Abhanga 3609
A mother's anger and her kindness weigh the same on her scale, both come from unbroken love that teaches only for the child's true good.
The verse
क्षोभ आणि कृपा मातेची समान । विभाग जतन करुनि ठेवी ॥१॥
क्षणभंगुर ते उपजली चिंता । खरी अखंडता आवडीची ॥ध्रु.॥
सिकवूं जाणे तें गोमाटियासाटीं । लोभें नाहीं तुटी निश्चियेंसी ॥२॥
अघवें चि मिथ्या समया आरतें । देता तो उचितें काळ जाणे ॥३॥
न करी वेव्हार नेदी गांजूं कोणा । भेडसावी तान्हें हाऊ आला ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे करी जिवाची जतन । दचकूनि मन जवळी आणी ॥५॥
Literal translation
Mother's-kṣōbha-and-krpā-samāna — keeps-vibhāga-jatana. Chintā-kṣaṇa-bhangura — āvaḍī-akhaṇḍa. Teaches-for-gōmāṭa — no-tuṭī-by-lōbha. Everything-mithyā-at-right-samaya — she-knows-uchita-kāḷa. Doesn't-trade — doesn't-let-gāmjū — makes-tānhē-bhēḍasāvī. Tukā: she-does-jīva's-jatana — by-dachakunī-brings-mana-near.
What it means
A 5-verse beautiful mother-rearing image-cluster. Anger and kindness equal on her scale; momentary fearings vs. unbroken love; teaches only for the loved-good; the bogey-came-scare is her shrewd-discipline to bring the toddler back near. Tukārām reads the Lord's discipline as a mother's-shrewd-rearing.
For someone today
Tukārām draws a tender picture of a mother whose anger and her kindness actually weigh the same on her scale, both come from the same careful love, carefully measured out. Any worry that arises from her scolding is only momentary, what's truly unbroken and permanent is her deep affection underneath. She only ever teaches for her child's real good, and no amount of fondness ever weakens her firm resolve to do right by the child. Everything she does, even a small scare like pretending a bogeyman has come, is really just her clever way of knowing the right moment to gently pull her frightened toddler back close to her, protecting the child's very life through that little startle.
मराठी: तुकाराम एका हळुवार आईचं चित्र रेखाटतात, जिचा राग आणि जिची माया तिच्या तराजूत सारखेच तोलले जातात, दोन्ही एकाच काळजीपूर्वक मोजलेल्या प्रेमातून येतात. तिच्या रागावण्याने निर्माण होणारी काळजी क्षणभंगुर असते, खरं अखंड असतं ते तिचं आतलं प्रेम. ती फक्त मुलाच्या खऱ्या भल्यासाठीच शिकवते, आणि कितीही माया असली तरी योग्य ते करण्याचा तिचा निश्चय कधी ढळत नाही. ती जे काही करते, अगदी बागुलबुवा आला असं भासवून घाबरवण्यासारखी छोटी युक्तीसुद्धा, ती फक्त योग्य क्षण ओळखून घाबरलेल्या तान्ह्याला हळूच जवळ खेचून घेण्याची तिची चतुराई असते, त्या छोट्याशा दचकवण्यातूनही ती मुलाच्या जिवाची काळजी घेत असते.
Where this applies
- When someone's discipline or scolding actually comes from the same deep love as their kindness
- When you feel momentary hurt from correction but sense that real affection underneath hasn't wavered
- When you notice a caregiver using a small scare or firm boundary only to protect someone they love
- When you realize firmness and tenderness can come from the very same care, not opposing forces