Abhanga 2110
God cherishes plain, wholehearted love more than learning, cleverness, or social status.
The verse
तयासी नेणतीं बहु आवडती । होय जयां चित्तीं एक भाव ॥१॥ उपमन्यु धुरु हें काय जाणती । प्रल्हादाच्या चित्तीं नारायण ॥ध्रु.॥ कोळें भिल्लें पशु श्वापदें अपारें । कृपेच्या सागरें तारियेलीं ॥२॥ काय तें गोपाळें चांगलीं शाहाणीं । तयां चक्रपाणी जेवी सवें ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे भोळा भाविक हा देव । आम्ही त्याचे पाव धरूनी ठेलों ॥४॥
Literal translation
To him, the unknowing are very dear — those whose chitta has one bhāva. Upamanyu, Dhruva — what did they know? — in Prahlāda's chitta — Nārāyaṇa. Kōḷī, bhilla, beasts, predators — countless — saved by mercy's ocean. Were the gopāḷas refined-and-wise? — Cakra-pāṇī eats with them. Tuka says: this Deva is bhōḷā-bhāvika — we have held his feet.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तयासी नेणतीं बहु आवडती | "to him, the unknowing are very dear" |
| होय जयां चित्तीं एक भाव | "those whose chitta has one bhāva" |
| उपमन्यु धुरु हें काय जाणती | "Upamanyu, Dhruva — what did they know" |
| प्रल्हादाच्या चित्तीं नारायण | "in Prahlāda's chitta — Nārāyaṇa" |
| कोळें भिल्लें पशु श्वापदें अपारें | "kōḷī, bhilla, beasts, predators — countless" |
| कृपेच्या सागरें तारियेलीं | "saved by mercy's ocean" |
| काय तें गोपाळें चांगलीं शाहाणीं | "were the gopāḷas refined-and-wise" |
| तयां चक्रपाणी जेवी सवें | "Cakra-pāṇī eats with them" |
| तुका म्हणे भोळा भाविक हा देव | "Tuka says — this Deva is bhōḷā-bhāvika" |
| आम्ही त्याचे पाव धरूनी ठेलों | "we have held his feet" |
What it means
Bhakta-list-of-unknowing-saved + Lord-is-bhōḷā-bhāvika abhang.
The opening principle: tayāsī nēṇatīm bahu āvaḍatī — hōya jayām chittī ēka bhāva — to him, the unknowing are very dear — those whose chitta has one bhāva. The unknowing-with-one-bhāva are-very-dear-to-him. Tukārām's recurring theme: innocence beats jñāna.
The canonical bhakta-trio: Upamanyu Dhruva hē kāya jāṇatī — Prahlādāchyā chittī Nārāyaṇa — Upamanyu, Dhruva — what did they know? — in Prahlāda's chitta — Nārāyaṇa. What-knowledge did Upamanyu, Dhruva have? — Prahlāda had-only-Nārāyaṇa in-chitta. Three exemplars of-child-bhakti without-philosophy.
The lowly-and-beasts saved: kōḷē bhillē paśu śvāpadē apārē — kṛpēchyā sāgarē tāriyēlīm — kōḷī, bhilla, beasts, predators — countless — saved by mercy's ocean. Saved: kōḷī (fisher-caste), bhilla (tribal), paśu-śvāpada (beasts-predators). Anti-caste bhakti-canon.
The gopāḷa-Cakrapāṇi line: kāya tē gōpāḷē chāngalīm śāhāṇīm — tayām Cakra-pāṇī jēvī savē — were the gopāḷas refined-and-wise? — Cakra-pāṇī eats with them. The gopāḷas weren't-refined-or-wise; yet Cakra-pāṇī (Kṛṣṇa-the-disc-holder) eats-with-them. Anti-elitism in divine-companionship.
The closing — Lord-is-bhōḷā: Tukā mhaṇē bhōḷā bhāvika hā Dēva — āmhī tyāchē pāva dharūnī ṭhēlōm — Tuka says: this Deva is bhōḷā-bhāvika — we have held his feet. This-Deva is-bhōḷā-bhāvika (simple-devotional); we-have-held-his-feet.
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For someone today
For today: to him, the unknowing are very dear — those with one-bhāva-chitta; Upamanyu, Dhruva, what did they know? — Prahlāda had Nārāyaṇa in chitta; kōḷī, bhilla, beasts — countless saved by mercy's ocean; were the gopāḷas refined-and-wise? — Cakra-pāṇī eats with them; Tuka says — this Deva is bhōḷā-bhāvika — we have held his feet.
Where this applies
- When you feel unworthy of spiritual life because you lack formal education or eloquence
- When you assume that only the intellectually accomplished deserve God's love
- When you feel excluded from something sacred because of your background or social standing
- When you want reassurance that sincere, simple love matters more than sophistication