Abhanga 3880
The verse
धर्म रक्षावया अवतार घेशी । आपुल्या पाळिसी भक्तजना ॥१॥
अंबॠषीसाटीं जन्म सोसियेलें । दुष्ट निर्दाळिले किती एक ॥ध्रु.॥
धन्य तुज कृपासिंधु म्हणतील । आपुला तूं बोल साच करीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तुज वणिऩती पुराणें । होय नारायणें दयासिंधु ॥३॥
Literal translation
For-dharma-rakṣaṇa-avatāra — protect-bhakta-jana. For-Ambarṣī-bore-janma — duṣṭa-crushed. Dhanya-krpā-sindhu — keep-bōla-true. Tukā: purāṇas-describe — be-dayā-sindhu.
What it means
A 3-verse avatāra-pavāḍa-warrant. To protect dharma, you take avatāra; you rear your bhakta-jana. For Ambarṣī's sake, you took births; many wicked ones you crushed. They call you the ocean-of-compassion — keep your word true. The purāṇas describe you — be the ocean-of-mercy, Nārāyaṇa. Ambarṣī is the bhakta whose vrata-pālana was so meticulous that Lord Viṣṇu took the avatāras precisely to honour him (and his chakra protected him from Durvāsa's wrath). The argument: if you took avatāras for Ambarṣī, take one for me.
For someone today
Tukārām: you-took-avatāras-for-Ambarṣī-the-bhakta — keep-your-word-now-too.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's avatāra-for-Ambarṣī-keep-your-bōla-true canonical
- Pair with 3044 (12-verse avatāra-stotra), 3088-3094 (Durvāsa-Bali cluster)