Abhanga 3467
It is right to ask plainly for comfort and blessing, and a long-held hope can still reach its day of fulfillment.
The verse
आतां द्यावें अभयदान । जीवन ये कृपेचें ॥१॥
उभारोनी बाहो देवा । हात ठेवा मस्तकीं ॥ध्रु.॥
नाभी नाभी या उत्तरें । करुणाकरें सांतवीजे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे केली आस । तो हा दिस फळाचा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Give-abhaya-dāna — jīvana-of-krpā. Raise-bāhū-Deva — hands-on-mastaka. Nābhī-nābhī — karuṇākara-comfort-(me). Tukā: made-āsa — this-is-day-of-fruit.
What it means
A 3-verse blessing-petition. Give me fearlessness; raise your arms; place your hands on my head; say 'do not fear, do not fear' — this is the day of fruit. The abhaya-mudrā (raised-hand of fearlessness-giving) is invoked.
For someone today
This is a direct prayer for reassurance, asking God to raise his hand in the classic gesture of blessing, the abhaya mudra, and place it on the devotee's head. Tuka wants to hear the old comforting words repeated, do not fear, do not fear, spoken by the one whose nature is compassion. He closes by saying that whatever hope he had held onto has finally reached its day of fruit. It is a reminder that it is fine to ask plainly for comfort and protection, and that a long-held hope can still ripen into fulfillment.
मराठी: ही एक थेट प्रार्थना आहे, ज्यात देवाने अभयमुद्रेने हात उंचावून भक्ताच्या मस्तकावर ठेवावा अशी विनवणी केली आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात की करुणाकराने पुन्हा तेच जुने दिलासादायक शब्द म्हणावेत, 'भिऊ नकोस, भिऊ नकोस'. शेवटी ते सांगतात की जी आस त्यांनी धरली होती, तिचा आज फळाचा दिवस उगवला आहे. यातून हा धडा मिळतो की मोकळेपणाने दिलासा आणि आधार मागणे योग्य आहे, आणि दीर्घकाळ धरलेली आशा अखेर फळाला येऊ शकते.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's abhaya-dāna; hands-on-mastaka canonical-blessing-petition
- nābhī nābhī classical reassurance-formula