Abhanga 1844

Turn toward the divine as simply and trustingly as a child runs to its mother, without needing to have it all figured out first.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Child-runs-to-mother-without-discrimination abhang.

The opening: dhāmvē mātē sōīm — bāḷa na vicāritā kāhīm — the child runs toward the mother — without considering anything. The classical-bhakti-image: the child-runs-to-mother instinctively, without-deliberation.

The mother's-response: maga tyācē jāṇē nikē — anga vōḍavī kautukē — then her knowing is good — she offers body with delight. The mother's-knowing compensates for-the-child's-non-knowing; she takes-up-the-child with delight.

The non-discrimination: nēṇē sarpa dōrī — agī bhalatē hātīm dharī — doesn't know snake or rope — fire — holds anything in hand. The child can't-distinguish snake-from-rope, can't-recognize fire, picks-up-anything. (= child has no-discrimination — the world is full-of-dangers — but the mother's-knowing-protects.)

The closing: tīvina tē nēṇē — āṇīka kāhīm Tuka mhaṇē — without her, (it) doesn't know anything else, Tuka says. The child-knows-only-the-mother; without-her, knows-nothing else.

The implicit-teaching: the bhakta-is-like-the-child — runs-to-Hari without-deliberation; the-Lord's-knowing compensates for-the-bhakta's-non-discrimination; the-bhakta knows-only-Hari, nothing-else. The Vārkarī-bhakta-as-the-undiscriminating-child of the all-knowing-mother-Hari.

[T]

For someone today

For today: the child runs toward the mother — without considering anything; then her knowing is good — she offers (her) body with delight; doesn't know snake-or-rope, fire — holds anything in hand; without her, doesn't know anything else, Tuka says.

Where this applies

• When you feel unqualified to pray or seek God because you haven't figured it out intellectually
• When you're overwhelmed by choices you can't tell apart, like the child confusing a snake for a rope
• When you notice a caregiver's love responding to you before you've done anything to deserve it
• When you realize how much you depend on someone or something wiser than yourself to keep you out of harm's way

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