Abhanga 3881
Having no other support, Tukaram places his whole trust in God as a genuine bond of friendship, promising never to forget him, whatever comes.
The verse
येउनी जाउनी पाहें तुजकडे । पडिल्या सांकडें नारायणा ॥१॥
आणीक कोणाचा मज नाहीं आधार । तुजवरि भार जीवें भावें ॥ध्रु.॥
निष्ठ अथवा होई तूं कृपाळ । तुज सर्वकाळ विसरेंना ॥२॥
आपुलें वचन राहावें सांभाळून । तुम्हां आम्हां जाण पडिपाडु ॥३॥
ज्याच्या वचनासी अंतर पडेल । बोल तो होईंल तयाकडे ॥४॥
तुम्हां आम्हां तैसें नाहीं म्हणे तुका । होशील तूं सखा जीवलगा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Coming-going-watching-toward-you — sankaḍa-Nārāyaṇa. No-other-ādhāra — bhāra-on-you. Whether-niṣṭha-or-krpāḷ — won't-forget-you. Vachana-be-safeguarded — paḍipāḍu-between-us. Whose-vachana-breaks-blame-comes-to-him. Tukā: not-like-that-between-us — you'll-be-sakhā-jīvalagā.
What it means
A 5-verse bond-prayer text. I keep watching toward you, coming and going — Nārāyaṇa, whenever distress falls. I have no other support — my burden is on you with all my being. Whether you are firm or compassionate, I don't ever forget you. Your word must be safeguarded — there's a mutual-bond between us. Whoever's word breaks — the blame will fall on him. Between you and me, it isn't like that — you will be my friend, my life-companion. The legal-relational image paḍipāḍu (mutual-bond, contract-back-and-forth) gives the prayer-and-vow form. Compare 3098 (Viṭhṭhal-mājhā-jīva foundational text).
For someone today
Tukaram describes a relationship with God built on constant, active watching, coming back again and again whenever trouble hits, because he has no other support to lean on. He admits he will keep trusting no matter how God responds, whether sternly or with compassion, because his devotion doesn't depend on the outcome. He frames this as a real bond, almost like a promise between two people, and insists that if a promise is ever broken, the blame should fall on whoever breaks it, not him. Tukaram's confidence is that this particular relationship won't fail that way, because God will be his true friend and life-companion.
मराठी: तुकाराम देवाशी असलेल्या नात्याचे वर्णन करतात, ज्यात ते सतत, वारंवार देवाकडे पाहत राहतात, संकट आले की पुन्हा पुन्हा परत येतात, कारण त्यांना दुसरा कोणताही आधार नाही. देव कठोर वागो किंवा कृपाळू, आपण त्याला कधीच विसरणार नाही, असे ते मान्य करतात, कारण त्यांची भक्ती परिणामावर अवलंबून नाही. ते याला एक खरा बंध मानतात, जणू दोघांमधील वचनबद्धता, आणि म्हणतात की जर वचन मोडले तर त्याचा दोष वचन मोडणाऱ्यालाच लागेल, त्यांना नाही. तुकारामांचा विश्वास आहे की हे नाते तसे तुटणार नाही, कारण देव त्यांचा खरा सखा आणि जिवलग मित्र होईल.
Where this applies
- When you've stopped counting on other people and are relying entirely on your faith or on one relationship
- When you keep coming back to prayer or hope every single time trouble strikes, without fail
- When you feel unsure whether life will treat you gently or harshly, but choose to trust anyway
- When you're holding onto a relationship or commitment as though it were a binding, mutual promise