Abhanga 3269
Tukaram describes feeling trapped, as if forced into hard labor, while simply going about the ordinary business of worldly life. But right there, on that very path, grace intervened and he unexpectedly met Vithoba. He had been carrying an immense, immeasurable weight on his head and worrying deeply about who could possibly help him carry it. The verse is a quiet testimony that help can arrive precisely when you're overwhelmed and searching, often on the ordinary road of daily life rather than somewhere extraordinary.
The verse
होतों सांपडलों वेठी । जातां भेटी संसारा ॥१॥
तों या वाटे कृपा केली । भेटी जाली विठोबासी ॥ध्रु.॥
होता भार माथां माझे । बहु ओझें अमुप ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे केली चिंता । कोण दाता भेटेल ॥३॥
Literal translation
Caught-in-veṭhī, going-to-samsāra-bhēṭī. But-here-krpā, Viṭhōbā-bhēṭī. Was-bhāra-on-head, amupa-ōjhe. Tukā: was-worried — who-dātā?
What it means
A short 3-verse text. Was-caught-in-burdens, but-the-Lord-came-on-the-way.
For someone today
Tukaram describes feeling trapped, as if forced into hard labor, while simply going about the ordinary business of worldly life. But right there, on that very path, grace intervened and he unexpectedly met Vithoba. He had been carrying an immense, immeasurable weight on his head and worrying deeply about who could possibly help him carry it. The verse is a quiet testimony that help can arrive precisely when you're overwhelmed and searching, often on the ordinary road of daily life rather than somewhere extraordinary.
मराठी: तुकाराम सांगतात की संसाराच्या रोजच्या व्यवहारात असताना ते जणू वेठबिगारीत अडकल्यासारखे वाटत होते. पण त्याच वाटेवर अचानक कृपा झाली आणि त्यांची विठोबाशी भेट झाली. त्यांच्या डोक्यावर अपार, मोजता न येणारे ओझे होते आणि हे ओझे उचलायला कोण मदत करेल याची त्यांना खूप काळजी वाटत होती. हा अभंग शांतपणे साक्ष देतो की मदत नेमकी तेव्हाच येऊ शकते जेव्हा तुम्ही दडपलेले आणि शोधात असता, अनेकदा एखाद्या खास क्षणी नव्हे तर रोजच्या साध्या वाटेवरच.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's caught-in-veṭhī, Viṭhōbā-came claim