संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3750 of 4582

Abhanga 3750

Approach God with simple, unpolished affection like a child, trusting that imperfect, stumbling love only deepens the bond rather than lessening God's greatness.

When you feel embarrassed offering imperfect or fumbling words in prayer or in a close relationship

When you need to trust that heartfelt affection matters more than polished expression

When you watch a child's clumsy efforts delight a parent and recognize that same tenderness in your own relationship with God

The verse

आइका माझीं कवतुकउत्तरें । देउनी सादरें चित्त देवा ॥१॥ वोरसें आवडी आलों पायापासीं । होय तें मनेसीं सुख कीजे ॥ध्रु.॥ तुमचें न भंगे सवाौत्तमपण । करितां समाधान लेंकराचें॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जरी बोलतों बोबडें । तरी वाडे कोडें कवतुक ॥३॥

Literal translation

Āikā mājhīm kavatuka-uttare — hear my playful-replies; deunī sādare chitta Devā — giving chitta with sādara, Deva. Vōrase āvaḍī ālōm pāyāpāsīm — rushed-with-āvaḍī, came near feet; hōya te manesīm sukha kīje — whatever the mana (feels), let (it) be sukha. Tumache na bhange sarvauttama-paṇa — your supreme-status doesn't break; karitām samādhāna lenkarāñce — (by) giving lenkara's samādhāna. Tukā mhaṇe jarī bōlatōm bōbaḍe — Tukā says: even if (I) speak lisping; tarī vāḍe kōḍe kavatuka — the curiosity-delight grows.

What it means

A 3-verse text on parent-child intimacy: even-the-child's-lisping increases-the-parent's-delight; supremacy-isn't-diminished by-tenderness.

For someone today

Tukaram asks God to listen fondly to his playful, childlike words, the way a loving parent listens to a child. He says he has rushed to God's feet out of sheer affection, and whatever his heart feels in that moment should simply be received as joy. He reassures himself that God's greatness is never lessened by taking pleasure in a child's clumsy affection. Even if his own words come out stumbling and imperfect, that only makes the tenderness between them grow.

मराठी: तुकाराम देवाला विनवतात की एखाद्या प्रेमळ आईवडिलांप्रमाणे माझे लडिवाळ, लहान मुलासारखे बोलणे प्रेमाने ऐका. निव्वळ ओढीने मी तुझ्या चरणांशी धावत आलो आहे, आणि मनात जे काही वाटेल त्यालाच सुख मानावे असे ते म्हणतात. मुलाच्या प्रेमाने आनंद घेतल्याने देवाचा मोठेपणा कमी होत नाही याची ते स्वतःला खात्री देतात. आपले बोबडे बोलणे असले तरी त्यामुळे उलट प्रेमाचा जिव्हाळा अधिकच वाढतो.

Where this applies

When you feel shy about approaching God or someone you love with clumsy, imperfect words
When you worry that your simple, childlike affection is not good enough to offer
When you need reassurance that being tender or playful does not diminish someone's greatness or dignity
When a parent delights in a child's imperfect efforts and you want to understand that kind of love

kavatuka-uttare