Abhanga 2376
Even when you feel abandoned and too weak to manage alone, your persistent, honest longing is itself enough to draw care toward you, the way a child's insistence brings a mother running.
The verse
मायें मोकलिलें कोठें जावें बळें । आपुलिया बळें न वंचे तें ॥१॥ रुसोनियां पळे सांडुनियां ताट । मागें पाहे वाट यावें ऐसीं ॥ध्रु.॥ भांडवल आम्हां आळी करावी हे । आपणें माये धांवसील ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आळी करुनियां निकी । देसील भातुकीं बुझाऊनि ॥३॥
Literal translation
When mother lets-go — where to go by force — one's own strength is not enough. Sulking, flee — abandon the plate — looking back at the path: "come this way". Our capital is to-make-tantrum (āḷī) — you-yourself, mother, will-run. Tuka says: by good-tantrum — you'll pacify with toys.
What it means
THE BHAKTA-AS-CHILD'S-TANTRUM-TO-MOTHER-GOD ABHANG.
The mother-lets-go: māyē mōkalilē kōṭhē jāvē baḷē — āpuliyā baḷē na vañchē tē — when mother lets-go — where to go by force — one's own strength is not enough. When-mother-lets-go, where-can-the-child-go-by-its-own-force? Its-own-strength is-not-enough.
The sulking-and-looking-back: rusōniyām paḷē sāṇḍuniyām tāṭa — māgē pāhē vāṭa yāvē aiśīm — sulking, flee, abandon the plate — looking back at the path: 'come this way'. Sulking, the-child-flees, abandoning-the-plate-(food); but-looks-back at-the-path: '[Mother], come-this-way'.
THE FAMOUS CAPITAL-IS-TANTRUM: bhāṇḍavala āmhām āḷī karāvī hē — āpaṇē māyē dhāmvasīla — our capital is to-make-tantrum (āḷī) — you-yourself, mother, will-run. Bhāṇḍavala = capital, business-asset. Āḷī = tantrum, child's-stubborn-demanding. Our-only-capital is-to-make-tantrum (āḷī); you-yourself, Mother, will-run [to-us]. The bhakta's-paradoxical-strategy: we-have-nothing-but-our-stubborn-demanding (tantrum); but-precisely-because-of-it, the-Mother-will-come-running.
The toy-pacification: Tukā mhaṇē āḷī karuniyām nikī — dēsīla bhātukī bujhāūni — Tuka says: by good-tantrum — you'll pacify with toys. Bhātukī = toys, child's-playthings. By-our-good-tantrum, you-(Mother)-will-pacify-us with-toys.
The image: The bhakta is-the-stubborn-child who-makes-tantrum, refuses-food, runs-away-while-looking-back; the-Lord-as-Mother is-compelled-by-this-very-tantrum to-come-running-and-pacify-with-divine-toys (= darshan, bhakti-experiences).
[T]
For someone today
When mother lets go, where can the child really wander off to on its own strength alone? It's never quite enough. So the child sulks, pushes the plate away, and runs off, but keeps glancing back over its shoulder, hoping she'll come this way. Our only real leverage is our stubborn insistence, our tantrum, because that alone is what makes you, Mother, come running to us. Tuka says: with a good, honest fit of demanding, you end up soothing us with your gifts.
मराठी: आई सोडून गेली की मूल स्वतःच्या बळावर तरी कुठे जाणार? स्वतःचं बळ पुरतच नाही. मग ते रुसून, ताट सोडून पळून जातं, पण मागे वळून वाट पाहत राहतं, आई इकडूनच येईल म्हणून. आमचं भांडवल फक्त हट्ट करणं आहे, कारण त्यामुळेच तू, आई, धावत येशील. तुका म्हणतो, अशा चांगल्या हट्टानेच तू आम्हाला खेळणी देऊन समजावशील.
Where this applies
- When you feel too weak or small to handle a hard situation entirely on your own
- When you keep persistently asking for help even though you feel like you are being a burden
- When you are comforted knowing that honest need, even expressed clumsily, still draws care
- When you are waiting, half-sulking, for someone you love to come back and reassure you