Abhanga 3342
Prīti karī sattā — prīti holds sattā; bāḷā bhītī mātāpitā — mother-father fear the child.
The verse
प्रीति करी सत्ता । बाळा भीती मातापिता ॥१॥
काय चाले त्याशीं बळ । आळी करितां कोल्हाळ ॥ध्रु.॥
पदरीं घाली मिठी । खेदी मागें पुढें लोटी ॥२॥
बोले मना आलें । तुका साहिला विठ्ठलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Prīti karī sattā — prīti holds sattā; bāḷā bhītī mātāpitā — mother-father fear the child. Kāya chāle tyāśīm baḷa — what force works against (the child); āḷī karitām kōlhāḷa — (when child) makes āḷī, (it is) kōlhāḷa. Padarīm ghālī miṭhī — (she) places (the child) at the skirt-end with miṭhī; khedī māge puḍhe lōṭī — pulls back-and-forth with kheda. Bōle manā āle — (child) speaks whatever comes to mind; Tukā sāhilā Viṭhṭhale — Tukā has been borne by Viṭhṭhal.
What it means
A short 3-verse mother-child-image text by Tukārām.
The image: Prīti rules; mother-father fear-the-child; what-force-against-child? When-child-makes-tantrums, uproar; mother-still-embraces-and-bears-it-with-affection; child-speaks-whatever. Tukā has-been-borne by-Viṭhṭhal.
★ The closing-application is striking: Tukā-sāhilā-Viṭhṭhale — Viṭhṭhal-has-borne-Tukā like-a-mother-bearing-her-tantruming-child. The bhakta is-the-tantruming-child; the-Lord-bears-him-out-of-affection.
For someone today
Tukārām's mother-child-image. Love holds sway; mother-father fear the child. What force works against (the child)? When (the child) makes a stubborn-tantrum, (there is) uproar. (The mother) places (the child) at the skirt-end with an embrace; pulls back-and-forth with affection. (The child) speaks whatever comes to mind. Tukā has been borne by Viṭhṭhal. The verse permits the canonical Lord-as-mother-bearing-the-bhakta-as-tantruming-child.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's Viṭhṭhal-bears-Tukā canonical image
- Prīti-holds-sattā — love-trumps-force
- Companion to 3051 (mother-loves-baby-as-is)