Abhanga 2387
The verse
आलिया भोगासी असावें सादर । देवावरी भार घालूनियां ॥१॥ मग तो कृपासिंधु निवारी सांकडें । येर तें बापुडें काय रंके ॥ध्रु.॥ भयाचिये पोटीं दुःखाचिया रासी । शरण देवासी जातां भले ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नव्हे काय त्या करितां । चिंतावा तो आतां विश्वंभर ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: ★★ Accept the bhōga that comes — with reverence — placing the burden on Dēva ★★. Then the kṛpā-ocean removes the trap — what use are other poor-helpers. In fear's belly, piles of duḥkha — going for śaraṇa to Dēva is good. Tuka says: what cannot he do — contemplate that Viśvambhara now.
What it means
★★★ THE MOST-CITED TUKĀRĀM LINE ON EQUANIMITY-IN-SUFFERING ★★★. Universally-quoted in Marathi cultural-discourse to this day.
★★★ THE FAMOUS OPENING ★★★: āliyā bhōgāsī asāvē sādara — Dēvāvarī bhāra ghālūniyām — ★★★ accept the bhōga that comes — with reverence — placing the burden on Dēva ★★★. Āliyā bhōgāsī = to-the-coming-bhōga (suffering, experience). Sādara = with-reverence, attentively. Bhāra = burden, weight. ★★★ Accept-the-bhōga-that-comes WITH-REVERENCE; placing-the-burden on-Dēva. ★★★
★ HISTORICAL-CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE ★: This is THE most-quoted Tukārām-line on equanimity-in-suffering — used in countless Marathi-contexts: at deaths-and-funerals, in-stoic-acceptance-of-misfortune, in-political-defeat, in-personal-tragedy. The line has become proverbial in Marathi-culture, often cited without-attribution as common-wisdom. It encapsulates the Vārkarī-theological-position: don't-resist what-comes, accept-it reverently, but-simultaneously surrender-the-burden to-the-Lord (= you-don't-have-to-bear-it-yourself).
The kṛpā-sindhu: maga tō kṛpā-sindhu nivārī sānkaḍē — yēra tē bāpuḍē kāya rankē — then the kṛpā-ocean removes the trap — what use are other poor-helpers. The kṛpā-sindhu (compassion-ocean) removes-the-trap; what-use other-poor-helpers.
The fear-and-duḥkha: bhayāchiyē pōṭīm duḥkhāchiyā rāsī — śaraṇa Dēvāsī jātām bhalē — in fear's belly, piles of duḥkha — going for śaraṇa to Dēva is good. In-fear's-belly are-piles-of-duḥkha; going-for-śaraṇa-to-Dēva is-good.
The Viśvambhara: Tukā mhaṇē navhē kāya tyā karitām — chintāvā tō ātām Viśvambhara — Tuka says: what cannot he do — contemplate that Viśvambhara now. What-cannot-he-do (= Viśvambhara is omnipotent); contemplate-him now.
★ THE PARADOX ★: Accept-reverently + place-the-burden-on-Dēva — both-at-once. The bhakta accepts-life-as-given but-does-not-have-to-bear-it-alone.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ★★★ accept the bhōga that comes with reverence — placing the burden on Dēva ★★★; the kṛpā-ocean removes the trap; in fear's belly, duḥkha-piles — śaraṇa is good; contemplate Viśvambhara, who can do all*.
Where this applies
- ★★★ ACCEPT-THE-BHŌGA-WITH-REVERENCE-PLACE-BURDEN-ON-DĒVA ★★★. ★★★ Āliyā-bhōgāsī-asāvē-sādara-Dēvāvarī-bhāra-ghālūniyām ★★★.
- Kṛpā-ocean-removes-trap.* Kṛpā-sindhu-nivārī-sānkaḍē.
- Fear's-belly-duḥkha-piles-śaraṇa-good.* Bhayāchiyē-pōṭīm-duḥkhāchiyā-rāsī-śaraṇa.
- Contemplate-Viśvambhara-omnipotent.* Navhē-kāya-tyā-karitām-chintāvā-Viśvambhara.