Abhanga 2396
God does not overlook the simple or slow witted; anyone who sincerely turns toward him is not deceived, and every offense can be forgiven.
The verse
बुद्धिहीनां जडजीवां । नको देवा उपेक्षूं ॥१॥ परिसावी हे विज्ञापना । आम्हां दीनां दासांची ॥ध्रु.॥ चिंतूनियां आले पाय । त्यांसी काय वंचन ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे पुरुषोत्तमा । करीं क्षमा अपराध ॥३॥
Literal translation
Those who are buddhi-less, dull-souls — don't disregard, Dēvā. Listen to this petition — of us poor servants. Those who came contemplating your feet — what deception for them. Tuka says: Puruṣōttama — forgive offenses.
What it means
THE DON'T-DISREGARD-THE-DULL-SOULS PETITION.
THE OPENING PETITION: buddhi-hīnām jaḍa-jīvām — nakō Dēvā upēkṣūm — those who are buddhi-less, dull-souls — don't disregard, Dēvā. Buddhi-hīna = without-intellect. Jaḍa-jīva = dull-soul, slow-witted. Those-who-are-buddhi-less, the-dull-souls — don't-disregard, Dēvā. The bhakti-egalitarian-petition: don't-exclude-the-intellectually-weak.
The contemplating-feet: chintūniyām ālē pāya — tyāmsī kāya vañchana — those who came contemplating your feet — what deception. Those-who-came contemplating-your-feet — what-deception (vañchana) can-they-suffer?
The Puruṣōttama-forgiveness: Tukā mhaṇē Puruṣōttamā — karīm kṣamā aparādha — Tuka says: Puruṣōttama — forgive offenses. Puruṣōttama — forgive-the-offenses.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't disregard the buddhi-less, dull-souls; listen to the petition of poor servants; those contemplating your feet — no deception; Puruṣōttama, forgive offenses.
Where this applies
- When you feel you're not smart or educated enough to belong in a spiritual community or important pursuit
- When you compare yourself to sharper, more capable people and feel like grace must be passing you by
- When you've made a real mistake and worry you're too flawed to be forgiven or welcomed back
- When you come to prayer or practice sincerely but with simple, unpolished understanding, and wonder if that's enough