Abhanga 3051
Being loved by God is like being loved by a mother, who accepts her baby completely as it is, flaws and all, needing no explanation.
The verse
जैसें तैसें बाळ मातेसी आवडे । बोलतां बोबडे शब्द गोड ॥१॥
आपुले आवडी लेववी खाववी । पाहोनियां जीवीं सुख वाटे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे काय देऊं परिहार । काय ते साचार जाणतसें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Jaise taise bāḷa māteṣī āvaḍe — as-is, the baby is loved by (its) mother; bōlatām bōbaḍe śabda gōḍa — the lisping words are sweet. Āpule āvaḍī levavī khāvavī — by her own āvaḍī, she clothes-and-feeds; pāhōnīyām jīvīm sukha vāṭe — seeing (the baby), she feels sukha in (her) jīva. Tukā mhaṇe kāya deūm parihāra — Tukā says: what parihāra can I give; kāya te sāchāra jāṇatasēm — I know that truly.
What it means
A short canonical mother-and-baby image by Tukārām.
The image: The mother loves the baby as-it-is; the baby's-lisping-words are-sweet-to-her; she clothes-and-feeds with-her-own-fondness; seeing-the-baby she-feels-sukha-in-jīva. The implication: the Lord-(or-his-mother-aspect)-loves-the-bhakta-as-the-mother-loves-the-baby — accepting-the-bhakta as-is, finding-even-imperfect-utterances-sweet.
The closing: what-parihāra-can-I-give? — I-know-this-truly. The bhakta has-no-explanation-or-defense but knows-this-relation-is-true.
Compare-Tukārām's-own 2597 (tūm-mājhī-māulī canonical mother-shade prayer), 2811 (hungry-baby-for-mother), 2842 (if-mother-cuts-throat).
For someone today
Tukārām's canonical mother-baby image. As-is, the baby is loved by (its) mother; even (its) lisping words are sweet. By her own fondness — she clothes (it) and feeds (it); seeing (the baby), she feels sukha in (her) jīva. What clearing-explanation can I give? — I know that truly. The verse permits the bhakta's claim that the Lord loves as-is, just as a mother loves her baby.
मराठी: तुकारामांची ही आई-बाळाची पारंपरिक प्रतिमा आहे. बाळ जसे आहे तसेच आईला आवडते; त्याचे बोबडे बोलही तिला गोड वाटतात. आपल्याच आवडीने ती त्याला वस्त्रे घालते आणि खाऊ घालते; बाळाला पाहून तिच्या जीवाला सुख वाटते. मी काय स्पष्टीकरण देऊ? हे तर मला खरेच ठाऊक आहे. या अभंगातून भक्ताचा हा दावा प्रकट होतो की परमेश्वर आपल्याला जसे आहोत तसेच प्रेम करतो, अगदी आई आपल्या बाळावर करते तसे.
Where this applies
- When you feel you have to earn love by being perfect or impressive.
- When you're self-conscious about your flaws or how clumsily you express yourself.
- When you watch a parent's unconditional love for a child and want to understand being loved that way yourself.