Abhanga 4431
When you truly don't know the way forward, surrendering completely and asking to be saved is itself a valid and honest response.
The verse
मिथ्या आहे सर्व अवघें हें मायिक । न कळे विवेक मज कांहीं ॥१॥
सर्व बाजागिरी वाटती ही खरी । पहातां येथें उरी कांहीं नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
आतां मज दुःख वाटतें अंतरीं । उपाय झडकरी सांग कांहीं ॥२॥
पुढें कोण गति न कळे सर्वथा । तुझे पायीं माथा ठेवियेला ॥३॥
करणें तें करीं सुखें आतां हरी । तुज म्यां निर्धारीं धरियेलें ॥४॥
स्वहित तें काय न कळे सर्वथा । तारीं तूं अनंता तुका म्हणे ॥५॥
Literal translation
Mithyā-all-māyika — no-vivēka. Bāzī-gīrī-seems-real — no-residue. Duḥkha-in-antar — tell-upāya. Don't-know-gati — head-at-feet. Do-what-you-must — held-with-niścaya. Sva-hita-don't-know — Tukā: Ananta-save.
What it means
A 5-verse complete-surrender petition. All is false, this is all of māyā — I know no discrimination. All the juggler-tricks seem real to me — on looking, no residue here. Now sorrow fills my heart — quickly tell some remedy. What course is ahead I don't know at all; I've placed my head on your feet. Do what you must with joy now, Hari — I've held you with conviction. What is my own welfare, I don't know at all — save (me), you, Ananta, says Tukā.
For someone today
Tukārām admits, with striking honesty, that he cannot tell what is real from what is illusion, everything around him feels like a magician's trick that seems convincing but leaves nothing solid behind when he looks closely. Sorrow fills his heart, and he asks for a quick remedy because he genuinely doesn't know what comes next or what path to take. So he places his head at God's feet and lets go of trying to figure it out himself, asking Hari to act however is needed. He confesses he doesn't even know what's truly good for him, and simply asks to be saved. This is a model of surrender for moments when you've run out of your own answers.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे प्रामाणिकपणे कबूल करतात की त्यांना खरे काय आणि भासमय काय हे कळत नाही, आजूबाजूचे सगळे एखाद्या जादूगाराच्या खेळासारखे भासते, जे खरे वाटते पण बारकाईने पाहिले तर काहीच शिल्लक राहत नाही. मनात दुःख भरलेले आहे, आणि पुढे काय होणार हे न कळल्यामुळे ते त्वरित उपाय मागतात. म्हणून ते आपले डोके देवाच्या पायावर ठेवतात आणि स्वतः उत्तर शोधण्याचा प्रयत्न सोडून देतात, हरीला जे योग्य वाटेल ते करण्याची विनंती करतात. आपले खरे हित काय आहे हेही आपल्याला कळत नाही, असे कबूल करून ते फक्त तारण्याची विनंती करतात. स्वतःची उत्तरे संपल्यावर शरण जाण्याचा हा एक आदर्श नमुना आहे.
Where this applies
- When you're overwhelmed and genuinely don't know what decision to make next
- When everything you believed was solid suddenly feels uncertain or illusory
- When sorrow fills you and you don't even know what to ask for
- When you realize you don't actually know what's best for you and need to let go of control