Abhanga 2477
Like a child too absorbed in play to notice how tired he is, let go and trust the parent calling you home, because without that trust the whole surrender falls apart.
The verse
अखंड जडियेल्या तया ढाळ अंगणा । वैखरी धरूनि हातीं भाव दावी खेळणा ॥१॥ निजीं रे निजीं आतां । म्हणोनि परिये दे माता । खेळतां कष्टलासी बाळा तूं रे नेणतां । निजीं रे निजीं आतां ॥ध्रु.॥ खेळतां दुश्चित्ता रे देखोनि तें न्यावें । म्हणोनि सांगें तुज शीघ्र वचन पाळावें॥२॥ आणीक नेली मागें काय जाणों तीं किती । आलासि येथवरि थोरपुण्यें बहुतीं ॥३॥ रिघतां बाहेरि रे पळे घेऊनि कासोटी । ते चि परी जाली स्वामी भेणें रिघें कपाटीं ॥४॥ भरलासे कांप अंगीं सुख नाठवें दुःख । आप पर तें ही नाहीं देहभाव सकळिक ॥५॥ टाकिलें तयावरी खुणें गोविला अंतीं । पावला मायबाप हिरोन घेतला हातीं ॥६॥ घातली धांव नेटें वेगीं पावला त्यासी । हिरोनि नेलीं दोघें आपणयां तीं पासी ॥७॥ टोंकताहे तुजलागीं दिवस लेखूनी काळ । मग नेदी आठवूं रे नेत्रीं घालीं पडळ ॥८॥ तेणें तें चि चित्त राहे होऊनियां निवांत । पावती तुका म्हणे नाहीं विश्वास ते घात ॥९॥
Literal translation
Unceasingly attached, drum-roll in courtyard — holding vaikharī in hand, bhāva shows the toy. Sleep now, sleep now — mother says — playing you got tired, child, in not-knowing. Playing distracted — therefore obey quickly. Many others she took back — you reached here by great puṇya. Wanting to go outside — Svāmī by fear enters the cupboard. Trembling in body — no remembrance of sukha-duḥkha — self-other gone — body-feelings gone. Thrown upon, marked at end — mother-father snatched by hand. Ran urgently — reached — both snatched to self. Kāla counts days for you — doesn't let you remember — puts veil over eyes. Thus chitta stays peaceful — Tuka says: no viśvāsa = destruction.
What it means
THE 9-VERSE BHAKTA-AS-CHILD MOTHER-LORD ALLEGORY ABHANG. An extended-allegory of the bhakta-as-child-being-protected-by-the-Mother-Lord.
The narrative-frame: A long-allegorical-story of the child-bhakta: - Playing-in-the-courtyard, attached, drum-rolling — bhāva shows the toy - "Sleep, child" — Mother says — "you got tired playing in not-knowing" (lullaby-frame) - The-child is-distracted-and-must-obey-quickly - Many other-children she-took-back; you-arrived-here only-by-great-puṇya - Wanting-to-go-outside, the bhakta-as-Svāmī-enters-the-cupboard-out-of-fear - Body-trembling, sukha-duḥkha-gone, self-other-gone, all-dēha-bhāva-gone — samādhi-state - Mother-father-snatched the-bhakta by-hand at-the-end - Kāla counts the days for you, then puts a veil over the eyes - Chitta-rests-peaceful by-this; those-without-viśvāsa are destroyed
The teaching: The bhakta-as-child plays-in-samsāra-distractedly, but-the-Mother-Lord protects and-snatches-at-the-end. Trust (viśvāsa) is the key.
An extended lullaby-allegory — Tukārām using folk-Marathi mother-and-child motif at-length.
[T]
For someone today
For today: sleep, child, you got tired playing; many others were taken; great puṇya brought you here; samādhi-state — body-feelings gone; mother-father snatch at the end ; those without viśvāsa are destroyed .
Where this applies
- When you realize you've worn yourself out chasing worldly distractions without noticing the toll it took
- When you find yourself further along in your inner life than you expected and want to recognize that as a gift rather than your own doing
- When fear of going back into old distractions makes you want to run and take refuge close to what you trust instead
- When doubt creeps in and you need reminding that trust, not effort or certainty, is what carries you through