Abhanga 3486
Once you have truly caught hold of what you sought, claim your turn boldly and stop letting it slip away from you.
The verse
कळों नये तों चि चुकावितां बरें । मग पाठमोरें काय काज ॥ १॥
धरिलेती आतां द्या जी माझा डाव । सांपडतां भाव ऐसा आहे ॥ ध्रु.॥
होतासी अंतरें झाकिलिया डोळीं । तो मी हा न्याहाळीं धरुनी दृष्टी ॥ २॥
तुका म्हणे तुज रडीची च खोडी । अहाच बराडी तो मी नव्हे ॥.३॥
Literal translation
Better-avoid-until-unknown — what-use-turning-back. Now-grasped-give-me-my-ḍāva — bhāva-caught-this-is-it. You-were-antara-eyes-closed — now-I-watch-with-open-drṣṭi. Tukā: you-have-raḍī-khōḍī — I'm-not-just-any-ahācha-barāḍī.
What it means
A striking 3-verse text where the bhakta claims his turn in the game with the Lord. Until you weren't known, you could slip away; now I've caught you — give me my turn; you used to be the distant-one with closed-eyes — now I'm watching you closely; you have the mischievous-fault of playing tricks — but I'm not just any random-vagabond who'll be tricked.
For someone today
Tukaram plays with the image of a children's game, one where you can slip away and hide only as long as no one has caught you. Now that he has finally caught hold of God, he boldly demands his turn, insisting the game changes once someone is truly caught. He says God used to stay distant with eyes closed to him, but now he is watching closely and refusing to look away. He ends with real cheek, telling God that his habit of playful evasion will not work this time, because Tuka is no easy pushover to be tricked.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे लहान मुलांच्या खेळाची प्रतिमा वापरतात, ज्यात जोपर्यंत कोणी पकडलेले नाही तोपर्यंतच लपून पळता येते. आता त्यांनी देवाला खरोखर पकडले आहे, त्यामुळे ते ठामपणे आपला डाव मागतात, कारण एकदा कोणी खरे पकडले की खेळाचे नियम बदलतात, असे ते म्हणतात. देव आधी डोळे मिटून दूर राहत असे, पण आता मी बारकाईने पाहतो आहे, नजर हटवणार नाही, असे ते सांगतात. शेवटी थोड्या खोडकरपणे ते देवाला सांगतात की तुझी लबाडीची खोड आता चालणार नाही, कारण मी काही साधासुधा फसणारा वाटसरू नाही.
Where this applies
- When you finally catch hold of something you have been chasing and want to claim what is yours
- When you stop letting someone or something evade you and start watching closely instead
- When you feel bold enough to hold your ground rather than be outmaneuvered again
- When playful confidence, rather than fear, becomes how you relate to something greater than you