संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1953 of 4582

Abhanga 1953

Welcoming tired travelers home with a simple bow and genuine care for their wellbeing is itself an act of grace and devotion.

When a loved one comes home exhausted from a long trip and needs to be greeted warmly, not questioned

When you want to ask after the health of an entire group of people who traveled together, not just one

When you realize that someone's presence at your home, tired as they are, is itself the blessing you were hoping for

The verse

भागलेती देवा । माझा नमस्कार घ्यावा ॥१॥ तुम्ही क्षेम कीं सकळ । बाळ अवघे गोपाळ ॥ध्रु.॥ मारगीं चालतां । श्रमलेती येतां जातां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कांहीं । कृपा आहे माझ्या ठायीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

You have tired, Lord — receive my namaskāra. Are you all well? — children, all the gōpāḷas. Walking on path — you tired going and coming. Tuka says: some grace is at my place.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
भागलेती देवा	"you have tired, Lord"
माझा नमस्कार घ्यावा	"receive my namaskāra"
तुम्ही क्षेम कीं सकळ	"are you all well"
बाळ अवघे गोपाळ	"children — all the gōpāḷas"
मारगीं चालतां	"walking on path"
श्रमलेती येतां जातां	"you tired going-and-coming"
तुका म्हणे कांहीं	"Tuka says — some"
कृपा आहे माझ्या ठायीं	"grace is at my place"

What it means

Welcoming-the-tired-Lord-and-saints abhang. SUB-CLUSTER SHIFT — new shorter 3+1-verse format begins here (1953 onward).

The opening: bhāgalētī Dēvā — mājhā namaskāra ghyāvā — you have tired, Lord — receive my namaskāra. The bhakta-greets the-Lord (= the saints-as-Lord) returning-tired from-the-Vārī.

The greeting-children: tumhī kṣēma kīm sakaḷa — bāḷa avaghē Gōpāḷa — are you all well? — children, all the gōpāḷas. The Lord-with-his-children (the gōpāḷa-companions, here = the Vārkarīs).

The path-tiredness: mārgīm chālatām — śramalētī yētām jātām — walking on path — you tired going and coming. Going-and-coming = the round-trip from-Pandhari-back.

The closing-grace: Tukā mhaṇē kāhīm — kṛpā āhē mājhyā ṭhāyīm — Tuka says: some grace is at my place. Tukārām-claims grace-at-his-place (= the saints-coming-IS-grace at-his-place).

This abhang opens the new shorter format — post-19-cluster (after 1934-1952), Tukārām shifts to 3+1-verse abhangs of welcoming-and-asking. Same theme (Vārkarī-arrival), tighter form.

[T]

For someone today

For today: you have tired, Lord — receive my namaskāra; are you all well? — children, all the gōpāḷas; walking on path — you tired going and coming; Tuka says — some grace is at my place.

Where this applies

When someone you love returns tired from a long journey and you want to welcome them properly
When you greet a group of travelers or pilgrims and ask after everyone, not just one person
When you realize a guest's exhaustion deserves care before any questions or demands
When you feel that simply having someone dear arrive at your home is itself enough of a gift