Abhanga 3513
Serving what you love without needing to be its equal becomes your only true adornment, and joy depends on continuing to give voice to that devotion.
The verse
तुम्हां आम्हां सरी । येथें कईंच्या या परी ॥१॥
स्वामिसेवा अळंकार । नाहीं आवडिये थार ॥ध्रु.॥
खुंटलिया वाचा । मग हा आनंद कइचा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे कोडें । आम्ही नाचों तुज पुढें ॥३॥
Literal translation
No-equality-between-you-and-us. Svāmi-sēvā-only-aḷankāra — āvaḍī-no-other-thāra. If-vāchā-stops — no-ānanda. Tukā: as-kōḍa — we-dance-before-you.
What it means
A 3-verse service-as-ornament text. No equality between us and you; serving the Master is the only ornament; love has no other foothold; if speech stops, no ānanda — we dance before you like a charming-puzzle.
For someone today
Tukaram admits there is no real equality between himself and God, no comparison to be made. Serving the Master is his only true ornament, and his love has no other foundation to stand on besides that service. He says that if speech itself were to stop, there would be no joy left, because putting devotion into words matters. He ends by saying that, like a charming, delightful game, he simply dances before God.
मराठी: तुकाराम कबूल करतात की स्वतःची आणि देवाची बरोबरी होऊच शकत नाही, इथे कसलीही तुलना नाही. स्वामीची सेवा हाच त्यांचा एकमेव अलंकार आहे, आणि त्यांच्या प्रेमाला त्या सेवेशिवाय दुसरा कोणताही आधार नाही. ते म्हणतात की जर वाणीच थांबली तर मग आनंद कुठून उरणार, कारण भक्ती शब्दांत व्यक्त करणे महत्त्वाचे आहे. शेवटी ते म्हणतात की एखाद्या मोहक खेळासारखे, ते फक्त देवासमोर नाचतात.
Where this applies
- When you realize you do not need to be someone's equal to love and serve them wholeheartedly
- When service itself becomes your source of meaning rather than any claim to status
- When you feel that speaking or singing your devotion out loud is essential to your joy
- When you approach something serious with playfulness, like dancing rather than performing a duty