Abhanga 2183
For today: coarse is my speech, babbling — child clinging to feet; be pleased, saint-parents — water-to-plant extends; by your support, prasāda-speech spoke — eating your ucchiṣṭa; Tuka says — this vinanti I make — asking again, the gift of sēvā.
The verse
आरुश माझी वाणी बोबडीं उत्तरें । केली ते लेकुरें सलगी पायीं ॥१॥ करावें कवतुक संतीं मायबापीं । जीवन देउनि रोपीं विस्तारिजे ॥ध्रु.॥ आधारें वदली प्रसादाची वाणी । उच्छिष्टसेवणी तुमचिया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हे चि करितों विनंती । मागोनि पुढती सेवादान ॥३॥ ॥४॥
Literal translation
Coarse is my speech, babbling answers — the child held [you] close at [your] feet. Be pleased, saints, mothers-fathers — giving water, the plant extends. By [your] support — prasāda-speech spoke — eating your leftovers. Tuka says: this very vinanti I make — asking again — the gift of sēvā. ॥4॥
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आरुश माझी वाणी बोबडीं उत्तरें | "coarse is my speech — babbling answers" |
| केली ते लेकुरें सलगी पायीं | "the child held [you] close at [your] feet" |
| करावें कवतुक संतीं मायबापीं | "be pleased, saints, mothers-fathers" |
| जीवन देउनि रोपीं विस्तारिजे | "giving water — the plant extends" |
| आधारें वदली प्रसादाची वाणी | "by [your] support — prasāda-speech spoke" |
| उच्छिष्टसेवणी तुमचिया | "eating your leftovers (ucchiṣṭa)" |
| तुका म्हणे हे चि करितों विनंती | "Tuka says — this very vinanti I make" |
| मागोनि पुढती सेवादान | "asking again — the gift of sēvā" |
| ॥४॥ | colophon — closes 4-abhang sub-cluster (2180-2183) |
What it means
Coarse-speech-child-clinging-to-feet + asking-again-the-gift-of-sēvā abhang. Ends with ॥४॥ — closes 4-abhang sub-cluster (2180-2183).
The opening — coarse-speech, child-clinging: āruśa mājhī vāṇī bōbaḍīm uttarē — kēlī tē lēkurē salagī pāyīm — coarse is my speech, babbling answers — the child held [you] close at [your] feet. Āruśa = coarse, rude. Bōbaḍī = babbling, child's speech. Salagī = closeness, affectionate-clinging. My-speech is-coarse, babbling; only-the-child's-closeness at-(your)-feet brings-it-out.
The water-to-plant: karāvē kavatuka santīm māya-bāpīm — jīvana dē'uni rōpīm vistārijē — be pleased, saints, mothers-fathers — giving water, the plant extends. Saints-as-parents, be-pleased; giving-water (jīvana = life/water) to-the-plant, it-extends. (= your kṛpā extends-the-bhakta-as-water-extends-a-plant.)
The prasāda-speech + ucchiṣṭa: ādhārē vadalī prasādāchī vāṇī — ucchiṣṭa-sēvaṇī tumachiyā — by [your] support — prasāda-speech spoke — eating your leftovers. Ucchiṣṭa = leftover-food (eaten after the master/Lord). By-(your)-support, prasāda-speech (= speech-as-grace) speaks-out-of-me; I-eat your-ucchiṣṭa. The bhakta's-speech is-not-his-own — it's-the-Lord's-leftover-grace.
The closing — asking-again sēvā-dāna: Tukā mhaṇē hē chi karitōm vinantī — māgōni puḍhatī sēvā-dāna — Tuka says: this very vinanti I make — asking again — the gift of sēvā. Sēvā-dāna = the gift-of-sēvā (= grant-me-the-privilege-of-serving). This-very-vinanti I-make: asking-again-and-again the-gift-of-sēvā.
The ॥४॥ colophon closes a 4-abhang sub-cluster (2180-2183), all addressing the saints: 2180 (sāṣṭānga, pūrva-puṇya-ṭhēvā), 2181 (missed-saint-meeting-the-sigh-remains), 2182 (capital-is-sēvā, make-me-mānabhāva), 2183 (coarse-speech-child-asking-sēvā-dāna). A coherent saint-prayer-cluster.
[T]
For someone today
For today: coarse is my speech, babbling — child clinging to feet; be pleased, saint-parents — water-to-plant extends; by your support, prasāda-speech spoke — eating your ucchiṣṭa; Tuka says — this vinanti I make — asking again, the gift of sēvā.
Where this applies
- When you feel too clumsy or unpolished to approach someone wise, and worry your words aren't good enough
- When you realize a mentor's kindness has shaped who you are, the way water shapes a growing plant
- When something meaningful comes out of your mouth and you sense it wasn't really you who said it
- When you keep returning to ask not for reward but simply for the chance to help or serve again