Abhanga 4487
Tukaram says the Lord is like a crystal with no color of his own, reflecting back whatever devotion is offered, so total sincere longing is always met without judgment.
The verse
यांच्या पूर्वपुण्या कोण लेखा करी । जिंहीं तो मुरारी खेळविला ॥१॥
खेळविला जिंहीं अंतर्बाह्यसुखें । मेळवूनि मुखें चुंबन दिलें ॥२॥
दिलें त्यांसी सुख अंतरीचें देवें । जिंहीं एका भावें जाणितला ॥३॥
जाणितला तिहीं कामातुर नारी । कृष्णभोगावरी चित्त ज्यांचें ॥४॥
ज्यांचें कृष्णीं तन मन जालें रत । गृह पति सुत विसरल्या ॥५॥
विष तयां जालें धन मान जन । वसविती वन एकांतीं त्या ॥६॥
एकांतीं त्या जाती हरीसी घेउनि । भोगइच्छाधणी फेडावया ॥७॥
वयाच्या संपन्ना तैसा त्यांकारणें । अंतरींचा देणें इच्छाभोग ॥८॥
भोग त्याग नाहीं दोन्ही जयापासीं । तुका म्हणे जैसी स्पटिकशिळा ॥९॥
Literal translation
A 9-verse yamak-bandha-chain. No account can be made of their pūrva-puṇya — they made Murārī play (with them); played by inner-outer sukha — coming-together with the mouth, a kiss was given; gave them inner-sukha — they who knew him with single bhāva; knew him as kāmātura-nārī — Krṣṇa-bhōga in chitta; tana-mana became rata in Krṣṇa — forgot grha-pati-suta; poison became dhana-māna-jana — settled in vana-ekānta; in ekānta take Hari to fulfill bhōga-icchā-dhaṇī; the inner-giver gives icchā-bhōga to such sampanna ones; neither bhōga nor tyāga is at him — Tukā: like the spaṭika-śilā (crystal).
What it means
A 9-verse yamak-bandha-chain continuing from 4486. The gopī-cluster reappears: no-account-can-be-made-of-their-pūrva-puṇya — they made-Murārī-play. The climactic non-dual formulation: bhōga-tyāga-neither-with-him — like-the-spaṭika-śilā (crystal). The crystal-image: a crystal-stone doesn't-itself-have-color but-takes-on-the-color-of-whatever-is-near — so the Lord-himself is-beyond-enjoyment-and-renunciation but-takes-on-the-bhōga-of-the-bhakta as-his-own-experience. This is a sophisticated non-dual bhakti-formulation paired-with the radical-vyabhicāra-bhāva of-4483. Pair with 4483 (30-verse gopī cluster), 2352-2359 (gopikā-līlā cluster).
For someone today
Tukaram describes the gopis whose devotion to Krishna was so complete that they forgot home, family, wealth, and reputation, treating everything else as poison compared to that closeness. He does not judge the intensity of their longing, instead he says something remarkable about God himself, that the Lord is like a crystal, having no fixed color or shape of his own, but taking on the color of whatever is placed near him. This means God is not bound by rules of enjoyment or renunciation, he simply reflects back the devotion, however intense, that is offered to him. The teaching is that God meets each person exactly where their heart already is, without judgment, so total, uncalculated devotion is never wasted or turned away.
मराठी: तुकाराम गोपींचे वर्णन करतात, ज्यांची कृष्णावरची भक्ती इतकी संपूर्ण होती की त्यांनी घर, कुटुंब, संपत्ती आणि प्रतिष्ठा सगळे विसरले, आणि त्या जवळिकीसमोर बाकी सगळे विषासारखे मानले. ते या ओढीच्या तीव्रतेचा न्याय न करता, देवाबद्दल एक विलक्षण गोष्ट सांगतात, की देव हा स्फटिकासारखा आहे, त्याला स्वतःचा रंग किंवा आकार नसतो, पण जवळ जे असेल त्याचा रंग तो घेतो. याचा अर्थ देव भोग किंवा त्यागाच्या नियमांनी बांधलेला नाही, तो फक्त जो जितका तीव्र भाव अर्पण करतो तितकाच परत प्रतिबिंबित करतो. यातून हेच शिकायला मिळते की देव प्रत्येकाला त्याच्या मनाच्या ठिकाणीच भेटतो, कोणताही न्याय न करता, म्हणून संपूर्ण, निःस्वार्थ भक्ती कधीच वाया जात नाही किंवा नाकारली जात नाही.
Where this applies
- When you worry that the intensity of your love or longing for God is somehow excessive or improper
- When you feel judged for how deeply devoted or emotional your faith looks compared to others
- When you have given up status, comfort, or approval for the sake of something you truly love
- When you need reassurance that God responds to the sincerity you bring rather than measuring you against a fixed standard