Abhanga 1652
Approach the divine like a humble child asking a parent for a small remembrance, since even the smallest kindness from someone boundless is more than enough to live on.
The verse
तुम्ही विश्वनाथ । दीनरंक मी अनाथ ॥१॥ कृपा कराल ते थोडी । पायां पडिलों बराडी ॥ध्रु.॥ काय उणें तुम्हांपाशीं । मी तों अल्पें चि संतोषी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देवा । कांहीं भातुकें पाठवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
You are Viśva-nātha — I am poor-wretched anātha. Even a small kṛpā you'd do — I have fallen at your feet as a beggar. What is lacking near you? — I am content with even-a-little. Tuka says: Devā — send some bhātukē.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तुम्ही विश्वनाथ | "you — Viśva-nātha" |
| दीनरंक मी अनाथ | "poor-wretched — I — anātha" |
| कृपा कराल ते थोडी | "kṛpā — that you'd do — little (even-a-little)" |
| पायां पडिलों बराडी | "fallen — at feet — barāḍī (beggar)" |
| काय उणें तुम्हांपाशीं | "what's lacking — near you?" |
| मी तों अल्पें चि संतोषी | "I — with little — content" |
| तुका म्हणे देवा | "Tuka says — Devā" |
| कांहीं भातुकें पाठवा | "some — bhātukē — send" |
What it means
Viśva-nātha-letter abhang. Second of 4-letter-cluster (1651-1654).
The opening: tumhī Viśva-nātha — dīna-ranka mī anātha — you are Viśva-nātha, I am poor-wretched anātha. Viśva-nātha = Lord-of-the-Universe — specifically the Śiva of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) — the Kāśī Viśva-nātha temple being one of the most sacred Śaiva-tīrthas. The contrast-of-titles: You-Viśva-nātha vs. me-anātha (= the Lord-of-Universe vs. the orphan-without-Lord).
The petition: kṛpā karāla tē thōḍī — pāyām paḍilōm barāḍī — even a small kṛpā I'd take — fallen at feet as beggar. Barāḍī = the beggar. I have fallen at your feet as a beggar; even-a-little kṛpā suffices.
The contentment: kāya uṇē tumhām-pāśīm — mī tōm alpē chi santōṣī — what's lacking near you? — I am content with little. You have everything; I am content even with a small share.
The closing-request: Tukā mhaṇē Devā — kāhīm bhātukēm pāṭhavā — Tuka says: Devā — send some bhātukē. Bhātukē = the small-snack-meal-package sent by elders to a child via someone going-back-home. Send me some bhātukē-package — via the returning-yātrīs (= the people-going-back-after-Vārāṇasī-yātrā). This is a literal-postal-image: the yātrīs going to Vārāṇasī carry Tukārām's letter to Viśva-nātha; on returning, they bring Viśva-nātha's bhātukē-snack-package back to Tukārām.
(Compare 1588's karunī siddha mūḷa sā'ulēm bhātukē — same bhātukē-package vocabulary used for the divine-summons-with-snack from Vaikuṇṭha. Here it's reversed: bhakta requests the snack from the deity.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: you are the Lord of the Universe — I am poor-wretched orphan; you'd grant me even a small grace — I've fallen at your feet as a beggar; what is lacking near you? — I am content with even-a-little; Tuka says — Devā, please send some snack-package back to me.
मराठी: आजसाठी: तू विश्वाचा नाथ आहेस — मी गरीब, दीन आणि अनाथ आहे; तू थोडीशी कृपा जरी केलीस — मी भिकाऱ्यासारखा तुझ्या पायाशी लोळण घेतो; तुझ्याजवळ कशाची कमतरता आहे? — मी अगदी थोड्यातही समाधानी आहे; तुका म्हणतो — देवा, मला थोडंसं भातुकं तरी पाठव.
Where this applies
- When you feel small or helpless before something vast and just want a small sign that you are cared for.
- When you're not asking for a huge favor, only some acknowledgment that you have been remembered.
- When you feel like an orphan in a difficult moment and want to trust that someone greater is looking out for you.
- When you find you can be content with very little, as long as it comes from someone you love.