संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3889 of 4582

Abhanga 3889

Tukaram says untrained, imperfect devotion is still good, because like a mother with her lisping baby, God delights in the attempt, not in technical correctness.

When you feel embarrassed that your prayer or chanting isn't technically correct.

When you hold back from expressing devotion because you're afraid of doing it wrong.

When you compare your simple faith to someone else's more polished practice and feel inadequate.

The verse

माझें मुख नामीं रंगो सर्वकाळ । गोविंद गोपाळ राम कृष्ण ॥१॥ अबद्ध चांगलें गाऊं भलतैसें । कळलें हें जैसें मायबापा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मज न लगे वांकडें । मी तुझें बोबडें बाळ तान्हें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Mukha-coloured-in-Name-always — Govinda-Gopāḷa-Rāma-Krṣṇa. Abaddha-good — sing-anyhow — as-known-māyabāpa. Tukā: don't-mind-vānkaḍē — I'm-your-bobaḍē-bāḷa-tānhē.

What it means

A 3-verse lisping-baby bhakti text. Let my mouth be coloured in the Name always — Govinda-Gopāḷa-Rāma-Krṣṇa. Untaught (singing) is good — sing anyhow, just as I know it, mother-father. I don't worry about being wrong — I am your lisping suckling-baby. The bōbaḍē-bāḷa (lisping-baby) image — even the unclear, error-filled singing of the baby is sweet to the mother. Pair with 2946 (canonical-baby-talk-shameless), 2949 (anubhava-beyond-śābdika).

For someone today

Tukaram wants his mouth colored by God's name at all times, Govinda, Gopal, Ram, Krishna, and he says it doesn't matter if his singing is untrained or imperfect, sing it however you know it, that's enough. He isn't embarrassed about getting it wrong, because he sees himself as a lisping infant still learning to speak, and no mother scolds her baby for mispronouncing words, she delights in the attempt itself. This is a gentle permission slip for anyone who feels their prayer or devotion has to be polished before it counts.

मराठी: तुकारामांना आपले मुख सतत नामाने रंगलेले हवे असते, गोविंद, गोपाळ, राम, कृष्ण, आणि ते म्हणतात की गाणे अशिक्षित किंवा अपूर्ण असले तरी हरकत नाही, जसे येईल तसे गा, तेवढेच पुरे. चुकण्याची त्यांना लाज वाटत नाही, कारण ते स्वतःला अजून बोलायला शिकणारे बोबडे तान्हे बाळ मानतात, आणि कोणतीही आई आपल्या बाळाच्या चुकीच्या उच्चारावर रागावत नाही, तर त्या प्रयत्नातच तिला आनंद वाटतो. ज्यांना वाटते की आपली प्रार्थना किंवा भक्ती परिपूर्ण असल्याशिवाय ती खरी ठरत नाही, त्यांच्यासाठी हा एक हळुवार परवाना आहे.

Where this applies

Tukārām's bōbaḍē-bāḷa-tānhē lisping-baby singing canonical
abaddha-chāngalē (untaught-is-good) anti-perfectionism
Pair with 2946 (baby-talk-shameless)