Abhanga 3210
A mother delights even in her baby's rough kick because it comes from love and bond, and God delights the same way in imperfect devotion offered from the heart.
The verse
बाळ माते लाते वरी । मारी तेणें संतोषे ॥१॥
सुख वसे चित्ती अंगीं । तें हें रंगीं मिळालें ॥ध्रु.॥
भक्षी त्याचा जीवमाग । आले भाग तो बरा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ॠणानुबंधें । सांगें सुदें सकळां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bāḷa kicks-māte — by-that she-samtōṣe. Sukha-in-chitti-anga, ranga-merged. Eats-jīva-mārga, the-bhāga-good. Tukā: by-rṇānubandha, tells-all.
What it means
A short 3-verse bhakti-intimacy image. The baby's-kick-pleases-the-mother — bhakta's-rough-affection-pleases-the-Lord.
For someone today
When a baby kicks its mother, she doesn't feel hurt, she feels joy, because the kick comes from someone she loves. Tukaram says your rough, imperfect devotion works the same way with God: the Lord doesn't need polished offerings, he delights simply because the love is real and comes from a bonded relationship. Don't hold back from prayer or devotion because you feel your effort is clumsy or unrefined, the bond itself is what matters.
मराठी: बाळ आईला लाथ मारतं तेव्हा आई दुखावत नाही, तर आनंदित होते, कारण ती लाथ प्रेमातून येते. तुकाराम म्हणतात, तुमची अपरिपूर्ण, ओबडधोबड भक्तीसुद्धा देवाला अशीच आनंद देते, देवाला सुबक अर्पण नको, त्याला खरं नातं आणि प्रेम हवं असतं. त्यामुळे आपली भक्ती अपुरी वाटते म्हणून मागे हटू नका.
Where this applies
- When you feel your prayers or devotion are too clumsy or imperfect to matter
- When you hesitate to approach someone you love because you fear your affection seems rough
- When a parent lovingly tolerates a child's rough affection
- When you doubt whether an imperfect gesture of love still counts