संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3575 of 4582

Abhanga 3575

When a relationship is close enough, you can ask boldly and lovingly for what you need, and keep that closeness as a private matter rather than a public display.

When you need to ask boldly for help instead of waiting quietly to be noticed.
When you feel embarrassed about how much you need someone and want to keep that need private.
When you sense a relationship has grown close enough that you no longer need to explain your requests to others.

The verse

घालूनियां कास । बळें आलों मागायास ॥१॥ प्रेमें देई पाठवूनि । पांडुरंगा सेवाॠणी ॥ध्रु.॥ होई रे शाहाणा । कळों नेदावें या जना ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे पायीं । जडलों मग उरलें काईं ॥३॥

Literal translation

Ghālūnīyām kāsaputting on the kāsa; baḷe ālōm māgāyāsaI have come by force to beg. Preme deī pāṭhavūnīsend with prema; pāmḍurangā sevāṛṇīPāṇḍuranga, sevā-ṛṇī. Hōī re śāhāṇābe clever; kaḷōm nedāve yā janādon't let this be known to people. Tukā mhaṇe pāyīmTukā says: at the feet; jaḍalōm maga urale kāīmI'm attached, then what remains.

What it means

A 3-verse intimate-begging petition. I-have-girded-and-come-forcefully-to-beg; send-it-with-prema, O-Pāṇḍuranga-debtor-of-my-service; but-be-clever-don't-let-the-jana-know; once-attached-at-your-feet, what-remains-to-be-said? The triple-tone: forcefulness, intimacy (Lord-as-sevā-ṛṇī), and discretion (private-affair).

For someone today

Tukaram describes coming to God almost with his sleeves rolled up, forceful and unashamed, ready to beg for what he needs. He asks that it be given with love, half-joking that Pandurang now owes him something for all his devotion and service. Then he adds a wink, keep this between us, don't let the whole world know how intimate and demanding this asking really is. Once you are truly attached at someone's feet, that closeness itself is enough, there is nothing left to argue or negotiate over. When a relationship is real enough, you can be bold in what you ask for and still keep the tenderness of it just between the two of you.

मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज सांगतात की ते देवाकडे जवळजवळ बळजबरीने, कोणताही संकोच न बाळगता, हवं ते मागायला आले आहेत. ते विनंती करतात की हे प्रेमाने द्यावं, आणि थोडं गमतीने म्हणतात की इतक्या सेवेनंतर पांडुरंग आता माझा ऋणी झाला आहे. मग ते हळूच म्हणतात, ही गोष्ट फक्त आपल्यातच राहू दे, जगाला कळू देऊ नकोस की हे मागणं किती जवळचं आणि आग्रही आहे. एकदा का तुम्ही खरोखर कोणाच्या चरणी जडलात, की तीच जवळीक पुरेशी असते, त्यापुढे काही वाद घालण्यासारखं उरत नाही. काही मागणी अगदी शांतपणे आणि खासगीत होते, दिखाव्यासाठी नाही. नातं खरं असेल तर तुम्ही धीटपणे मागू शकता आणि तरीही त्यातली आपुलकी फक्त तुमच्या दोघांमध्येच जपू शकता.

Where this applies