Abhanga 3087
God stays close to his devotee out of pure love, not fear or debt, because a devotee's affection holds a place in his heart unlike anything else.
The verse
बहुत कृपाळु दीनाचा दयाळु । जगीं भक्तवत्सळु नाम तुझें ॥१॥
मानियेला चत्तिीं बळीचा उपकार । अझूनि त्याचें द्वार राखसील ॥ध्रु.॥
काय त्याच्या भेणें बैसलासी द्वारीं । नाहीं तुज हरि कृपा बहु ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भक्तजनाची ममता । तुम्हांसी अनंता अलोलिक ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bahut krpāḷu dīnāñcā dayāḷu — very krpāḷu, dīna-dayāḷu; jagīm bhakta-vatsaḷu nāma tujhe — in the world, bhakta-vatsaḷa is your Name. Māniyelā chittīm Baḷīñcā upakāra — (you have) taken Bali's upakāra into chitta; ajhūnī tyāñce dvāra rākhasīla — (you) still guard his door. Kāya tyāñcyā bheṇe baisalāsī dvārīm — (is it) by fear of him (that) you sit at the door; nāhī tuja Harī krpā bahu — no, Harī, your krpā is much. Tukā mhaṇe bhakta-janāñcī mamatā — Tukā says: bhakta-jana's mamatā; tumhāmsī Anantā alōlika — is alōlika (unique) to you, Ananta.
What it means
The Bali / Vāmana follow-up text in-the-Daśāvatāra-meditation-cluster.
The narrative: After-Vāmana-pushed-Bali-to-pātāḷa (covered in 3044), the Lord-grants-Bali's-request and-guards-Bali's-door as-doorkeeper. The text-emphasizes: (your) door-guarding is-not-by-fear-of-him (you-could-easily-leave) but-by-your-own-krpā and-bhakta-vatsalya.
The doctrinal-claim: bhakta-jana's-mamatā is-alōlika (unique-and-beyond-the-ordinary-world) to-you, Ananta. The Lord-himself-is-bound-by-the-bhakta's-affection — not by-fear, not by-debt, but by-mutual-mamatā.
This-completes the-Daśāvatāra-cluster's-doctrinal-arc: each-avatāra is for-the-bhakta; the-Lord-himself-is-bound-by-bhakta-affection — alōlika.
For someone today
Even God chooses to guard the door of one who loves him, not because he owes a debt and not out of fear, but simply because a devotee's love holds him there on its own. Tukaram insists this bond between the Lord and his devotee is unlike anything else in the world, more powerful than duty or obligation. If you love or serve someone with genuine devotion, you don't need leverage or fear to keep the bond alive; real affection is its own hold. Trust that this pure, unforced love is enough to draw grace and presence toward you.
मराठी: देव प्रेम करणाऱ्या भक्ताच्या दारावर स्वतःहून उभा राहतो — कोणत्याही ऋणामुळे किंवा भीतीमुळे नव्हे, तर केवळ भक्ताच्या प्रेमामुळे. तुकाराम म्हणतात की देव आणि भक्त यांच्यातील हे नाते जगातील इतर कशाहूनही निराळे आणि श्रेष्ठ आहे. जर तुम्ही मनापासून प्रेमाने कुणाची सेवा करत असाल, तर ते नाते टिकवण्यासाठी भीती किंवा दबावाची गरज नसते — खरे प्रेमच पुरेसे असते. निष्कपट प्रेम कृपेला आणि जवळिकीला आपोआप बोलावते, यावर विश्वास ठेवा.
Where this applies
- When you wonder whether love alone, without any obligation, is enough to keep someone devoted to you
- When you quietly serve or care for someone and worry your devotion goes unnoticed
- When you feel doubtful that a caring presence in your life is genuine and not just duty
- When you want to understand why someone stays loyal to you without being asked or forced