Abhanga 1982

Tuka asks God's pardon for speaking too casually, explaining that love naturally overrides formality, and asks that this affectionate closeness only deepen further.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Bhakta-confession-of-childish-mumblings-pardon-me abhang.

The opening: kāhīm bōlilōm bōbaḍē — māyabāpā tumhāmpuḍhē — salagī lāḍē kōḍē — maja kṣamā karāvī — I spoke some childish-mumblings before mother-father — with friendship-affection-fondness — pardon me. Bōbaḍē = childish-mumbling; salagī = friendship-familiarity; lāḍē-kōḍē = affection-and-fondness. The bhakta-confesses to bāp-māy (Viṭhṭhal-Rakhumāī): I spoke childish-mumblings out-of-friendship-affection-fondness — pardon-me. A tender child-to-parent confession.

The boundary-loss: kāya jāṇāvā mahimā — tumachā myām Puruṣōttamā — āvaḍīnē sīmā — sāṇḍavilī maja hātīm — how to know your mahimā, Puruṣōttama? — by love, boundary — I let go from my hand. By-love I-let-go-of-the-boundary (sīmā = limit).

The principle: ghaḍē avajñā sakhyatvē — bāḷē bāpāsī na bhyāvē — disrespect happens through-friendship — children shouldn't fear father. Disrespect-arises-through-intimacy (= the closer-the-relationship, the more-casual the speech); children-shouldn't-fear-the-father (= the bhakta-and-Lord-relationship is-parent-child, not-formal). Beautiful articulation of bhakti-intimacy-overrides-formality.

The closing-plea: Tukā mhaṇē Dēvā — prēma lōbha na sāṇḍāvā — pāḷilā pāḷāvā — laḷā puḍhatī āgaḷā — Tuka says: Lord — don't abandon prēma-lōbha — the cherished should be cherished further — fondness even more. Don't-abandon prēma-lōbha (love-greed); the-already-cherished should-be-cherished-further (pāḷilā-pāḷāvā); fondness-even-more (laḷā-āgaḷā).

[T]

For someone today

For today: I spoke some childish-mumblings before mother-father — with friendship-affection-fondness — pardon me; how to know your mahimā, Puruṣōttama? — by love, boundary — I let go from my hand; disrespect happens through-friendship — children shouldn't fear father — you know; Tuka says — Lord — don't abandon prēma-lōbha — the cherished should be cherished further — fondness even more.

Where this applies

• When you worry you've been too casual or informal with someone you deeply respect
• When you want to understand why closeness with someone often means less formal, more relaxed communication
• When you're seeking forgiveness for something said carelessly out of comfort, not malice
• When you want a relationship, human or spiritual, to grow more affectionate over time rather than more distant

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