संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4179 of 4582

Abhanga 4179

Tukārām teases God for going quiet and pretends to worry that God is afraid to meet him, as if expecting to be asked for something huge. He says he already knows what is on God's mind, that God is ready to offer him mukti, liberation itself. But Tukārām brushes that away, saying he does not need anything that grand, he only wants his heart to keep resting at God's feet. The lesson is playful but real: sometimes what we actually want from a relationship is not a big prize or reward, just the simple, ongoing closeness itself.

When someone close to you goes silent and you tease them into speaking rather than assuming the worst.

When you are offered a big prize or reward and realize you would rather just stay close to the giver.

When you want your devotion or love to be about presence, not about what you might get from it.

The verse

देवा बोलें आतां बोला । त्वां कां धरिला अबोला॥१॥ भेऊं नको देई भेटी । तूं कां पडिलासी संकटीं ॥ध्रु.॥ तुझ्या जीवींचें मी जाणें । म्हणसी मुक्ती आम्हां देणें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे न लगे कांहीं । चित्त राहो तुझे पायीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

Deva-please-speak — why-this-abōlā. Don't-be-afraid — give-bhēṭa — why-sankaṭa. I-know-your-heart — you'll-say-give-mukti. Tukā: nothing-needed — only-chitta-at-pāya.

What it means

A 3-verse playful-petition. Deva, speak now — why this silence? Don't be afraid; give a meeting — why have you fallen in trouble? I know your heart — you'll say, let me give them mukti. Tukā says: I need nothing — only let my heart stay at your feet. The teasing playfulness — you've gone silent because you're afraid I'll demand more than mukti — but I want nothing, just chitta-at-feet — is characteristic.

For someone today

मराठी: तुकाराम देवाच्या मौनाची खोडकर थट्टा करतात, जणू देव त्यांना भेटायला घाबरतो आहे, कारण त्याला वाटते की तुकाराम काहीतरी मोठे मागतील. ते म्हणतात मला तुझ्या मनातले कळते, तू मुक्तीच द्यायला निघाला आहेस. पण तुकाराम ते नाकारतात, मला इतके मोठे काही नको, फक्त माझे चित्त तुझ्या पायी राहावे इतकेच हवे. यातून हा धडा मिळतो की कधी कधी नात्यात आपल्याला मोठे बक्षीस नको असते, फक्त साधी, टिकणारी जवळीक हवी असते.

Where this applies

When someone you love goes quiet and you playfully call them out instead of assuming the worst
When you are offered a big reward but realize what you actually want is simply to stay close
When you catch yourself expecting devotion to be rewarded rather than valued for its own sake
When you want to express affection through gentle teasing rather than formal, serious words

Cosmology / Avatāra Autobiographical