संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2422 of 4582

Abhanga 2422

True devotion needs no grand offering, it can be as humble as hoping for leftovers and holding onto surrender day and night.

When you feel unqualified to offer something impressive and can only show up humbly with what little you have.

When you'd rather stay near a community or person you admire, even in a small role, than not be there at all.

When you keep holding onto surrender and hope as your only steady practice, day after day.

The verse

तुमचे स्तुतियोग्य कोटें माझी वाणी । मस्तक चरणीं ठेवीतसें ॥१॥ भिक्तभाग्य तरी नेदीं तुळसीदळ । जोडूनि अंजुळ उभा असें ॥ध्रु.॥ कैचें भाग्य ऐसें पाविजे संनिध । नेणें पाळूं विध करुणा भाकीं ॥२॥ संतांचे सेवटीं उच्छिष्टाची आस । करूनियां वास पाहातसें ॥३॥ करीं इच्छा मज म्हणोत आपुलें । एखादिया बोलें निमित्याच्या ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे शरण आलों हें साधन । करितों चिंतन रात्रदिवस ॥५॥

Literal translation

What is my voice for your praise — I place head at the feet. Not even tulasī-leaf for bhakti-blessing — I stand with folded hands. What fortune like this nearness — I don't keep ritual, I plead with mercy. At saints' end, hope for uchchhiṣṭa (leftovers) — making my dwelling, I watch. Do desire — call me yours — by some pretext-word. Tuka says: I came in śaraṇa — this is my sādhana — I contemplate night-day.

What it means

THE HOPE-FOR-UCHCHHIṢṬA-AT-SAINTS'-END ABHANG. A celebrated humility-image.

THE LEFTOVERS-IMAGE: santāñchē sēvaṭīm uchchhiṣṭāchī āsa — karūniyām vāsa pāhātasē — at saints' end, hope for uchchhiṣṭa-leftovers — making my dwelling, I watch. Uchchhiṣṭa = food-leftovers. At the saints'-meal-end, [I] hope-for the-uchchhiṣṭa (leftovers); making my-dwelling there, I-watch. The lowest-humility-image — the bhakta hopes only-to-eat the-saints' leftover-food, the spiritual-equivalent of-prasāda.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The uchchhiṣṭāchī āsa image is used by-many bhakti-poets as-the-ultimate-humility — to-want-only-the-saints'-leftovers and-not-even-direct-divine-favor. Aligns with-the prasāda-tradition.

The pretext-call: karīm ichchhā maja mhaṇōta āpulē — ēkhādiyā bōlē nimityāchyā — call me yours by some pretext-word. Call-me-yours by-some-pretext (any-excuse-will-do).

[T]

For someone today

For today: what is my voice for your praise; not even tulasī-leaf; at saints' end, hope only for the leftovers ; call me yours by any pretext; śaraṇa is my night-day sādhana.

Where this applies

When you feel too unworthy or unpolished to offer something big, and all you can do is show up humbly
When you don't know the right words or rituals for a situation and can only ask for understanding
When you'd be happy just to be near people or a community you admire, even in a small or leftover role
When you want to belong somewhere so badly that you'd accept being included for almost any reason at all
When you realize that simply holding on and not giving up is itself the main thing you have to offer