Abhanga 3566
When something is genuinely given the highest place in your life, honoring it follows naturally, the way a father honors his own son's authority once the son sits on the throne.
The verse
चालें दंडवत घालीं नारायणा । आपुल्या कल्याणा लागूनियां ॥१॥
बैसविला पदीं पुत्र राज्य करी । पिता वाहे शिरीं आज्ञा त्याची ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आहे ठायींचा चि मान । आतां अनुमान कायसा तो ॥३॥
Literal translation
Chāle daṇḍavata ghālīm nārāyaṇā — I walk, doing daṇḍavata to Nārāyaṇa; āpulyā kalyāṇā lāgūnīyām — for my own kalyāṇa. Baisavilā padīm putra rājya karī — (when) son is seated on the throne, he rules; pitā vāhe śirīm ājñā tyāchī — the father carries his ājñā on the head. Tukā mhaṇe āhe ṭhāyīmchā chi māna — Tukā says: this is the mana (honour) of the very place; ātām anumāna kāyasā tō — what is the anumāna now.
What it means
A 3-verse role-inversion image. I-bow-to-Nārāyaṇa for-my-own-welfare; once-the-son-is-seated-on-the-throne, the-father-himself-carries-the-son's-ājñā-on-his-head — this is the inherent-honour-of-the-throne-itself, no need-for-anumāna. Once you have installed the Lord on the padī (heart-throne), the natural relationship is bowing — not from duress but from the throne's own dignity.
For someone today
If you've-genuinely-installed something/someone in highest place, deference-to-it follows naturally. No need to argue (anumāna) — it's the place's own honour.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's son-on-throne; bow-for-own-welfare canonical image
- Companion to 2891 (reciprocal bhakta-Deva family-relation)