संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4272 of 4582

Abhanga 4272

Real love, like a touchstone turning iron to gold, does not first inspect your flaws — it transforms and accepts you simply through contact, just as you are.

When you doubt whether you are worthy enough to be accepted by God or by someone who loves you.

When you catch yourself judging someone's clumsy words instead of hearing the love behind them.

When you feel burdened by someone clinging to you and need to remember that bearing it patiently is itself an act of love.

The verse

लोखंडाचे न पाहे दोष । शिवोन परीस सोनें करी ॥१॥ जैसी तैसी तरीं वाणी । मना आणी माउली ॥ध्रु.॥ लेकराचें स्नेहे गोड । करी कोड त्यागुणें ॥ ॥ मागें पुढें रिघे लोटी । साहे खेटी करी तें ॥३॥ तुका विनंती पांडुरंगा । ऐसें सांगा आहे हें ॥४॥

Literal translation

Pārisa-doesn't-see-iron-dōṣa — makes-it-gold. Jaisī-taisī-vāṇī — māuli-takes-it-to-mana. Lēkarā-snēha-sweet — koḍa-by-guṇa. Pushes-back-front-climbs — māuli-bears-khēṭī. Tukā-vinamtī-Pāṇḍurangā — tell-me-it-is-so.

What it means

A 4-verse mother + touchstone double-image text. The touchstone doesn't see iron's defect — touching, it makes it gold. Whatever the speech, the mother takes it into her mind. The child's affection is sweet — she plays charmingly by that quality. (Child) pushes from behind, from front, climbs over — she bears the cling-press. Tukā's request, Pāṇḍurangā — tell me, is it so? Two parallel images: (1) pārisa-touchstone-makes-iron-gold-without-noting-defect (alchemical transformation by mere touch); (2) mother-takes-child's-words-to-heart-regardless (māternal indulgence). Both modeled on Lord-bhakta relation.

For someone today

A touchstone does not pause to examine iron's flaws before turning it into gold; the mere touch is enough to transform it. In the same way, a mother does not judge how clumsily her child speaks — whatever the words, she takes them straight to her heart, because she loves the child behind them. Even when the child pushes, tugs, and climbs all over her, she bears it gladly and finds it sweet rather than annoying. Tukaram asks Vitthal to receive him the same way: not by weighing his faults first, but by simply taking him in as he is.

मराठी: परीस लोखंडाचा दोष आधी तपासत नाही, स्पर्शानेच त्याचे सोने करतो. तशीच आई मुलाच्या बोलण्यातील अडखळणेही न्याहाळत बसत नाही — शब्द कसेही असोत, ती ते मनापासून स्वीकारते, कारण तिचे प्रेम शब्दांच्या पलीकडे असते. मूल मागून-पुढून ढकलत, चिकटत, अंगावर चढत राहिले तरी ती ते आनंदाने सोसते, त्रास मानत नाही. तुकाराम विठ्ठलाकडे हीच विनंती करतात — माझे दोष आधी मोजू नकोस, मला जसा आहे तसा स्वीकार.

Where this applies

Tukārām's pārisa-touchstone + mother-māuli double-image canonical

Mother / Family bond