Abhanga 3151
Like a child of a powerful parent who plays fearlessly under that protection, trusting a strong, loving protector turns fear into freedom and makes devotion feel natural.
The verse
खेळतां न भ्यावें समर्थाच्या बाळें । तयाच्या सकळ सत्तेखालीं ॥१॥
तरी लेवविला शोभे अळंकार । नाहीं तरी भार मानाविण ॥ध्रु.॥
अवघी च दिशा असावी मोकळी । मायबाप बळी म्हणऊनि ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे माझें ऐसें आहे देवा । म्हणऊनि सेवा समर्पिली ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kheḷatām na bhyāve samarthāñcyā bāḷe — while playing, samartha's child need-not fear; tayāñcyā sakaḷa sattekhālīm — under all his sattā. Tarī levavilā śōbhe aḷankāra — then the given aḷankāra looks beautiful; nāhī tarī bhāra mānāviṇa — otherwise only bhāra without māna. Avaghī cha diśā asāvī mōkaḷī — all directions should be mōkaḷī; māyabāpa baḷī mhaṇaūnī — because māyabāpa is baḷī. Tukā mhaṇe mājhe aise āhe Devā — Tukā says: my case is such, Deva; mhaṇaūnī sevā samarpilī — therefore sevā is offered.
What it means
A canonical 3-verse confidence-image: the-child-of-the-samartha-(powerful-master)-plays-fearlessly under-his-sattā. The bhakta-is-the-child of-the-māyabāpa-Viṭhṭhal.
For someone today
Tukaram offers a warm image here, a child of a powerful parent can play freely without fear, because it is protected under that parent's authority the whole time. He notices that anything given by such a protector, even an ornament, looks genuinely beautiful, while the same thing without that backing would feel like a heavy burden with no real meaning. Because his divine parent is strong, he says, every direction feels open and safe to him, with nothing to fear. He closes by simply stating that this is his situation with God, and that is exactly why he offers his devotion freely. It is an image of the security that comes from truly trusting someone stronger than yourself.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे एक प्रेमळ प्रतिमा देतात, बलवान आईवडिलांचे मूल निर्भयपणे खेळू शकते, कारण ते संपूर्ण वेळ त्या आईवडिलांच्या संरक्षणाखाली असते. त्यांना जाणवते की अशा संरक्षकाकडून मिळालेली कोणतीही गोष्ट, अगदी दागिनासुद्धा, खरोखर सुंदर दिसते, तर तीच गोष्ट त्या आधाराशिवाय असली तर निरर्थक भाराप्रमाणे वाटते. त्यांचे दैवी आईवडील बलवान असल्यामुळे, ते म्हणतात, त्यांना प्रत्येक दिशा मोकळी आणि सुरक्षित वाटते, कशाचीच भीती वाटत नाही. शेवटी ते साधेपणाने सांगतात की देवाशी त्यांची अशीच स्थिती आहे, आणि म्हणूनच ते आपली सेवा मुक्तपणे अर्पण करतात. स्वतःहून बलवान अशा कुणावर खरा विश्वास ठेवल्यावर मिळणाऱ्या सुरक्षिततेची ही प्रतिमा आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel anxious about taking risks and need the reassurance that someone stronger is watching over you
- When something given to you feels meaningless until you remember the love and protection behind it
- When you want to feel safe exploring life freely instead of fearfully holding back
- When you want to explain why you willingly offer service or devotion to someone you deeply trust