Abhanga 4266
Even a limited mind that shrinks the divine down to fit its own small heart can still trust that God is present everywhere, genuinely gracious, and eager to act for those who love him.
The verse
प्रगट व्हावें हे अज्ञानवासना । माझी नारायणा हीनबुद्धि ॥१॥
खाणीवाणी होसी काष्टीं तूं पाषाणीं । जंतु जीवाजनीं प्रसद्धि हा ॥ध्रु.॥
ज्ञानहीन तुज पाहें अल्पमति । लहान हा चित्ती धरोनियां ॥२॥
परि तूं कृपाळ होसी देवराणा । ब्रिदें तुझीं जना प्रसिद्ध हें ॥३॥
उतावीळ बहु भक्तांचिया काजा । होसी केशीराजा तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Manifest-yourself — ajñāna-vāsanā — hīna-buddhi. Pervade-stones-wood-jamtu-jīva-jana — prasiddha. Jñāna-hīna-alpa-mati — see-you-small-in-chitti. Krpāḷu-Devarāṇa — bridā-prasiddha. Tukā: utāvīḷa-bhakta-kāja — Keśīrāja.
What it means
A 4-verse low-buddhi + universal-pervasion petition. Manifest (yourself) — my craving is ignorance; Nārāyaṇa, I'm of low intellect. You pervade stones, wood, in creatures and people — this is well-known. Ignorant, of small wit, I see you small, holding (you) in my heart. But you are gracious, Devarāṇa — your vow-titles are known among people. Tukā says: you are impatient for the bhakta's work — Keśīrāja. The doctrine: your-pervasion-is-prasiddha (well-known); your-krpāḷu-bridā-is-prasiddha; your-utāvīḷa-impatience-for-bhakta-kāja is the call to act.
For someone today
Tukaram asks God to reveal himself, admitting honestly that his own craving comes from ignorance and that his understanding is limited. He acknowledges that God is present everywhere, in stone, in wood, in every creature and person, something well known to everyone, yet his own small mind still tends to shrink God down to fit inside his own limited heart. Still, he trusts what is famously true about God, that he is gracious by nature and known throughout the world for keeping his promises to those who love him. Tukaram ends with confidence that God is actually eager, even impatient, to act on behalf of his devotees.
मराठी: तुकाराम देवाला प्रकट होण्याची विनंती करतात, आणि प्रामाणिकपणे कबूल करतात की त्यांची स्वतःची ओढ अज्ञानातून येते आणि त्यांची समज मर्यादित आहे. ते मान्य करतात की देव सगळीकडे आहे, दगडात, लाकडात, प्रत्येक जीवात आणि माणसात, हे सगळ्यांना माहीत आहे, तरी त्यांचं छोटं मन देवाला आपल्या मर्यादित हृदयात बसेल इतकं लहान करून पाहतं. तरीही ते देवाबद्दल जगप्रसिद्ध असलेल्या गोष्टीवर विश्वास ठेवतात, की तो स्वभावानेच दयाळू आहे आणि जे त्याच्यावर प्रेम करतात त्यांच्यासाठी दिलेले वचन पाळण्यासाठी ओळखला जातो. तुकाराम शेवटी विश्वासाने म्हणतात की देव भक्तांच्या कामासाठी खरोखर आतुर, अगदी अधीरही असतो.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's hīna-buddhi + universal-pervasion + utāvīḷa-Keśīrāja canonical petition