Abhanga 4408
The bhakta's leverage-by-precedent: historical-record demands present-grace.
The verse
पूर्वा बहुतांचे केले प्रतिपाळ । तें मज सकळ श्रुत आहे ॥१॥
अज अविनाश निर्गुण निरामय । विचारिलें काय त्यांचे वेळे ॥ध्रु.॥
तयांचियें वेळे होशी कृपावंत । माझा चि कां अंत पहातोसि ॥२॥
नारद प्रर्हाद उपमन्य धुरू । त्यांचा अंगीकारु कैसा केला ॥३॥
अंबॠषीसाटीं गर्भवास जाले । कां गा मोकलिलें कृपासिंधु ॥४॥
धर्माचें उच्छष्टि अर्जुनाचीं घोडीं । आणीक सांकडीं कितीएक ॥५॥
जालासि लुगडीं तया द्रौपदीचीं । न ये कां आमुची कृपा कांहीं ॥६॥
तुका म्हणे कां गा जालासि कठीण । माझा भाग सीण कोण जाणे ॥७॥
Literal translation
Past, you did pratipāḷa of many — heard by me. Aja, avināśa, nirguṇa, nirāmaya — was anything considered at their time? At their time you became krpāvanta — only my end you watch? Nārada, Prahlāda, Upamanyu, Dhruva — how were they angīkrta? For Ambarīṣa, garbha-vāsa happened — why mokalile me, krpā-sindhu? Dharma's uchchhiṣṭa, Arjuna's horses, many other tight-spots — became Draupadī's lugaḍī — no krpā here? Tukā: why kaṭhīṇa? — my toil-portion who knows?
What it means
★ A canonical bhakta-precedent-petition listing 4 sages (Nārada-Prahlāda-Upamanyu-Dhruva), 1 king (Ambarīṣa), Pāṇḍava-services, and Draupadī-vastra. Tukārām invokes precedent: you did this for them — why not for me?
For someone today
The bhakta's leverage-by-precedent: historical-record demands present-grace.
Where this applies
- ★ Canonical 7-verse bhakta-precedent-list with named-figures
- Pairs with 3044 (avatāra-stotra), 2787 (Ajāmīḷa-Bhillī-Kuṇṭanī-Vālmīka), 2972 (Draupadī-Prahlāda-Sudāmā)