संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3629 of 4582

Abhanga 3629

God receives even a devotee's smallest, most imperfect offerings the way a mother lovingly receives a toddler's rude words, with tenderness rather than judgment.

When your effort or devotion feels too small or clumsy to matter

When you keep serving faithfully even while getting harsh or unkind responses back

When you want to let go of constant worry and live more like a child absorbed in play

The verse

संतोषे माउली आरुषा वचनी । वोरसोनि स्तनीं लावी बाळा ॥१॥ तैसे परिमळाचें अवघें चि गोड । पुरवितो कोड पांडुरंग ॥ध्रु.॥ सेवा करी साहे निष्ठ‍ उत्तरें । त्याचें वाहे मनीं तेंच बरें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे इच्छावसे खेळ खेळें । चिंता ते सकळ कांहीं नेणें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Mother-santōṣa-at-toddler's-rude-words — brings-to-breast-with-affection. From-parimaḷa-everything-gōḍa — Pāṇḍuranga-fulfills-kōḍa. Serving-niṣṭha-uttara-endured — holding-in-mana-good. Tukā: ichchhā-vasē-plays — knows-no-chintā.

What it means

A beautiful 3-verse mother-doctrine. Even at the toddler's rude words, the mother feels-santōṣa and brings him to the breast with affection; so Pāṇḍuranga fulfills the dear-wishes — even from the smallest. Serving and enduring stiff-replies, keeping that in mind — that's good. Taken-up-by-desire, he plays the game, knowing no chintā.

For someone today

Tukārām compares God to a mother who delights even in her toddler's clumsy, rude babbling — she simply draws the child closer to her breast with affection, judgment nowhere in sight. In the same way, Pāṇḍuranga fulfills even the smallest, most imperfect wishes of his devotees. When you serve faithfully and can bear harsh words in return while still holding good thoughts in your heart, that itself is the right way to live — playing life's game absorbed in love, free of constant worry.

मराठी: तुकाराम इथे देवाची तुलना अशा आईशी करतात, जी आपल्या तान्ह्या मुलाच्या अस्पष्ट, अगदी उद्धट बोलण्यानेही आनंदित होते आणि त्याला प्रेमाने पोटाशी धरते, तिथे कसलाही न्यायनिवाडा नसतो. त्याचप्रमाणे पांडुरंगही आपल्या भक्तांच्या अगदी लहानशा, अपुऱ्या इच्छाही पूर्ण करतो. जेव्हा तुम्ही मनापासून सेवा करता आणि कठोर शब्द ऐकूनही मनात चांगलेच जपता, तेच खरे जगण्याचे मर्म आहे — काळजी न करता, प्रेमात रमून जीवनाचा खेळ खेळत राहणे.

Where this applies

When you feel your devotion or effort is too small or clumsy to matter, like a toddler's rude words
When you are serving faithfully but receiving harsh or unkind responses back
When you need reassurance that love, not perfection, is what draws real tenderness from God
When you want to let go of constant worry and move through life more like a child absorbed in play