Abhanga 1907
Tukaram asks for nothing but an unhesitating meeting of the eyes, promising to carry his own burdens, because a child's longing to be met needs no further justification.
The verse
देई डोळे भेटी न धरीं संकोच । न घलीं कांहीं वेच तुजवरी ॥१॥ तुज बुडवावें ऐसा कोण धर्म । अहनिऩशीं नाम घेतां थोडें ॥ध्रु.॥ फार थोडें काहीं करूनि पातळ । त्याजमध्यें काळ कडे लावूं ॥२॥ आहे माझी ते चि सारीन सिदोरी । भार तुजवरी नेदीं माझा ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे आम्हां लेंकराची जाती । भेटावया खंती वाटतसे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Give the eyes a meeting — don't hold hesitation — won't lay any expense on you. What dharma is it to drown you? — taking your name day-and-night, even a little. Much-or-little — making it thin — in the middle, we apply time. I'll spend my own provisions — won't put my burden on you. Tuka says: we are of the child's-jāti — feel longing-grief for meeting.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| देई डोळे भेटी न धरीं संकोच | "give the eyes a meeting — don't hold hesitation" |
| न घलीं कांहीं वेच तुजवरी | "won't lay any expense on you" |
| तुज बुडवावें ऐसा कोण धर्म | "what dharma is it — to drown you" |
| अहनिऩशीं नाम घेतां थोडें | "taking your name day-and-night, even a little" |
| फार थोडें काहीं करूनि पातळ | "much-or-little — making it thin" |
| त्याजमध्यें काळ कडे लावूं | "in the middle of that — we apply time" |
| आहे माझी ते चि सारीन सिदोरी | "I'll spend — my own provisions (sidōrī)" |
| भार तुजवरी नेदीं माझा | "won't put my burden on you" |
| तुका म्हणे आम्हां लेंकराची जाती | "Tuka says — we are of the child's-jāti" |
| भेटावया खंती वाटतसे | "feel longing-grief — for meeting" |
What it means
Won't-burden-you + child's-yearning-for-meeting abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The opening-petition: dē'ī ḍōḷē bhēṭī na dharī sankōca — na ghalīm kāhīm vēca tujavarī — give the eyes a meeting — don't hold hesitation — won't lay any expense on you. Just-darśana — no other-cost.
The dharma-question: tuja buḍavāvē aisā kōṇa dharma — ahanniśīm nāma ghētām thōḍē — what dharma is it to drown you — taking your name day-and-night, even a little?. Even-a-little Name-recitation can't-drown-you; it's-merit, not-burden.
The thin-arrangement: phāra thōḍē kāhīm karūni pātaḷa — tyāja-madhyē kāḷa kaḍē lāvūm — much-or-little — making it thin — in the middle, we apply time. Pātaḷa = thin, sparse; kāḷa kaḍē lāvūm = we apply the time. I'll-keep my-recitation-thin (= unburdensome), spread-over-time.
The provisions-line: āhē mājhī tē chi sārīna sidōrī — bhāra tujavarī nēdī mājhā — I'll spend my own provisions — won't put my burden on you. Sidōrī = the traveler's-food-bundle, provisions. The bhakta will-spend-his-own-samcita-provisions — won't-burden the Lord-with-his-needs.
The closing — child's-jāti: Tukā mhaṇē āmhām lēnkarācī jātī — bhēṭāvayā khantī vāṭatasē — Tuka says: we are of the child's-jāti — feel longing-grief for meeting. Lēnkarā = child; jātī = kind, type; khantī = longing-grief. We-are-of-the-child-kind; the-longing-for-meeting hurts.
[T]
For someone today
For today: give the eyes a meeting — don't hold hesitation — won't lay any expense on you; what dharma is it to drown you — taking your name day-and-night, even a little?; much-or-little, making it thin — in the middle, we apply time; I'll spend my own provisions — won't put my burden on you; Tuka says — we are of the child's-jāti — feel longing-grief for meeting.
Where this applies
- When you feel embarrassed to ask for someone's time and presence, even though all you truly want is to be near them
- When you worry that a small daily habit like prayer or quiet remembrance is somehow too much to keep asking for
- When you try to be self-reliant and avoid burdening the people you love with your needs
- When you feel a childlike ache to simply see someone you love, with no bigger request behind it