संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3559 of 4582

Abhanga 3559

Tukaram bows his head at God's feet and makes one simple, honest request: please stay exactly as gentle as you are now, because that gentle form is what draws him near in the first place. He admits he comes running out of real fear, and asks, if you turn angry, where else could I possibly go? There's nowhere else to run to if the one place he trusts becomes frightening too. So he simply falls at the feet and asks for a whole gathering of gifts, trusting that gentleness, not anger, will meet him.

When you're afraid and turn to the one person or place you trust most, hoping they stay gentle with you

When you realize there's nowhere else to go if the source of your comfort ever turned against you

When you find yourself simply asking for kindness, plainly and humbly, rather than demanding anything more

The verse

करूनि विनवणी । माथा ठेवितों चरणीं ॥१॥ होतें तें चि असों द्यावें । रूप सौम्य चि बरवें ॥ध्रु.॥ भया भेणें तुमचा ठाव । तुमच्या कोपें कोठें जावें ॥२॥ तुका पायां लागे । दान समुदाय मागे ॥३॥

Literal translation

Karūnī vinavaṇī, māthā ṭhevitōm charaṇīm — making vinavaṇī, I place head at charaṇa. Hōte te chi asōm dyāve, rūpa saumya chi baravē — let what-is remain, the saumya rūpa itself is good. Bhayā bhēṇe tumchā ṭhāva — by fear-of-fear, (to) your place; tumchyā kōpe kōṭhe jāve — where shall (I) go from your kōpa. Tukā pāyām lāge, dāna samudāya māge — Tukā falls at feet, asks for a gathering-of-gifts.

What it means

A brief 3-verse entreaty: keep-the-saumya-form-as-it-is; I-come-fleeing-fear to-you; but-where-do-I-go-from-your-kōpa-if-you-turn-angry — so-let-the-gentle-rūpa-remain. The paradoxical-double-bind of one whose refuge could also become his terror — resolved by asking that the gentle face stay.

For someone today

मराठी: तुकाराम देवाच्या चरणी मस्तक ठेवतात आणि एकच साधी, प्रामाणिक विनंती करतात, हेच सौम्य रूप कायम राहू दे, कारण हेच रूप त्यांना जवळ खेचते. भीतीपोटीच आपण इथे धावत आलो आहोत, हे ते कबूल करतात, आणि विचारतात, तूच रागावलास तर मी कुठे जाऊ? ज्या एकमेव जागी विश्वास ठेवला होता, तीच भीतीदायक झाली तर पळून जायला दुसरी जागाच उरत नाही. म्हणून ते फक्त चरणी लीन होतात आणि दानांची राशी मागतात, सौम्यताच त्यांना सामोरी येईल असा विश्वास ठेवून.

Where this applies

When you're afraid and turn to the one place or person you trust most, hoping they stay gentle with you
When you realize there's nowhere left to go if the source of your comfort ever turned against you
When you need to simply ask, plainly and humbly, for kindness rather than demand anything more
When fear itself is what drives you toward the very thing you hope will bring you peace