Abhanga 4208
The verse
माझिया तो जीवें घेतला हा सोस । पाहें तुझी वास भेटावया ॥१॥
मातेविण बाळ न मनी आणिका । सर्वकाळ धोका स्तनपाना ॥ध्रु.॥
वोसंगा निघाल्या वांचूनि न राहे । त्याचें आर्त माय पुरवीते ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे माते भक्तां तूं कृपाळ । गिळियेले जाळ वनांतरीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
My-jīva-took-sōsa — wait-for-darśana. Child-without-mother-no-other-mind — sarva-kāḷa-thirst-for-breast. From-lap-removed-can't-stay — mother-fulfils-thirst. Tukā: mother — to-bhaktas-krpāḷ — swallowed-jāḷa-in-vanāntarī.
What it means
★★ Opening of the 10-abhang dāvānala-grasana (forest-fire-swallowing) cluster (4208-4217). My soul has taken this yearning: I wait for your meeting. A child without his mother thinks of no other; all the time the longing is for the breast. If lifted from her lap, he can't stay without (her); the mother fulfils his cry. Tukā says: Mother — you are gracious to bhaktas — you (once) swallowed the engulfing-net (of flames) in the forest! The closing line (giḷiyēlē jāḷa vanāntarīm) introduces the upcoming narrative — Lord-as-mother-who-swallows-the-forest-fire-jaal to save her gopāḷa-children. Sets up the cluster.
For someone today
Tukārām: I-yearn-for-you-like-a-child-without-mother; you-are-the-mother-who-once-swallowed-the-flames-to-save-her-children.
Where this applies
- ★★ Opening of dāvānala-grasana 10-abhang narrative cluster (4208-4217)