Abhanga 4485
Tukaram tells the story of Krishna's birth to show that when a devotee's suffering reaches its limit, God intervenes and even the most solid chains and locks break open by themselves.
The verse
मनोरथ जैसे गोकुळींच्या जना । पुरवावी वासना तयापरी ॥१॥
रिण फेडावया अवतार केला । अविनाश आला आकारासी ॥२॥
सीण जाला वसुदेवदेवकीस । वधी बाळें कंस दुराचारी ॥३॥
दुराचारियासी नाहीं भूतदया । आप पर तया पाप पुण्य ॥४॥
पुण्यकाळ त्याचा राहिलासे उभा । देवकीच्या गर्भा देव आले ॥५॥
गर्भासी तयांच्य आला नारायण । तुटलें बंधन आपेंआप ॥६॥
आपेंआप बेड्या तुटल्या शंकळा । बंदाच्या आगळा किलिया कोंडे ॥७॥
कोंडमार केला होता बहु दिस । सोडवी निमिष्य नलगतां ॥८॥
न कळे तो त्यासी सांगितला भाव । आपणासी ठाव नंदाघरीं ॥९॥
नंदाघरीं जातां येतां वसुदेवा । नाहीं जाला गोवा सवें देव ॥१०॥
सवें देव तया आड नये कांहीं । तुका म्हणे नाहीं भय चिंता ॥११॥
Literal translation
An 11-verse yamak-bandha-chain Krṣṇa-janma-narrative. Fulfill manōratha as for Gokul-folks; to pay rṇa of Vasudeva-Devakī avatāra was made — deathless came to form; Vasudeva-Devakī suffered — Kamsa kills bāḷas — durāchārī no bhūta-dayā; his puṇya-time stood depleted — Deva came to Devakī's garbha; bandhana broke by itself; chains broke prison-locks opened; held up many days — released in less than a moment; not knowing he was told the bhāva — to himself a place at Nanda-ghar; going to Nanda's house Vasudeva had no block with Deva — Tukā: no fear, no chinta.
What it means
An 11-verse yamak-bandha continuation of the chain from 4484, narrating Krṣṇa-janma. Key narrative-elements: (a) Vasudeva-Devakī's-rṇa repaid by-Lord-taking-avatāra, (b) Kamsa's durāchārī no-bhūta-dayā kills bāḷas, (c) Kamsa's puṇya-kāḷa-stōōd-up (time-of-merit-depleted) — Deva came, (d) bandhana-tutalē-āpe-āpa — chains-broke-prison-locks-opened-by-themselves (the Bhāgavata-tradition's miracle of the prison-locks-opening on-Krṣṇa-janmāṣṭamī), (e) Vasudeva-given-Nanda-ghar-route, (f) with-Deva no-block — Tukā: no fear no chinta. Pair with 2826-2830 (5-abhang Krṣṇa-janma cluster), 4486 (continuing chain).
For someone today
Tukaram retells the story of Krishna's birth as proof that God answers deep suffering at the exact moment it seems hopeless. Vasudeva and Devaki had endured years of anguish watching their children killed by the cruel king Kamsa, who had no compassion for anyone. But the moment the king's store of merit ran out, God entered Devaki's womb, and the prison chains and locks that had held Vasudeva for so long broke open by themselves in an instant. Tukaram's point is that when the Lord is truly with you, no obstacle, however solid it looks, can actually hold, and that is why he says there is no need for fear or worry.
मराठी: तुकाराम कृष्णजन्माची कथा पुन्हा सांगतात, हे दाखवण्यासाठी की जेव्हा दुःख अगदी असह्य वाटते तेव्हाच देव त्याला उत्तर देतो. वसुदेव आणि देवकी यांनी अनेक वर्षे क्रूर कंस राजाच्या हातून आपली मुले मारली जाताना पाहिली, कंसाला कोणाबद्दलही दयाभाव नव्हता. पण ज्या क्षणी त्याचे पुण्य संपले, त्याच क्षणी देव देवकीच्या गर्भात आला, आणि इतकी वर्षे वसुदेवाला बांधून ठेवणाऱ्या बेड्या आणि तुरुंगाची कुलपे क्षणार्धात आपोआप तुटली. तुकारामांचा मुद्दा हा आहे की जेव्हा देव खरोखर तुमच्यासोबत असतो, तेव्हा कितीही मजबूत वाटणारा अडथळाही टिकत नाही, म्हणूनच ते म्हणतात की भीती किंवा काळजी करण्याची गरज नाही.
Where this applies
- When you feel trapped by a situation that seems permanently locked, whether it is grief, injustice, or years of hardship
- When a cruel or powerful force seems unstoppable and you wonder if it will ever end
- When you are waiting for relief that seems long overdue and are losing hope it will ever come
- When you need reassurance that with real trust in God there is nothing left to fear