Abhanga 3291
Like a touchstone that turns iron to gold without inspecting its flaws, Tukaram asks God to touch and transform him without judging his faults first.
The verse
जालिया दर्शन करीन मी सेवा । आणीक ही देवा न लगे दुजें ॥१॥
प्रारब्धा अंगीं अन्न आच्छादन । स्थिर करोनि मन ठेवीं पायीं ॥ध्रु.॥
ये गा ये गा ये गा कृपाळुवा हरी । निववीं अभ्यंतरीं देउनि भेटी ॥२॥
आसावलें मन जीवनाचे ओढी । नामरूपें गोडी लावियेली ॥३॥
काय तुम्हांपाशीं नाहीं भांडवल । माझे मिथ्या बोल जाती ऐसे ॥४॥
काय लोखंडाचे पाहे गुण दोष । सिवोनि परिस सोनें करी ॥५॥
तुका म्हणे माझें अवघें असों द्यावें । आपुलें करावें ब्रीद साच ॥६॥
Literal translation
If-darśana, I'll-do-sevā, nothing-more. Prārabdha-anga anna-āchchhādana; place-mana at-feet. Come-Hari-krpāḷu, cool-abhyantara by-bhēṭī. Mana-thirsty in-jīvana-pull; nāma-rūpa-gōḍī applied. What-isn't-bhāṇḍavala with-you? my-mithyā-bōla-go. What-guṇa-dōṣa-of-iron? — pāris-touch makes-gold. Tukā: let-my-(faults)-be; make-your-birida-true.
What it means
A canonical 6-verse petition. Pāris-touches-iron-makes-it-gold without-inspecting-guṇa-dōṣa — Tukārām's request: be-such-a-pāris for-me.
For someone today
Tukaram says that once he has had a true vision of the divine, all he wants is to serve, nothing else. He trusts that his basic needs like food and clothing are already accounted for, so he can rest his mind at God's feet instead of chasing security himself. He asks God to come close and cool his inner restlessness, admitting his heart is thirsty and has grown attached to the sweetness of repeating God's name and form. Just as a touchstone doesn't examine the flaws in a piece of iron before turning it to gold, Tukaram asks God not to judge his faults but simply to touch him and make his own promise of grace come true.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की खरं दर्शन झालं की त्यांना फक्त सेवा हवी असते, आणखी काही नको. अन्न-वस्त्रासारख्या गरजा आधीच ठरलेल्या आहेत असा विश्वास ठेवून ते आपलं मन धावपळ न करता देवाच्या पायी स्थिर ठेवतात. देवाला जवळ येऊन आपली आतली तगमग शांत करण्याची विनंती करतात, आणि कबूल करतात की त्यांचं मन तहानलेलं आहे व नाम-रूपाच्या गोडीत गुंतलं आहे. जसा परीस लोखंडाचे दोष न पाहता त्याला सोनं करतो, तसंच तुकाराम देवाला विनवतात की माझे दोष न पाहता मला स्पर्श करा आणि आपलं ब्रीद खरं करा.
Where this applies
- When you long for someone to accept you as you are instead of weighing your flaws first
- When you're anxious about providing for yourself and need to trust that your basic needs will be met
- When your heart feels restless and thirsty for real connection, not just habit
- When you feel unworthy of grace because of your mistakes and need reassurance that grace isn't earned