Abhanga 2046
For today: became (with) such fortune — blessed I came to birth; I roll on the bottom-step — saints set foot on top of me; prema-amṛta drinking — will be foot-dust-bath; Tuka says — with sukha — his duḥkhas will be carried off.
The verse
ऐशा भाग्यें जालों । तरी धन्य जन्मा आलों ॥१॥ रुळें तळीले पायरी । संत पाय देती वरी ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रेमामृतपान । होईंल चरणरजें स्नान ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सुखें । तया हरतील दुःखें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Became (with) such fortune — blessed I came to birth. I roll on the bottom-step — saints set foot on top (of me). Prema-amṛta drinking — will be foot-dust-bath. Tuka says: with sukha — his duḥkhas will be carried off.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐशा भाग्यें जालों | "became (with) such fortune" |
| तरी धन्य जन्मा आलों | "then blessed — I came to birth" |
| रुळें तळीले पायरी | "I roll on the bottom-step" |
| संत पाय देती वरी | "saints set foot on top (of me)" |
| प्रेमामृतपान | "prema-amṛta drinking" |
| होईंल चरणरजें स्नान | "will be foot-dust-bath" |
| तुका म्हणे सुखें | "Tuka says — with sukha" |
| तया हरतील दुःखें | "his duḥkhas will be carried off" |
What it means
Bottom-step-rolling-saints-step-on-me + foot-dust-bath abhang. OPENS 2-ABHANG SAINTS'-FEET-ON-HEAD CLUSTER (2046-2047).
The opening: aiśā bhāgyē jālōm — tarī dhanya janmā ālōm — became (with) such fortune — blessed I came to birth. Such-fortune; the birth-now-blessed.
THE BOTTOM-STEP IMAGE: ruḷē taḷīlē pāyarī — santa pāya dētī varī — I roll on the bottom-step — saints set foot on top of me. Taḷīlē pāyarī = the lowest-step of a staircase (used as a foot-rest for those climbing). Tukārām declares: I am the bottom-step of the staircase — the saints step-on-me to-climb. Radical-self-effacement: I'm-the-doormat-for-saints.
The prema-amṛta + foot-dust-bath: prēma-amṛta-pāna — hō'īla charaṇa-rajē snāna — prema-amṛta drinking — will be foot-dust-bath. The saints'-feet-stepping brings prema-amṛta-drinking (= the bhakta tastes-it as-the-feet-pass) and-foot-dust-bath.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē sukhē — tayā haratīla duḥkhē — Tuka says: with sukha — his duḥkhas will be carried off. The bhakta-with-sukha will-have-his-duḥkhas removed.
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For someone today
For today: became (with) such fortune — blessed I came to birth; I roll on the bottom-step — saints set foot on top of me; prema-amṛta drinking — will be foot-dust-bath; Tuka says — with sukha — his duḥkhas will be carried off.
Where this applies
- When you feel proud to serve someone you deeply respect, even in a humble or unnoticed way
- When you are tempted to see humility as weakness instead of as a source of quiet joy
- When you long to be close to people whose presence makes you feel steadier and calmer
- When you are carrying sorrow and need to remember that surrender and service can lighten it