Abhanga 3959
Bāḷa mātē niṣṭha hōye — pari tem sneha karīta āhe — baby (is) faithless to mother — but she does affection.
The verse
बाळ माते निष्ठ होये । परि तें स्नेह करीत आहे ॥१॥
तैसा तूं गा पुरुषोत्तमा । घडी न विसंबसी आम्हां ॥ध्रु.॥
नेणती भागली । कडे घेतां अंग घाली ॥२॥
भूक साहे ताहान । त्याचें राखे समाधान ॥३॥
त्याच्या दुःखें धाये । आपला जीव देऊं पाहे ॥४॥
नांवें घाली उडी । तुका म्हणे प्राण काढी ॥५॥
Literal translation
Bāḷa mātē niṣṭha hōye — pari tem sneha karīta āhe — baby (is) faithless to mother — but she does affection. Taisā tūm gā puruṣōttamā — ghaḍī na visambasī āmhām — so you, Puruṣōttama, don't leave-us for a moment. Neṇatī bhāgalī — kaḍē ghetām anga ghālī — unknowing, tired — (mother) takes (it) on lap, puts body. Bhūka sāhe tāhāna — tyāñcē rākhe samādhāna — bears (its) hunger-thirst — keeps its contentment. Tyāñcyā duḥkhē dhāye — āpalā jīva deūm pāhe — at its sorrow runs — wants to give own life. Nāmve ghālī uḍī — Tukā mhaṇe prāṇa kāḍhī — at (its) name jumps — Tukā says: takes out (her) prāṇa.
What it means
A 5-verse extended mother-Lord analogy. Baby-may-be-careless — mother-still-loves; so-too you-Puruṣōttama don't-leave-us-a-moment; mother-takes-on-lap, bears-hunger-thirst, runs-at-pain, gives-life, jumps-at-name; the-Lord's-love-for-bhakta is mother's-love-for-baby — unconditional, ceaseless, body-and-life-given.
For someone today
Tukārām claims: the-bhakta-may-be-faithless — but-the-Lord-is-still-affectionate; not-distant-for-a-moment.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's mother-bhakti analogy expanded across 5 verses
- Companion to tūm-mājhī-māulī (2597) and mother-Deva imagery