Abhanga 1024

Come to God the way a baby comes to its mother: crying out your need without shame, trusting that the burden and the worry of finding a way through are not yours to carry alone.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A baby-tells-mother-thirst-and-hunger-doesn't-know-remedy-trouble-in-same-way-rear-me-taking-load-and-all-burden-why-bring-virtues-and-faults-to-mind-all-are-offenders-of-Nārāyaṇa-service-less-poor-heap-of-sins-what-will-you-consider-whatever-moment-mind-followed-feet-firm-decision-good-happened-you-saved-many-let-my-anxiety-also-be-with-you abhang. Let-my-anxiety-be-with-you-too register. The most-tender Vitthal-as-māta-with-vō-vocative. Six claims:

1. बाळ-तान-भूक — उपाय-दुःख-न-जाणे. Baby-doesn't-know-remedy-claim. Thebāḷatells themātaitstāna-bhūka (thirst-hunger);what does it know of the upāya-duḥkha (the trouble-of-finding-remedy)?(The baby justcries— it doesn't know howhard it is for the mother to find the milk, the medicine, the comfort.)

2. तया-परी — पाळण — ओझें-भार. Rear-me-taking-load-claim. In the same way, do mypāḷaṇa (rearing, fostering);taking the ōjhē (load) and (all the) bhāra.

3. गुण-दोष-न-मना — Nārāyaṇा-अपराधी. All-offenders-claim. Why bringguṇa-dōṣato mind?; all areaparādhīofNārāyaṇa. (Don't single me out — all are guilty.)

4. सेवा-हीन-दीन — पातक-रासी — विचार-नको. No-consideration-needed-claim. Sēvā-hīna, dīna, rāsi of pātakas;what will (you) vicāra (consider, deliberate over) now of such-a-one?(Why evenconsider — just save.)

5. चित्त-पायीं-अनुसरलें — हित-जालें. Mind-followed-feet-good-happened-claim. Whatever moment thechittahasanusara-d (followed-after) thepāya;that is the nirdhāra (firm decision) — hita has happened, so.

6. Tuka: तारिलें-बहुतां — चिंता-असों-वो. Let-my-anxiety-be-with-you-too-claim. Tuka says: you have saved many; let mychinta(anxiety / care) also be (with you),vō. (The vō — a tender feminine-vocative — addresses Vitthal as māta: let my anxiety also be with you, mother.)

[T]

For someone today

A baby cries out for milk to its mother without ever wondering how hard it is for her to provide it; Tukaram asks Vitthal to raise him the same way, carrying the whole burden without being asked how. He is not claiming to be worthy: he admits he is without service, poor, and full of faults, and asks God not to weigh his merits and sins at all, because everyone stands guilty before the Divine anyway. Whatever moment his mind has turned toward those feet, that alone is the good that has already happened, the resolve already made. Tukaram closes by simply asking that his worry be shared with the one who has saved so many others before him.

मराठी: एखादे लहान बाळ आईकडे भूक-तहान सांगते, पण आईला ते भागवताना किती कष्ट पडतात याची त्याला जाणीवच नसते. तुकाराम विठ्ठलाला अगदी तसंच सांगतात, माझा सगळा भार तूच घे आणि मला असंच सांभाळ. आपण कोणी योग्य किंवा पात्र आहोत असा दावा ते करत नाहीत, उलट सेवाहीन, गरीब आणि पापांचा ढीग आहोत हे मान्य करतात आणि म्हणतात, गुणदोष मोजू नकोस, कारण सगळेच अपराधी आहेत. ज्या क्षणी मन त्या चरणांकडे वळलं, तोच क्षण खरा फायदा आणि खरा निर्धार ठरतो. शेवटी तुकाराम फक्त एवढंच मागतात, तू आधी अनेकांना तारलं आहेस, आता माझी काळजीही तूच घे.

Where this applies

• Baby-cries. Tāna-bhūka.
• Rear-me. Pāḷaṇa.
• All-offenders. Guṇa-dōṣa.
• No-consideration. Vicārisī.
• Good-happened. Anusaralē-chitta.
• Anxiety-with-you. Vō.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2425 — Surrender every part of your life completely to what you trust most, and let go of the res
• Abhanga 2477 — Like a child too absorbed in play to notice how tired he is, let go and trust the parent c
• Abhanga 2484 — Real devotion can include anger and demand, not just sweetness, because a devotee who trul
• Abhanga 2540 — Even the smallest, most helpless creature that cries out to God in danger is sheltered and