Abhanga 3817
In real urgency, it's honest to ask God directly for help, to trust in God's mercy toward the fallen, and to admit confusion when other forces still seem to have power over you.
The verse
कां हो पांडुरंगा न करा धांवणें । तरि मज कोणें सोडवावें ॥१॥
तुझा म्हणऊनि आणिकापें उभा । राहों हें तों शोभा नेदी आतां ॥ध्रु.॥
काळें पुरविली पाठी दुरवरी । पुढें पायां धीरी राहों नेदी ॥२॥
नको आणूं माझें संचित मनासी । पावन आहेसी पतितां तूं ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे चाले आणिकांची सत्ता । तुज आळवितां नवल हें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Why-don't-you-run-Pāṇḍurangā — who-will-release-me? Being-yours — standing-at-other's-door — doesn't-look-good-now. Kāḷa-chased-from-behind-far — won't-let-rest-at-feet. Don't-bring-samchita — you're-pāvana-of-patita. Tukā: other's-sattā-prevails — calling-you-wonder.
What it means
A 4-verse urgency-prayer. Why don't you come running, Pāṇḍuranga? Who else will release me? Being yours, standing at another's door doesn't look good. Time has chased me from behind, far; doesn't let me rest steady at your feet. Don't bring my karma-residue to mind — you are the purifier of the fallen. Another's sovereignty prevails — when I am the one calling you — this is a wonder. The closing nāvala (wonder, perplexity) is the bhakta's gentle complaint that Kāḷa is still active even while he's calling Viṭhṭhal — the cognitive-dissonance of urgency.
For someone today
Tukaram cries out in real urgency here, asking God why he isn't rushing to help, since no one else can rescue him. He says it doesn't look right for someone who belongs to God to end up standing helplessly at another's door, waiting on lesser powers. Time itself, he says, is chasing him from behind and won't let him settle steadily at God's feet even for a moment. He asks God not to hold his past mistakes against him, since God is known precisely as the one who purifies the fallen. He closes with an honest, almost bewildered complaint, that even while he is actively calling out to God, other forces still seem to have power over him, and he finds that strange.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे खरोखर तातडीने हाक मारतात, देवाला विचारतात की तो धावून का येत नाही, कारण दुसरे कोणीही त्यांना वाचवू शकत नाही. देवाचा असलेला माणूस दुसऱ्या दारात हतबल होऊन उभा राहणे शोभत नाही, असे ते म्हणतात, कमी शक्तींवर अवलंबून राहणे बरे दिसत नाही. काळ त्यांच्या मागे लागला आहे आणि त्याला देवाच्या पायाशी क्षणभरही स्थिरपणे राहू देत नाही, असे ते सांगतात. त्यांच्या मागील चुका मनात आणू नकोस अशी ते देवाला विनवणी करतात, कारण देव पतितांना पवित्र करणारा म्हणून ओळखला जातो. शेवटी ते प्रामाणिकपणे, थोडेसे गोंधळून तक्रार करतात की ते सतत देवाला हाक मारत असूनही इतर शक्तींचा त्यांच्यावर अजूनही प्रभाव आहे, आणि हे त्यांना विचित्र वाटते.
Where this applies
- When you're in urgent trouble and feel like help isn't coming fast enough
- When you feel embarrassed relying on lesser sources of help instead of trusting God fully
- When old mistakes or fears keep chasing you and won't let you settle into peace
- When you're praying sincerely but still feel at the mercy of circumstances you can't control