōya (line, way, direction) of Viṭhōbā.

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For someone today

This verse is Tukaram's tender picture of what it feels like to truly love God, like a small child who won't get down from a parent's lap. He wants to hold those gentle feet in his mind as more precious than any wealth, and keep God's name in his throat like a vine of nectar that cools his whole body. He pictures himself simply gazing at that beautiful face and clinging close, the way a small child clings to a parent, refusing to let go. In the end he says plainly, this is exactly what he has done, his whole mind has turned toward Vitthal and stayed there.

मराठी: ही ओवी म्हणजे देवावर खरे प्रेम असणे कसे वाटते याचे तुकारामांचे कोमल चित्र आहे, जणू एखादे लहान मूल आईवडिलांच्या मांडीवरून उतरायलाच तयार नसते तसे. त्यांना त्या कोमल पावलांना मनात धरायचे आहे, कोणत्याही संपत्तीपेक्षा अधिक मौल्यवान मानून, आणि नाम कंठात अमृताच्या वेलीसारखे धरायचे आहे, ज्याने अंग शीतल होऊन राहील. ते फक्त त्या सुंदर श्रीमुखाकडे पाहत राहतील आणि लहान मुलासारखे बिलगून राहतील, मांडीवरून उतरायचेच नाही असे. शेवटी ते स्पष्ट सांगतात, हेच त्यांनी केले आहे, त्यांचे मन पूर्णपणे विठोबाकडे वळून तिथेच राहिले आहे.

Where this applies

• Mind-feet. Sakumāra.
• Throat-nāma. Amrta-vallī.
• Eye-mukha. Lāvaṇya.
• Body-anga-sanga. Kaḍī.
• Sōya-of-Viṭhōbā. Manē.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• 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