Abhanga 4108
A truly caring presence, like a loving parent, will not let real harm come to you, so there is no need to carry constant worry and fear.
The verse
न घडे मायबापें बाळकाचा घात । आपणादेखत होऊं नेदी ॥१॥
कां मी मनीं चिंता वाहूं भय धाक । काय नव्हे एक करितां तुज ॥ध्रु.॥
वर्म जाणे त्याच्या हिताचे उपाय । तान भूक वाहे कडिये खांदीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे तूं गा कृपावंत भारी । ऐसें मज हरी कळों आलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Māyabāpa-doesn't-let-bāḷaka-fall — not-in-sight. Why-carry-chinta — what-can't-you. Knows-hita-upāya — bears-thirst-hunger-on-shoulder-lap. Tukā: very-krpāvanta-Hari — came-known.
What it means
A 3-verse parent-care text. It doesn't happen that parents let the child's downfall in their sight. Why carry worry, fear, anxiety? — what is there that you can't do for me? You know the essence of his welfare and the means; you bear his thirst and hunger on lap-and-shoulder. You are very krpāvanta, Hari — this has come known to me. The image tāna-bhūka-vāhē-kaḍiyē-khāmdīm (the parent bearing the child's thirst and hunger on the lap and shoulder) is the bhakti-parent's totally-vicarious-suffering.
For someone today
Tukaram compares God to a parent who would never let their child come to harm right in front of them, and asks why he should carry so much worry and fear when there is nothing this parent cannot do for him. He describes God as knowing exactly what is best and how to bring it about, even carrying the child's hunger and thirst on his own lap and shoulder, taking the burden onto himself. Tukaram says he has come to truly know this deep kindness, and the lesson is that trusting a caring presence deeply can dissolve the anxious worrying we carry on our own.
मराठी: तुकाराम देवाची तुलना अशा आई-वडिलांशी करतात जे आपल्या मुलाला डोळ्यांदेखत कधीच नुकसान होऊ देत नाहीत, आणि विचारतात की जेव्हा हा पालक माझ्यासाठी काहीही करू शकतो तेव्हा मी इतकी काळजी आणि भीती का बाळगावी. ते देवाचे वर्णन असे करतात की त्याला काय हिताचे आहे आणि ते कसे साध्य करायचे हे नेमके माहीत आहे, इतकेच नाही तर तो मुलाची भूक आणि तहान स्वतःच्या कडेवर आणि खांद्यावर घेऊन तो भार स्वतः उचलतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात की मला ही खोल कृपा खरोखर उमगली आहे, आणि यातून हा बोध मिळतो की एखाद्या काळजी घेणाऱ्या शक्तीवर मनापासून विश्वास ठेवल्याने आपण स्वतः वाहत असलेली चिंताग्रस्त काळजी विरघळून जाऊ शकते.
Where this applies
- When anxiety about the future keeps you awake even though you have done all you can
- When you find it hard to believe that anyone or anything cares enough to carry your burdens
- When you need reassurance that being truly cared for means someone else is bearing part of the weight
- When you catch yourself worrying about things a caring parent or protector would never actually allow to happen