Abhanga 2043
The same hidden, merciful hand that quietly cares for a child in the womb and for creatures no one watches over will also care for you, so you can stop fretting and let things unfold naturally.
The verse
गर्भा असतां बाळा । कोण पाळी त्याचा लळा ॥१॥ कैसा लाघवी सूत्रधारी । कृपाळुवा माझा हरी ॥ध्रु.॥ सर्प पिलीं वितां चि खाय । वांचलिया कोण माय ॥२॥ गगनीं लागला कोसरा । कोण पुरवी तेथें चारा ॥३॥ पोटीं पाषाणांचे जीव । कवण जीव त्याचा भाव ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे निश्चळ राहें । होईंल तें सहज पाहें ॥५॥
Literal translation
When the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa? How skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful — my Hari. The snake eats its young as it gives birth — for those that survive — who's the mother? The crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food there? Lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva? Tuka says: stay still — what will be — see naturally.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| गर्भा असतां बाळा | "when the child is in the womb" |
| कोण पाळी त्याचा लळा | "who pets its laḷa" |
| कैसा लाघवी सूत्रधारी | "how skilled the sūtra-dhārī" |
| कृपाळुवा माझा हरी | "the merciful — my Hari" |
| सर्प पिलीं वितां चि खाय | "the snake eats its young as it gives birth" |
| वांचलिया कोण माय | "for those that survive — who's the mother" |
| गगनीं लागला कोसरा | "the crow-tribe gathers in the sky" |
| कोण पुरवी तेथें चारा | "who provides their food there" |
| पोटीं पाषाणांचे जीव | "lives in stone-bellies" |
| कवण जीव त्याचा भाव | "what's the jīva's bhāva" |
| तुका म्हणे निश्चळ राहें | "Tuka says — stay still" |
| होईंल तें सहज पाहें | "what will be — see naturally" |
What it means
Lord-as-sūtra-dhārī + provides-for-womb-snake-young-crow-stone-life abhang.
The opening — womb-care: garbhā asatām bāḷā — kōṇa pāḷī tyāchā laḷā — when the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa?. Who-pets the child while-still-in-the-womb? — the Lord's-secret-care.
The Lord as sūtra-dhārī: kaisā lāghavī sūtra-dhārī — kṛpāḷuvā mājhā Harī — how skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful — my Hari. Sūtra-dhārī = the puppeteer (the one-who-pulls-the-strings). The Lord-as-skilled-puppeteer, merciful Hari.
A series of impossible-providence examples: - sarpa pilīm vitām chi khāyē — vāñchaliyā kōṇa māya — the snake eats its young as it gives birth — for those that survive — who's the mother?. Who-mothers the surviving-snakelings (when their mother eats most of them)? - gaganīm lāgalā kōsarā — kōṇa puravī tēthē chārā — the crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food there?. Who-feeds the high-flying crows-in-the-sky? - pōṭīm pāṣāṇāñchē jīva — kavaṇa jīva tyāchā bhāva — lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva?. What-of the lives-inside-stones (stone-worms, fossilized creatures)?
The closing — stay-still: Tukā mhaṇē niśchaḷa rāhē — hō'īla tē sahaja pāhē — Tuka says: stay still — what will be — see naturally. Don't-fret; stay-still; what's-to-be will-happen naturally.
[T]
For someone today
For today: when the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa?; how skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful, my Hari; the snake eats its young — for those that survive, who's the mother?; the crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food?; lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva?; Tuka says — stay still — what will be — see naturally.
Where this applies
- When you are anxious about the future of a child or something fragile you cannot yet protect
- When you feel like no one is watching out for you and you are on your own
- When you are overplanning and controlling every detail out of fear that nothing will work without you
- When you need reassurance during an uncertain wait, like a pregnancy or a period between jobs