Abhanga 4437
Whatever devotion needs, whether tenderness or overwhelming strength, real support meets the moment in the form the moment actually requires.
The verse
भोगियेल्या नारी । परि तो बाळब्रम्हचारी ॥१॥
ऐसी ज्याचें अंगीं कळा । पार न कळे वेदाला ॥ध्रु.॥
वळीवळी थोरथोर । मोडोनियां केले चूर ॥२॥
वांकडी कुबज्या । सरसी आणियेली वोजा ॥३॥
मल्ल रगडिला पायीं । गज झुगारिला बाहीं ॥४॥
जिवें मारियेला मामा । धांवें भक्ताचिया कामा ॥५॥
तुका म्हणे पूर्ण । दावी भक्तीचीं विंदानें ॥६॥
Literal translation
Enjoyed-women-still-bāla-brahmachārī. Such-kaḷā — pāra-not-known-by-veda. Bent-great-mountains-broken-cūra. Vānkaḍī-Kubajā-straightened-by-vōja. Malla-rolled-by-foot — gaja-thrown-by-arm. Killed-māmā — runs-for-bhakta-kāja. Tukā: pūrṇa — shows-bhakti-vindāna.
What it means
A 7-verse canonical Krṣṇa-bāla-līlā-summary. He enjoyed women yet is the child-celibate. Such are the arts in his body — the veda does not know the limit. He bent great-great (mountains), breaking them into powder. The hunchback Kubajā — he straightened by proper-mode. The wrestler he rolled with (his) foot; the elephant he threw with (his) arm. He killed his mother's-brother (Kamsa); (he) runs for the bhakta's work. Tukā says: (he is) complete — shows the marvels of bhakti. A compact 7-līlā summary: 1. Bāla-brahmachārī paradox: enjoyed-women-yet-celibate 2. Mountain-breaking: Govardhana, etc. 3. Kubajā-straightening: hunchback-straightened-by-Krṣṇa 4. Wrestler-rolling: Chāṇūra/Muṣṭika 5. Elephant-throwing: Kuvalayāpīḍa 6. Māmā-killing: Kamsa-vadha 7. Runs-for-bhakta-kāja: the bhakti-pūrṇa-vindāna
Pair with 3044 (12-verse avatāra-stotra), 4297 (7-figure rescue-precedent-list), 4352 (avatāra-doctrine).
For someone today
This verse rattles off a string of Krishna's legendary feats, one after another, to show the sheer range of his power. He is said to have enjoyed the company of women and yet remained essentially untouched, pure as a child, a paradox even scripture can't fully explain. He bent and shattered mountains, gently straightened a hunchbacked woman with care, crushed a wrestler underfoot, hurled away a charging elephant, and struck down a tyrant who happened to be his own uncle. What ties all these different feats together, Tukārām says, is that Krishna does whatever is needed, big or small, tender or fierce, whenever a devotee needs him. The lesson is less about the specific miracles and more about the constancy behind them, real devotion is met with whatever kind of help the moment requires.
मराठी: या अभंगात कृष्णाच्या अनेक पराक्रमांची यादी एकापाठोपाठ एक येते, त्याच्या सामर्थ्याची व्याप्ती दाखवण्यासाठी. तो स्त्रियांसोबत रमला असे म्हटले जाते, तरीही तो मुळात अस्पर्श, बालकासारखा शुद्ध राहिला, हा विरोधाभास खुद्द वेदांनाही पूर्णपणे उलगडता येत नाही. त्याने पर्वत वाकवले आणि चुरा केले, कुबड्या स्त्रीला हळुवारपणे सरळ केले, एका मल्लाला पायाखाली चिरडले, चाल करून आलेल्या हत्तीला भिरकावले, आणि स्वतःच्या मामाला, जो अत्याचारी होता, त्याला ठार केले. या सगळ्या वेगवेगळ्या पराक्रमांना जोडणारा धागा म्हणजे, तुकाराम सांगतात, कृष्ण भक्ताला हवे तेव्हा हवे ते करतो, मग ते मोठे असो वा छोटे, कोमल असो वा उग्र. या अभंगाचा गाभा चमत्कारांमध्ये नसून त्यामागील सातत्यात आहे, खरी भक्ती असेल तर मदत ज्या स्वरूपात हवी त्याच स्वरूपात मिळते.
Where this applies
- When you need reassurance that help can come in whatever form the situation actually calls for, gentle or forceful
- When you're struggling to reconcile someone's seemingly contradictory qualities, like strength paired with tenderness
- When you feel small in the face of a big obstacle and need to trust that it can still be overcome
- When you wonder whether devotion to something greater actually results in real, practical support