Abhanga 4312
Tukaram describes bowing his head all the way down to his sadguru's feet, and instead of leaving him there, the guru reaches out a hand and lifts him back up. That lifting is done with love, and Tukaram responds with a full, heartfelt bow of gratitude and sincerity. He closes with simple, direct guidance from that guru, which is to keep speaking the sacred Name with your own tongue. It is a small, tender picture of what real guidance looks like, humility met by a hand reaching down to raise you, followed by a clear and doable instruction.
The verse
सद्गूचे चरणीं ठेविला मस्तक । देउनियां हस्तक उठविलें ॥१॥
उठविलें मज देऊनियां प्रेम । भावाथॉ सप्रेमे नमस्कारीं ॥२॥
नमस्कारीं त्याला सद्गुरायाला । तुका म्हणे बोला नाम वाचें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Placed-head-sadguru-charaṇa — gave-hand-raised. Raised-by-prema — saprema-namaskāra. Namaskāra-sadguru-rāya — Tukā: speak-Name-by-vāchā.
What it means
A 3-verse sadguru-blessing-and-direction text. I placed my head at the sadguru's feet; giving his hand, he raised me up. Raised me by giving love; with sincere-meaning and full-love I make obeisance. I bow to that sadguru-king — Tukā says: speak the Name with your tongue. The hand-of-grace image: sadguru-gives-hand → raises-bhakta → gives-prema-and-direction (speak-Name). Pair with 4313, 4314 (companion-texts), 4307 (svāmī-installs-dāsa-in-nija-pada).
For someone today
Tukaram describes bowing his head all the way down to his sadguru's feet, and instead of leaving him there, the guru reaches out a hand and lifts him back up. That lifting is done with love, and Tukaram responds with a full, heartfelt bow of gratitude and sincerity. He closes with simple, direct guidance from that guru, which is to keep speaking the sacred Name with your own tongue. It is a small, tender picture of what real guidance looks like, humility met by a hand reaching down to raise you, followed by a clear and doable instruction.
मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज सांगतात की त्यांनी आपले मस्तक सद्गुरूंच्या चरणी टेकवले, आणि गुरूंनी त्यांना तिथेच राहू न देता हात देऊन उठवले. हे उठवणे प्रेमाने केले गेले, आणि तुकाराम त्याला मनापासून, भावपूर्ण नमस्काराने प्रतिसाद देतात. शेवटी त्या गुरूंकडून मिळालेली साधी, स्पष्ट शिकवण म्हणजे स्वतःच्या वाणीने सतत नामाचा जप करत राहणे. ही खरी मार्गदर्शनाची कोमल प्रतिमा आहे, नम्रता आणि हात पुढे करून उठवणारी कृपा एकत्र येतात, आणि त्यानंतर एक स्पष्ट व करता येण्याजोगी सूचना मिळते.
Where this applies
- When you humble yourself before a teacher or mentor and they respond by lifting you up rather than leaving you down
- When you feel gratitude toward someone who guided you with love, not just instruction
- When you need one simple, doable practice to hold onto after a moment of deep humility
- When you want to express sincere thanks to someone who helped you rise