Abhanga 3903
Like a mother who cannot bear separation from her baby and lights up at the sight of it, Tukaram says Vitthal is that mother to him, and once you have that bond, other people's words no longer matter.
The verse
बाळेंविण माय क्षणभरि न राहे । न देखतां होये कासाविस ॥१॥
आणिक उदंड बुझाविती जरी । छंद त्या अंतरीं माउलीचा ॥ध्रु.॥
नावडती तया बोल आणिकाचे । देखोनियां नाचे माय दृष्टी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे माझी विठ्ठल माउली । आणिकांचे बोलीं चाड नाहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Without-bāḷa-māya-can't-stay-kṣaṇabhari-becomes-kāsāvis. Others-bujhāvitī-much — antara-on-māulī. Don't-like-others'-words — sees-baby-and-dances. Tukā: my-Viṭṭhal-māulī — no-chāḍa-for-others'-words.
What it means
A 3-verse mother-baby-yearning text. Without the baby, the mother cannot stay even a moment — not seeing it she becomes restless. Even if many try to console her, her heart's longing is only on the baby. Other people's words don't appeal — but seeing the baby's gaze, the mother dances. (Says Tukā:) my Viṭṭhal is the mother — I have no concern for others' words. The mother-baby-yearning is one of the most-evocative Marathi devotional images. Note the gender-reversal: here the baby is the focus of mother's yearning — but the analogy applies to Viṭṭhal as māulī and Tukā as the child (the mother yearns for the baby as much as the baby yearns for the mother — reciprocal-yearning). Compare 2811 (bhēṭīlāgī-yearning Dīvāḷī-daughter-watching-path), 3884 (Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-māhera).
For someone today
Tukaram paints the picture of a mother who cannot bear even a moment apart from her baby, growing restless the instant the child is out of sight, no matter how many people try to calm her down. Nobody else's words can soothe that particular longing, but the instant she meets the baby's eyes, she lights up and dances with joy. Tukaram turns this around and says Vitthal is that mother to him, and once you have that kind of bond, other people's opinions simply stop mattering.
मराठी: तुकाराम एका आईचे चित्र रंगवतात जी आपल्या बाळाशिवाय क्षणभरही राहू शकत नाही, बाळ दिसेनासे होताच ती अस्वस्थ होते, कितीही लोकांनी समजावले तरी. दुसऱ्या कोणाच्याही शब्दांनी ती ओढ शांत होत नाही, पण बाळाची नजर दिसताच ती आनंदाने नाचू लागते. तुकाराम हे उलटवून सांगतात की विठ्ठल त्यांच्यासाठी अशीच माउली आहे, आणि असे नाते जोडले की मग इतरांच्या बोलण्याची फिकीर उरत नाही.
Where this applies
- When you feel restless being apart from someone or something you deeply love
- When people try to talk you out of a longing that only reunion can actually settle
- When you experience a burst of pure joy the moment you're back with someone you missed
- When other people's opinions stop mattering once you know your own bond is real