Abhanga 3515
Even if you feel like a hopeless, heavy burden, that is no obstacle to grace, which is as vast as an ocean and has made even stones float before.
The verse
थोडे तुम्ही मागें होती उद्धरिले । मज ऐसे गेले वांयां जीव ॥१॥
आतां याचा काहीं न मनावा भार । कृपेचा सागर आहेसी तूं ॥ध्रु.॥
तुज आळवितां पापाची वसति । राहे अंगीं किती बळ त्याचें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे उदकीं तारिले दगड । तैसा मी ही जड एक देवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
You've-uplifted-few — many-like-me-gone-in-vain. Don't-take-as-bhāra — you're-krpā-sāgara. Calling-you — what-baḷa-can-pāpa-keep-in-anga. Tukā: floated-stones-on-water — I-too-jaḍa-stone, Deva.
What it means
A striking 3-verse Rāma-setu-reference text. You've uplifted few in the past; many like-me have wasted away; don't see this as a burden — you're the compassion-ocean; when I call, the sin-dwelling can't hold strength in me; you floated stones on water (Rāma-setu) — I'm such a stone-heavy-thing. Classic Vārkarī image of Rāma writing his name on stones to make them float.
For someone today
Tukaram notices that only a few have been lifted up in the past, while many lives like his own have simply gone to waste. Still, he asks God not to see helping him as any kind of burden, since God is an ocean of compassion. He says that when he calls out, whatever sin has settled inside him cannot hold much strength anymore. He closes with the image of Rama making stones float on water to build the bridge, and says that he too is just such a heavy stone, trusting that the one who floated stones before can lift him as well.
मराठी: तुकाराम लक्षात आणून देतात की पूर्वी फार थोड्यांनाच तारले गेले आहे, आणि माझ्यासारखे अनेक जीव व्यर्थ गेले आहेत. तरीही ते देवाला विनंती करतात की मला उद्धरणे हा भार समजू नकोस, कारण तू कृपेचा सागर आहेस. ते म्हणतात की मी हाक मारली की माझ्यात रुजलेल्या पापाला जास्त काळ टिकून राहण्याचे बळ उरत नाही. शेवटी ते रामाने पाण्यावर दगड तरंगवून सेतू बांधल्याच्या प्रतिमेने बोलतात, आणि म्हणतात की मीही असाच एक जड दगड आहे, आणि ज्याने आधी दगड तरंगवले तोच मलाही तारू शकतो असा विश्वास व्यक्त करतात.
Where this applies
- When you feel like you are too far gone or too flawed to be helped
- When you fear that asking for help would be too much of a burden on someone
- When you doubt whether calling out for help will really change anything
- When you need a reminder that grace has overcome impossible obstacles before