Abhanga 3578
When you feel too unworthy to ask directly, you can still hold your ground and appeal to the character of the one you trust, asking them to live up to who they say they are.
The verse
तुझे दारींचा कुतरा । नको मोकलूं दातारा ॥१॥
धरणें घेतलें घरांत । नको धरून उठवूं हात ॥ध्रु.॥
घेतली मुरकुंडी । थोर जालों मी लंडी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे जगजीवना । ब्रिदें पाहें नारायणा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Tujhe dārīmcā kutarā — the dog of your door; nakō mōkalūm dātārā — don't let (me) loose, O dātāra. Dharaṇe ghetale gharāmta — I have taken dharaṇā in the house; nakō dharūna uṭhavūm hāta — don't grab (me) and lift by hand. Ghetalī murakumḍī — (I) have coiled up; thōra jālōm mī lamḍī — I have become a great lamḍī. Tukā mhaṇe jagajīvanā — Tukā says: O Jagajīvana; bride pāhe nārāyaṇā — look at your brida, Nārāyaṇa.
What it means
A 3-verse refuge-claim with extreme self-lowering and pressure-tactics. I-am-your-dog at-your-door, don't-cast-me-loose; I've-taken-dharaṇā-protest inside, don't-grab-me-and-lift-me-up; I've-curled-up like a great-coward; O-Jagajīvana, look-at-your-own-vow. The brida (title/vow) language: claiming the Lord's-reputation as dīna-tāraka.
For someone today
Tukaram compares himself to a dog sitting at God's door, begging not to be chased away, and describes sitting down in protest inside the house, refusing to be picked up and set aside. He admits he has curled up small, calling himself a coward who won't budge, and then makes his final move, he reminds God of God's own reputation as protector of the humble. This is a strategy of refuge that does not rely on your own worth or dignity, it relies on holding your ground and appealing to the character of the one you trust, insisting they live up to who they say they are.
मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज स्वतःला देवाच्या दारातल्या कुत्र्याची उपमा देतात, हाकलून देऊ नकोस अशी विनवणी करतात, आणि घरात बसून एक प्रकारचं धरणं धरतात, मला उचलून बाजूला करू नकोस असं सांगतात. ते कबूल करतात की आपण अगदी लहान होऊन कुडकुडत बसलो आहोत, स्वतःला भित्रा म्हणवतात, आणि शेवटी आपला हुकमी एक्का काढतात, देवाला त्याच्याच लौकिकाची, दीनांच्या रक्षणकर्त्याची आठवण करून देतात. ही एक अशी शरणागती आहे जी स्वतःच्या योग्यतेवर किंवा प्रतिष्ठेवर अवलंबून नसते, तर ठाम राहण्यावर आणि ज्याच्यावर विश्वास आहे त्याच्या स्वभावाला साद घालण्यावर अवलंबून असते, तू जसा आहेस तसाच वाग असं ठामपणे सांगण्यावर.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's dog-at-door; dharaṇā; look-at-your-vow canonical extreme-humility-refuge
- Companion to 2730 (mī cha vikhaḷa)