Abhanga 4194
The verse
स्वामिसेवा गोड । माते बाळकाचें कोड ॥१॥
जेंजें मागावें भातुकें । तेंतें पुरवी कौतुकें ॥ध्रु.॥
खेळविलें कोडें । हरुषें बोले कीं बोबडें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे लाड । तेथें पुरे माझें कोड ॥३॥
Literal translation
Svāmi-sevā-gōḍa — mother-with-child-koḍa. Whatever-bhātukē-asked — fulfilled-kautuka. Played-in-koḍa — baby-prattle-spoken-in-joy. Tukā: lāḍa — there-my-koḍa-fulfilled.
What it means
★ A 3-verse childlike-bhakti text. The svāmi-sevā is sweet — like a mother's (fondness for) the child's charm. Whatever snack-of-play (the child) asks for, she fulfils with delight. She plays with him in charm; he speaks even in baby-babble out of joy. Tukā says: where there's caressing-fondness, there my charm-(wish) is fulfilled. The reversal: normally we serve the svāmi as servants; here, svāmi-sevā is the mother-doting-on-child relation — Lord plays with bhakta as mother with playful baby. Pair with 2891 (reciprocal family-relation), 2597 (tūm-mājhī-māulī).
For someone today
Tukārām: the-Lord's-service-is-sweet-as-a-mother's-doting-on-her-baby — wherever-there's-caressing-fondness-my-charm-is-fulfilled.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's svāmi-sevā-as-mother-with-child-koḍa canonical childlike-bhakti