Abhanga 4310
Tukaram longs to actually see his radiant Lord's form and, even while marveling at its grandeur, simply asks to see his feet, calling him a gracious mother.
The verse
स्वामी तूं ही कैसा न पडसी डोळां । सुंदर सांवळा घवघवीत ॥१॥
चतुर्भुज माळा रुळे एकावळी । कस्तुरी निडळीं रेखिलीसे ॥ध्रु.॥
शंख चक्रा गदा रुळे वैजयंती । कुंडलें तळपती श्रवणीं दोन्ही ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे स्वामी आतां दावीं पाय । पांडुरंग माय कृपावंते ॥३॥
Literal translation
Svāmī-how-not-on-eye — sundara-sāvaḷā-ghavaghavīta. Chatur-bhuja-mālā-ēkāvalī — kasturī-niḍaḷa. Śankha-chakra-gadā-vaijayantī — kuṇḍala-both-ears. Tukā: show-feet — Pāṇḍuranga-māy-krpāvantē.
What it means
A 3-verse darśana-petition with full iconic-description. Svāmī, how is it that you don't fall on my eye — you who are beautiful, dark-blue, radiant? Four-armed, with single-stranded necklace rolling; musk drawn-in-line on forehead. Conch, discus, mace, the rolling Vaijayantī-garland; earrings shimmer in both ears. Tukā says: Svāmī — now show me your feet — Pāṇḍuranga-mother, gracious one. The standard chatur-bhuja-Viṣṇu iconography but addressed-as-Pāṇḍuranga-māy (mother). Pair with 2597 (canonical tūm-mājhī-māulī).
For someone today
Tukaram wonders aloud how it is possible that he has not yet actually seen his beautiful, dark, radiant Lord with his own eyes. He lingers over the details he longs to behold, the four arms, the rolling necklace, the musk mark on the forehead, the conch, discus, and mace, the garland, and the shimmering earrings. Even while describing this grand, majestic form, he ends by calling God his gracious mother and simply asking to see his feet. It shows that intense devotion can hold both awe at God's magnificence and the simple, tender longing of a child wanting to see a parent's face.
मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज आश्चर्याने विचारतात की इतका सुंदर, सावळा, तेजस्वी देव अजून आपल्या डोळ्यांना प्रत्यक्ष का दिसला नाही. ते त्या रूपाचे तपशील मनात रेंगाळत आठवतात, चार हात, गळ्यातील माळ, कपाळावरचा कस्तुरीचा टिळा, शंख, चक्र, गदा, वैजयंतीमाळ आणि कानातील झळकणारी कुंडले. इतक्या भव्य आणि तेजस्वी रूपाचे वर्णन करत असतानाही, शेवटी ते देवाला कृपाळू माता म्हणतात आणि फक्त त्याचे पाय दाखवण्याची विनंती करतात. यातून दिसते की गाढ भक्तीमध्ये देवाच्या भव्यतेबद्दलचे विस्मय आणि आईचा चेहरा पाहण्यासाठी आतुर झालेल्या लहान मुलाची साधी, कोमल ओढ दोन्ही एकाच वेळी असू शकतात.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's svāmī-darśana-petition with-iconic-description canonical