Abhanga 3636
Tukaram admits honestly that Pandurang has not granted him some special personal grace, yet somehow the company of the saints still feeds him and sustains his life. He looks at the gathering of clever, learned scholars and feels genuinely small next to them, calling himself just a weak servant of Vishnu. He confesses he doesn't even know the clever techniques for finding inner peace on his own, so instead he has simply held onto Vithoba's feet and let that be enough.
The verse
नाहीं मज कृपा केली पांडुरंगें । संताचिया संगें पोट भरीं ॥१॥
चतुराचे सभे पंडित कुशळ । मी काय दुर्बळ विष्णुदास॥२॥
तुका म्हणे नेणें करूं समाधान । धरिले चरण विठोबाचे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Pāṇḍuranga-didn't-grant-krpā — sant-sanga-fills-pōṭa. Chatura-sabhā-paṇḍita-kuśaḷa — I-durbaḷa-Viṣṇu-dāsa. Tukā: don't-know-to-samādhāna — grasped-Viṭhōbā's-charaṇa.
What it means
A 3-verse humble-honest confession. I haven't received direct-krpā from Pāṇḍuranga — yet sant-sanga fills my belly. In the gathering of the clever are skilled paṇḍitas — what am I, a poor Viṣṇu-dāsa? I don't know how to make my own samādhāna — I've simply grasped Viṭhōbā's feet. Striking acknowledgement that sant-sanga can sustain even when direct-darśana hasn't yet come.
For someone today
Tukaram admits honestly that Pandurang has not granted him some special personal grace, yet somehow the company of the saints still feeds him and sustains his life. He looks at the gathering of clever, learned scholars and feels genuinely small next to them, calling himself just a weak servant of Vishnu. He confesses he doesn't even know the clever techniques for finding inner peace on his own, so instead he has simply held onto Vithoba's feet and let that be enough.
मराठी: तुकाराम प्रामाणिकपणे कबूल करतात की पांडुरंगाने त्यांना काही खास वैयक्तिक कृपा दिलेली नाही, तरीही संतांचा सहवास त्यांना जगवतो, त्यांचे पोट भरतो. ते हुशार, विद्वान पंडितांच्या सभेकडे बघतात आणि त्यांच्यासमोर स्वतःला खरोखर लहान मानतात, स्वतःला केवळ एक दुर्बळ विष्णुदास म्हणतात. ते कबूल करतात की स्वतःहून मनःशांती मिळवण्याच्या चतुर युक्त्या त्यांना माहीत नाहीत, म्हणून त्यांनी फक्त विठोबाचे पाय धरले आहेत आणि तेवढेच पुरेसे मानले आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel you have not received any special favor, yet good company still somehow sustains you
- When you feel small and unskilled next to clever, accomplished people around you
- When you don't know sophisticated techniques for finding peace and just need something simple to hold onto
- When you are ready to admit your limitations honestly instead of pretending to be more capable than you are