Abhanga 3878
God's compassion has no limit, redeeming even those with the worst pasts the moment they call out his Name, because his heart is fundamentally tender.
The verse
करुणा बहुत तुझिया अंतरा । मज विश्वंभरा कळों आलें ॥१॥
पक्षीयासी तुझें नाम जें ठेविलें । तयें उद्धरिलें गणिकेसी ॥ध्रु.॥
कुंटिणी ते दोष बहु आचरली । नाम घेतां आली करुणा तुज ॥२॥
हृदय कोमळ तुझें नारायणा । ऐसें बहुता जनां तारियेलें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे सीमा नाहीं तुझे दये । कोमळ हृदय पांडुरंगा ॥४॥
Literal translation
Karuṇā-in-your-antara — Viśvambhara — I-came-to-know. Pakṣī-said-Name — redeemed-gaṇikā. Kuṇṭinī-many-doṣa — Name-said — karuṇā-came. Hrdaya-kōmaḷa-Nārāyaṇa — many-saved. Tukā: no-sīmā-dayā — kōmaḷa-hrdaya-Pāṇḍurangā.
What it means
A 4-verse kōmaḷa-hrdaya text. There is much compassion in your inner-being — Viśvambhara — I have come to know it. The (Ajāmīḷa's) parrot who recited your Name — redeemed the courtesan (Pingalā). The procuress did many sins — but when she said the Name, compassion came to you. Your heart is tender, Nārāyaṇa — that is how you have saved many. There is no limit to your mercy — your tender heart, Pāṇḍuranga. Compare 2843 (canonical-5-figure-redemption-list), 2787 (bhakti-redeems-fallen).
For someone today
Tukaram marvels at how deep God's compassion truly runs. He points to old stories where even a parrot merely reciting the Name was enough to redeem a courtesan, and a procuress who had committed many wrongs was still met with mercy the moment she uttered that same Name. This tells him that God's heart is tender, not harsh or judging, and that this tenderness has saved countless people whose lives were far from pure. Tukaram concludes there is no limit to that mercy, calling it, simply, a tender heart.
मराठी: देवाची करुणा किती खोल आहे याचे तुकारामांना आश्चर्य वाटते. ते जुन्या कथांकडे बोट दाखवतात, जिथे केवळ पोपटाने नाम उच्चारल्यानेही एका गणिकेचा उद्धार झाला, आणि अनेक दोष केलेल्या कुंटिणीलाही तेच नाम घेताच करुणा प्राप्त झाली. यावरून त्यांना कळते की देवाचे हृदय कठोर किंवा न्याय करणारे नसून कोमळ आहे, आणि याच कोमळतेने अनेक अशुद्ध आयुष्य जगलेल्या लोकांना तारले आहे. तुकाराम शेवटी म्हणतात की या दयेला कोणतीच सीमा नाही, फक्त एक कोमळ हृदय आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel your past mistakes or sins are too serious for you to be forgiven or loved
- When you doubt that a small act, even a single sincere word or prayer, could really change your fate
- When you're judging someone harshly for their past instead of remembering that anyone can be redeemed
- When you need reassurance that grace doesn't depend on how clean your record is