संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4212 of 4582

Abhanga 4212

The cowherds keep piling up reasons for hope, recalling every past danger Krishna has already overcome: he tamed the serpent Kaliya, crushed the demon Rishtasura, and saw through Putana's poisoned disguise before she could harm him. In many different ways they keep praying to him, because his very Name works like a wish-fulfilling cow of compassion, giving generously to whoever calls on it. Tukaram says that because of this trust, mercy came to them. The lesson is that remembering a track record of protection, again and again, feeds the courage to keep asking.

When you recall a string of past dangers you have survived as proof that help is still possible now.

When you keep praying or asking in different ways because you trust that persistence itself invites a response.

When you trust that calling on a name or a source you believe in will bring generous, unlimited compassion.

The verse

अरे कृष्णा तुवां काळया नाथिला । दाढे रगडिला रिठासुर ॥१॥ अरे कृष्णा तुवां पुतना शोषिली । दुर्बुद्धि कळली अंतरींची ॥ध्रु.॥ गोपाळ करुणा ऐसी नानापरी । भाकिती श्रीहरी तुजपुढें ॥२॥ तुझें नाम कामधेनु करुणेची । तुका म्हणे त्यांची आली कृपा ॥३॥

Literal translation

Krṣṇa-Kāḷiya-tamed — Riṭhāsura-crushed-in-jaw. Krṣṇa-Pūtanā-drained — knew-durbuddhi-in-antara. Gopāḷas-pray-many-ways — Śrī-Hari-before-you. Name-kāmadhēnu-of-karuṇā — Tukā: krpā-came-to-them.

What it means

Verse-5 of dāvānala-grasana cluster. O Krṣṇa, you tamed Kāḷiya; you crushed Riṭhāsura in your jaw. O Krṣṇa, you drained Pūtanā — knew the ill-mind in her interior. The gopāḷas pray in many ways; they pray to Śrī-Hari before you. Your Name is the wish-cow of compassion; krpā came to them. 3-fold-precedent stack: Kāḷiya (serpent-taming) + Riṭhāsura (demon-crushing) + Pūtanā (poison-drainage). The Name-as-kāmadhēnu-of-karuṇā is the operational doctrine: the Name itself dispenses unlimited mercy like the wish-cow.

For someone today

मराठी: गोपाळ आशेची अनेक कारणं जमा करत राहतात, कृष्णाने आधी पार केलेल्या प्रत्येक संकटाची आठवण काढतात — त्याने कालिया नागाला वठणीवर आणलं, रिठासुराला दाढेत चिरडलं, आणि पूतनेच्या विषारी सोंगाआधीच तिच्या मनातलं कपट ओळखलं. वेगवेगळ्या प्रकारे ते त्याच्यापुढे प्रार्थना करत राहतात, कारण त्याचं नावच करुणेची कामधेनू आहे, जो हाक मारेल त्याला ती भरभरून देते. तुकाराम म्हणतात, याच विश्वासामुळे त्यांना कृपा प्राप्त झाली. रक्षणाचा हा जुना इतिहास वारंवार आठवणं, हेच पुन्हा पुन्हा मागण्याचं धैर्य देतं, हाच यातला बोध आहे.

Where this applies

Verse-5 of 10-abhang dāvānala-grasana cluster (4208-4217)