संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2325 of 4582

Abhanga 2325

For today: the children spoke — fool's crooked words; forgive the offense — mahā-rāja, you are siddha; I haven't considered — my own adhikāra; Tuka says — Jñāneśvara — keep this kinkara at your feet .

When you've spoken carelessly to someone you admire and need to ask forgiveness without making excuses.

When you realize you acted or spoke before considering whether you were truly qualified to do so.

When you want to ask a mentor or elder simply to let you stay near and serve, not to be recognized or praised.

The verse

बोलिलीं लेकुरें । वेडीं वांकुडीं उत्तरें ॥१॥ करा क्षमा अपराध । महाराज तुम्ही सिद्धी ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं विचारिला । अधिकार म्यां आपुला ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ज्ञानेश्वरा । राखा पायांपें किंकरा ॥३॥

Literal translation

The children spoke — fool's crooked words. Forgive the offense — mahā-rāja, you are siddha. I haven't considered — my own adhikāra. Tuka says — Jñāneśvara — keep this kinkara at your feet.

What it means

THE EXPLICIT JÑĀNEŚVARA-ADDRESS ABHANG. Third of the 4-abhang Jñānadēva-veneration cluster (2323-2326).

The opening — children's-crooked-words: bōlilīm lēkurē — vēḍīm vānkuḍīm uttarē — the children spoke — fool's crooked words. The children-(of-this-bhakta)-spoke fool's-crooked-words. Self-deprecation — Tukārām's-own-words to-Jñāneśvar are-children's-prattle.

The forgive-offense: karā kṣamā aparādha — mahā-rāja tumhī siddhī — forgive the offense — mahā-rāja, you are siddha. Mahā-rāja = great-king. Siddhī = one perfected, siddha. Forgive-the-offense, mahā-rāja, you-are-siddha.

The no-adhikāra-considered: nāhīm vichārilā — adhikāra myām āpulā — I haven't considered — my own adhikāra. I-haven't-considered my-own-adhikāra (qualification).

THE EXPLICIT JÑĀNEŚVARA-ADDRESS: Tukā mhaṇē Jñānēśvarā — rākhā pāyāmpē kinkarā — Tuka says — Jñāneśvara — keep this kinkara at your feet. Kinkara = humble servant. Tuka says: Jñāneśvara — keep this kinkara (humble servant) at your feet. A direct-vocative-address-to-Jñāneśvar asking-to-be-kept-as-his-servant.

Historical-significance: this is one-of-the-explicit-direct-vocative-addresses to-Jñāneśvar in-Tukārām's-corpus, paired-with 2323's I-will-come-to-venerate-the-feet declaration and 2324's guru-of-jñānis veneration.

[T]

For someone today

Where this applies

When you realize your words came out clumsy or presumptuous in front of someone you deeply respect.
When you need to apologize honestly instead of defending or explaining away your mistake.
When you catch yourself speaking or acting without first considering whether you're even qualified to do so.
When what you really want from a relationship with a mentor is simply to stay close and be useful, not to be praised.

Bhakti