संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3965 of 4582

Abhanga 3965

Tukaram asks God to keep watching over the virtue he was given, so that his shortcomings do not go exposed and unattended.

When you feel responsible for living up to a gift or good name someone else gave you.
When you worry your own shortcomings might reflect badly on someone who believed in you.
When you ask directly for continued attention and care rather than assuming it will come on its own.

The verse

आम्हां केलें गुणवंत । तें उचित राखावें ॥१॥ तुम्हांसी तों चाड नाहीं । आणिकां कांहीं सुखदुःखां ॥ध्रु.॥ दासांचें तें देखों नये । उणें काय होइल तें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे विश्वंभरा । दृष्टि करा सामोरी ॥३॥

Literal translation

Āmhām kelēm guṇavanta — tem ucita rākhāvem — (you've) made us guṇavanta — keep that ucita. Tumhāmsī tōm chāḍa nāhīm — āṇikām kāmhī sukhaduḥkhām — you yourself have no need — others (have) some sukha-duḥkha. Dāsāñcēm tem dekhōm naye — uṇēm kāya hōil tem — the dāsa's lack must not be seen — what (will) happen from that. Tukā mhaṇe Viśvambharā — drṣṭi karā sāmōrī — Tukā says: Viśvambhara — turn (your) gaze facing.

What it means

A 3-verse petition. You-made-us-virtuous — preserve-the-fittingness; you-yourself-need-nothing — but-others-have-joy-sorrow; the-dāsa's-deficiency-must-not-be-seen; Viśvambhara — turn-your-gaze-facing-us.

For someone today

Tukaram asks God to look after the reputation he himself created, since it was God who made him virtuous in the first place, and it is only right that this gift be properly maintained. He points out that God, being complete, has no personal need for anything, while it is the devotees who actually experience joy and sorrow, so any visible lack in a devotee reflects back on the giver. He asks directly for God's watchful gaze to be turned toward him, so his weaknesses are not left exposed.

मराठी: तुकाराम देवाला विनंती करतात की त्यानेच निर्माण केलेल्या माझ्या प्रतिष्ठेची काळजी त्यानेच घ्यावी, कारण मला सद्गुणी बनवणारा तोच होता, आणि हे दान योग्यरित्या जपले जाणे रास्त आहे. देव स्वतः पूर्ण असल्यामुळे त्याला कशाचीच गरज नाही, पण भक्तांनाच खरोखर सुख-दुःख जाणवते, त्यामुळे भक्तात दिसणारी कोणतीही उणीव देणाऱ्यावरही परत येते, असे ते सांगतात. शेवटी ते थेट विनंती करतात की देवाची कृपादृष्टी माझ्याकडे वळावी, जेणेकरून माझ्या कमतरता उघड्या आणि दुर्लक्षित राहू नयेत.

Where this applies

keep-our-ucita