Abhanga 3745
Sukha-rūpa chālī — sukha-rūpa is the gait; haḷūhaḷū usamtilī — slowly-slowly, (it) has been usamtilī.
The verse
सुखरूप चाली । हळूहळू उसंतिली ॥१॥
बाळगोपाळाची वाट । सेवे सेवकता नीट ॥ध्रु.॥
जरी झाला श्रम । तरी पडों नये भ्रम ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे दासां । देव सरिसासरिसा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sukha-rūpa chālī — sukha-rūpa is the gait; haḷūhaḷū usamtilī — slowly-slowly, (it) has been usamtilī. Bāḷa-gōpāḷāñcī vāṭa — the path (of) bāḷa-gōpāḷa; seve sevakatā nīṭa — sevā-sevakatā (is) nīṭa (straight). Jarī jhālā śrama — even if śrama arises; tarī paḍōm naye bhrama — no bhrama should fall. Tukā mhaṇe dāsām — Tukā says: to dāsas; deva sarisāsarisā — Deva (walks) alongside.
What it means
A short 3-verse Deva-walks-alongside text by Tukārām.
The claim: The-gait is-sukha-rūpa; slowly-broken-in. The-path is-of-bāḷa-gōpāḷa (cowherd-children — perhaps innocence-or-Vraja-path). The-sevā-sevakatā-is-straight. If-śrama, no-bhrama. Deva-walks-alongside-his-dāsas.
The closing image sarisā-sarisā — side-by-side, alongside — is striking: the-Lord-doesn't-just-watch but-walks-with the-dāsa.
For someone today
Tukārām's Deva-alongside-dāsa claim. (The) gait is bliss-form; slowly-slowly, (it) has been accustomed. The path (of) cowherd-children — service is straight. Even if some toil arises — no confusion should fall. To the servant, Deva (walks) alongside. The verse permits the bhakti-confidence: Deva-walks-alongside-the-dāsa.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's Deva-walks-alongside-dāsa canonical-confidence