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 3642 of 4582

Abhanga 3642

Honestly naming your pride and self-doubt to God, and asking to be watched over, is itself an act of trust and humility.

When you catch yourself puffing up with pride after a small success.
When self-doubt makes you feel unworthy or stuck with no way forward.
When you realize you need help staying steady rather than trying to guard yourself alone.

The verse

ऐकें पांडुरंगा वचन माझें एक । जालों मी सेवक दास तुझा ॥१॥ कळे तैसा आतां करावा उद्धार । खुंटला विचार माझा पुढें ॥ध्रु.॥ दंभ मान माझा करूं पाहे घात । जालिया ही थीत कारणाचा ॥२॥ हीन बुद्धि माझी अधम हे याती । अहंकार चित्तीं वसों पाहे ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे मज विघडतां क्षण । न लगे जतन करीं देवा ॥४॥

Literal translation

Aike Pāṇḍurangā vachana mājhe eka — hear, Pāṇḍurangā, one word of mine; jālōm mī sevaka dāsa tujhā — I have become your sevaka, dāsa. Kaḷe taisā ātām karāvā uddhāra — do (my) uddhāra in (your) way known; khuṇṭalā vichāra mājhā puḍhe — my vichāra blocked ahead. Dambha māna mājhā karūm pāhe ghāta — dambha-māna seeks (to do) my ghāta; jāliyā hī thīta kāraṇāñcā — having become thīta by-the-cause. Hīna buddhi mājhī adhama he yāti — low buddhi, adhama this yāti; ahamkāra chittī vasōm pāhe — ahamkāra wants to dwell in chitta. Tukā mhaṇe maja vighaḍatām kṣaṇa — Tukā says: a kṣaṇa to go-bad; na lage jatana karī Devā — quickly, keep jatana, Deva.

What it means

A 4-verse bhakti-petition by Tukārām.

The argument: Hear-my-one-word: I've-become-your-sevaka-dāsa; do-my-uddhāra. My-vichāra-blocked; dambha-māna-seeks-my-ghāta; my-buddhi-low; ahamkāra-wants-to-dwell-in-chitta. A-kṣaṇa-to-go-bad — keep-jatana, Deva.

For someone today

Tukārām's bhakti-petition. Hear, Pāṇḍurangā, one word of mine — I have become your sevaka, dāsa. Do (my) uplift now, in (your) way — my thought has been blocked ahead. Pride-and-honor seeks to do my destruction; having become insensible by-the-cause. My buddhi is low; this caste is adhama; ahamkāra wants to dwell in (my) chitta. A moment to go-bad — quickly, keep guard, Deva. The verse permits the bhakta's-petition for guard against ahamkāra.

Where this applies