संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4243 of 4582

Abhanga 4243

Tukaram speaks here with the raw vulnerability of a child asking for scraps. He says he calls himself God's servant and has held onto hope for even the leftovers from God's table, nothing grand, just a small morsel placed in his mouth if God shows him kindness. He asks God to notice his tiredness and share in it with him, and ends with a plea not to be laughed at for asking so plainly. The lesson is about the honesty of approaching the divine, or anyone you depend on, without pretense, admitting your need and your weariness openly instead of hiding behind pride.

When you feel too proud to admit you need help or comfort from someone.
When you are exhausted and simply want someone to notice and acknowledge it.
When you worry that asking for something small will make you look foolish.

The verse

तुझा म्हणविलों दास । केली उच्छिष्टासी आस ॥१॥ मुखीं घालावा कवळ । जरी तूं होशील कृपाळ ॥२॥ सीण भाग माझा पुसें । तुका म्हणे न करीं हांसें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Called-tujhā-dāsa — uchchhiṣṭa-āsa. Put-morsel-mouth — if-krpāḷu. Ask-my-sīṇa-bhāga — Tukā: don't-laugh.

What it means

A 3-verse brief feeding-petition. I'm called your servant; I've held hope for your leftovers. Put a morsel in my mouth — if you become gracious. Ask about my fatigue and share. Tukā says: don't laugh at me. The bhakta-as-uchchhiṣṭa-petitioner: pair with 4129 (bondsman-of-Hari-jana take-leftovers).

For someone today

Tukaram speaks here with the raw vulnerability of a child asking for scraps. He says he calls himself God's servant and has held onto hope for even the leftovers from God's table, nothing grand, just a small morsel placed in his mouth if God shows him kindness. He asks God to notice his tiredness and share in it with him, and ends with a plea not to be laughed at for asking so plainly. The lesson is about the honesty of approaching the divine, or anyone you depend on, without pretense, admitting your need and your weariness openly instead of hiding behind pride.

मराठी: तुकाराम इथे भुकेल्या मुलासारख्या साध्या, उघड्या भावनेने बोलतात. ते म्हणतात की स्वतःला देवाचा सेवक म्हणवतात आणि देवाच्या ताटातल्या उष्ट्या तुकड्याचीही आशा धरून बसले आहेत, काही मोठे नाही, फक्त कृपा झाली तर तोंडात घातलेला एक घास. ते देवाला विनंती करतात की त्यांचा शीण लक्षात घ्यावा आणि तो वाटून घ्यावा, आणि शेवटी म्हणतात की इतक्या साध्या मागणीबद्दल त्यांना हसू नये. देवाकडे किंवा ज्याच्यावर आपण अवलंबून आहोत त्याच्याकडे कोणताही आडपडदा न ठेवता, गर्व बाजूला ठेवून आपली गरज आणि थकवा उघडपणे मांडणे हाच यातील प्रामाणिकपणाचा धडा आहे.

Where this applies

Autobiographical

Related verses