Abhanga 4340
Tukārām pleads: acknowledge incapacity-to-describe; ask for mother-shade-grace.
The verse
न कळे महिमा वेद मोनावले । जेथें पांगुळले मनपवन ॥१॥
चंद्र सूर्य ज्याचें तेज वागविती । तेथें माझी मती कोणीकडे ॥ध्रु.॥
काय म्यां वाणावें तुझ्या थोरपणा । सहस्रवदना वर्णवेना ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे आम्ही बाळ तूं माउली । कृपेची साउली करीं देवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Na kaḷe mahimā veda monāvale — jethe pānguḷale manapavana: the mahimā is not known — Vedas fell silent — where mind-and-breath became lame. Chandra sūrya jyāche teja vāgavitī — tethe mājhī matī kōṇīkaḍe: Chandra-Sūrya carry his tejas — there where is my mati? Kāya myām vāṇāve tujhyā thōrapaṇā — sahasravadanā varṇavenā: what can I describe of your greatness — even sahasra-vadana cannot describe. Tukā mhaṇe āmhī bāḷa tūm māulī — krpeche sāulī karīm devā: Tukā says: we are baby, you are māulī — make shade-of-grace, Deva.
What it means
A 4-verse humility-prayer. Tukārām declares the Lord's mahimā beyond Vedas, beyond Chandra-Sūrya's tejas, beyond sahasravadana's descriptive-capacity; we are babies, you are mother; make krpeche sāulī (shade of grace) for us.
For someone today
Tukārām pleads: acknowledge incapacity-to-describe; ask for mother-shade-grace.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's humility-prayer (we-baby-you-māulī)
- Companion to 2597 (tūm-mājhī-māulī canonical)