Abhanga 3550
Deep longing can make a person shameless about hoping and patient through insult, because the heart's peace depends on reaching what it truly wants, not on being treated well along the way.
The verse
आशाबद्ध बहु असे निलाजिरें । होय म्हणें धीरें फळ टोंकें ॥१॥
कारणापें चित्त न पाहें अपमान । चित्त समाधान लाभासाटीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे हातें लोटिलें न कळे । झांकितसें डोळे पांडुरंगा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Āśābaddha bahu ase nilājirē — āśā-bound is much shameless; hōya mhaṇe dhīre phaḷa ṭōmke — says yes, with dhīra hopes-for-phaḷa. Kāraṇāpe chitta na pāhe apamāna — for the cause, chitta doesn't see apamāna; chitta samādhāna lābhāsāṭīm — chitta-samādhāna for lābha. Tukā mhaṇe hāte lōṭile na kaḷe — Tukā says: pushed by hand, doesn't know; jhāmkitase ḍōḷe Pāṇḍurangā — (I) close (my) eyes, Pāṇḍurangā.
What it means
A short 3-verse self-portrait. The bhakta-as-shameless-hopeful is willing-to-endure-anything for-the-lābha (gain) of the Lord's-grace. Pushed-by-hand, I-close-my-eyes (= don't-protest).
For someone today
Tukaram paints an honest, almost embarrassed self-portrait of what deep longing looks like: he is shameless in his hope, willing to say yes and wait patiently, still hoping for grace even when he's mocked or brushed off. He admits that when his heart is set on something this important, it simply doesn't register insult, its peace depends entirely on getting what it's reaching for. When he's pushed aside or handled roughly, he doesn't fully understand why, he just closes his eyes and keeps going toward Pandurang anyway. It's a picture of devotion that keeps showing up even when dignity gets bruised along the way.
मराठी: तुकाराम आपल्या मनातील तीव्र ओढीचे प्रामाणिक, थोडेसे ओशाळे चित्र रेखाटतात, आशेपायी ते निर्लज्ज होतात, हो म्हणतात, धीराने वाट पाहतात, टोमणे मारले तरी कृपेची आशा सोडत नाहीत. एवढी महत्त्वाची गोष्ट मनात असली की अपमान जाणवतच नाही, हे ते कबूल करतात, कारण मनाची शांती त्या हवे असलेल्या गोष्टीवरच अवलंबून असते. कोणी ढकलले किंवा वाईट वागवले तरी त्यांना नीट कळत नाही का, ते फक्त डोळे मिटून पांडुरंगाकडे वाटचाल करत राहतात. हे भक्तीचे असे चित्र आहे जी वाटेत मान-अपमान सहन करूनही टिकून राहते.
Where this applies
- When you keep hoping for something despite being brushed off or mocked, and you're a little embarrassed by how much you still want it
- When your heart is so set on a goal that you barely notice insults along the way
- When you've been treated roughly by circumstance and you choose to keep going anyway rather than protest
- When someone questions why you tolerate so much for the sake of something you care about deeply