Abhanga 1069

This verse gives one of Tukaram's tenderest pictures of the divine: God as a mother who stands waiting and calls her child to come running. With his own hand he places a morsel of love into your mouth, affectionately, the way a mother feeds a small child. Then, like a mother tying a child to her waist to wade safely across a river, he ties you to himself and carries you happily across the ocean of worldly struggle. He is the one looking around anxiously, watching for his devotees the way a mother watches for her child, and Tuka says this giver of grace satisfies the deepest fullness of our longing and love.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A he-who-is-the-bhakta's-rest-place-stands-and-calls-the-running-call-in-his-hand-the-sweet-meal-of-prema-he-places-the-mouthful-in-the-mouth-with-affection-happily-takes-us-across-the-ocean-of-becoming-tying-us-to-his-belt-end-great-is-the-bhakta's-longing-he-looks-around-for-the-waiting-the-grace-giver-fills-the-satisfaction-of-our-love abhang. Krpā-dānī-fills-dhaṇi register. The mother-feeding-child image of Vitthal. Four claims:

1. भक्त-विसावा — पाचारितो-धांवा. Bhakta's-rest-place-claim. He who is thebhaktāmcā visāvā (rest-place); stands,pācāritō the dhāvā (running-call). (He stands inviting; callscome running.)

2. प्रेम-भातुकें — कवतुकें — कासे-लावूनि. Prema-mouthful-tying-to-belt-claim. In (his)hātī, thebhātukēofprēma;places kavaḷa in the mukhī kavatukē (with-affection); happily takes (us) across thebhava-sindhū, kāsē lāvūni (tying-to-the-belt-end). (He puts the morsel of prema in our mouth and ties us to his waist-belt and crosses the river — like a mother carrying a child across a stream.)

3. थोर-आस — भोंवताली-वास. Looks-around-for-waiting-claim. Thōra is the bhaktāñcī āsa;(he) looks bhōmvatāli for vāsa (the bhakta's waiting/scent).

4. Tuka: कृपा-दानी — आवडी-धणी. Fills-dhaṇi-of-āvaḍī-claim. Tuka says: krpā-dānī;phēḍī (fulfills) the āvaḍīcī dhaṇī (the dhaṇi (satiety) of love). (He fills thevery-fullness of our love.)

[T]

For someone today

This verse gives one of Tukaram's tenderest pictures of the divine: God as a mother who stands waiting and calls her child to come running. With his own hand he places a morsel of love into your mouth, affectionately, the way a mother feeds a small child. Then, like a mother tying a child to her waist to wade safely across a river, he ties you to himself and carries you happily across the ocean of worldly struggle. He is the one looking around anxiously, watching for his devotees the way a mother watches for her child, and Tuka says this giver of grace satisfies the deepest fullness of our longing and love.

मराठी: या ओवीत तुकाराम महाराज देवाचे एक अतिशय हळुवार चित्र रेखाटतात: देव एका आईसारखा उभा राहून आपल्या लेकराला धावत येण्यासाठी हाक मारतो. तो स्वतःच्या हाताने प्रेमाचा घास आपल्या मुखात घालतो, अगदी आईने लहान मुलाला भरवावे तसे. मग जशी आई मुलाला कंबरेला बांधून नदी ओलांडते, तसे तो आपल्याला स्वतःशी बांधून भवसागरातून सुखाने पार नेतो. तोच भोवताली पाहत असतो, आपल्या भक्तांची वाट पाहणाऱ्या आईसारखा, आणि तुका म्हणतात, हा कृपादानी आपल्या प्रेमाची पूर्ण तृप्ती करतो.

Where this applies

• Rest-place. Visāvā.
• Mouthful-and-belt. Kāsē.
• Looks-around. Bhōmvatāli.
• Fills-dhaṇi. Āvaḍī-dhaṇī.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2374 — Rather than scattering devotion among many lesser deities who demand offerings, Tukaram sa
• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2387 — Accept whatever life brings with reverence, and place the burden on God rather than carryi
• Abhanga 2402 — For today: happily take rebirths — IF among the Paṇḍharī-Vārkarīs ; Hari-dāsas' company is