Abhanga 3532
Formal courtesy can be given to anyone, but only real, tender love, like a mother's concern, truly holds you up.
The verse
आम्हां कथा आवश्यक । येर संपादूं लौकिक ॥१॥
जैसी तैसी माय बरी । मानिल्या त्या माना येरी ॥ध्रु.॥
व्यालीचा कळवळा । जीव बहुत कोंवळा ॥२॥
कवतुकें वावरें । तुका म्हणे या आधारें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kathā-necessary — yēra-manage-as-laukika. Jaisī-taisī-māya-barī — give-māna-to-others. Vyāli's-kaḷavaḷā — jīva-very-kōmvaḷā. By-kavatuka-moves — Tukā-by-this-ādhāra.
What it means
A 3-verse mother-doctrine text. For us, the sacred-story is necessary; the rest of the world we manage as formal-conduct. However-she-is, the mother is good — pay formal respect to others as you must. Only the birth-giver has kaḷavaḷā (real-concern) — her tender-heart. She moves around with charming-affection — Tukā lives by this support.
For someone today
Tukaram says that for people like him, hearing and telling the sacred story is essential, while everything else in the world he simply handles as ordinary social duty. A mother, whatever her nature, is still good, he observes, and formal respect can be extended to others as custom requires, but that is different from real love. Only the one who actually gave birth carries genuine concern, he says, because her heart stays uniquely tender in a way no formality can match. He closes by saying she moves through life with such warm affection that he himself lives supported by it.
मराठी: आमच्यासाठी कथा-कीर्तन आवश्यक आहे, बाकीचे जग आम्ही औपचारिक व्यवहार म्हणूनच सांभाळतो, असे तुकाराम सांगतात. आई जशी असेल तशी ती चांगलीच असते, इतरांना मात्र गरजेपुरता मान द्यावा लागतो असे ते नोंदवतात. खरी माया फक्त जन्म देणारीलाच असते, तिचे मन विलक्षण हळवे असते, हे ते सांगतात. शेवटी तुकाराम म्हणतात, ती इतक्या प्रेमाने वावरते, की त्याच आधारावर मी जगतो.
Where this applies
- When you distinguish between people you owe formal courtesy and the few who truly, deeply care about you
- When you recognize a parent's love as uniquely tender compared to anyone else's kindness
- When you decide that sacred practice matters more to you than social performance
- When you feel genuinely supported by someone's real affection rather than by mere obligation