संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2183 of 4582

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.

When you'd ask child-cling-to-feet + gift-of-sēvā — āruśa-vāṇī-bōbaḍī-lēkurē-salagī-pāyīm; santīm-māya-bāpīm-jīvana-rōpīm-vistārijē; ādhārē-prasādāchī-vāṇī-ucchiṣṭa-sēvaṇī; vinantī-māgōni-sēvā-dāna

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

English: 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 pāyīmcoarse 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 vistārijēbe 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 tumachiyāby [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-dānaTuka 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

Related verses