Abhanga 4501
God, vast enough to witness sky and underworld, becomes small for love, and one tulsi leaf given with real feeling outweighs an ocean of milk.
The verse
लीलाविग्रही तो लेववी खाववी । यशोदा बैसवी मांडीवरी ॥१॥
मांडीवरी भार पुष्पाचिये परी । बैसोनियां करी स्तनपान ॥२॥
नभाचा ही साक्षी पाताळापरता । कुर्वाळिते माता हातें त्यासि ॥३॥
हातें कुर्वाळुनी मुखीं घाली घांस । पुरे म्हणे तीस पोट धालें ॥४॥
पोट धालें मग देतसे ढेंकर । भक्तीचें तें फार तुळसीदळ ॥५॥
तुळसीदळ भावें सहित देवापाणी । फार त्याहुनि क्षीरसागरा ॥६॥
क्षीराचा कांटाळा असे एकवेळ । भक्तीचें तें जळ गोड देवा ॥७॥
देवा भक्त जिवाहुनि आवडती । सकळ हि प्रीति त्यांच्याठायीं ॥८॥
त्यांचा हा अंकित सर्व भावें हरि । तुका म्हणे करी सर्व काज ॥९॥
Literal translation
A canonical 9-verse Yaśodā-Krṣṇa narrative with-paradox-claims. The Lord-in-līlā-form lets-his-mother clothe-and-feed-him; he-sits-on-her-thigh and does-stanapāna (suckles). The Witness-of-the-sky-and-beyond-pātāḷa is being-cradled by-her-hands. She-feeds, says enough; he-gives-a-burp. Then the comparison: tuḷasī-daḷa-with-bhāva is-far-greater than-the-kṣīra-sāgara; one-may-tire of-kṣīra but-not-of-bhakti-water; bhaktas-are-dearer-than-(his)-jīva to-Deva; with-all-bhāva-he-is-their-ankita. Tukā: he-does-all-their-work.
What it means
A canonical Yaśodā-Krṣṇa paradox text. The cosmic-Lord (witness-of-sky-and-beyond-pātāḷa) being-cradled-by-Yaśodā is the foundational bhakti-paradox-of-līlā. The tuḷasī-daḷa > kṣīra-sāgara claim is foundational: a-single-leaf-of-tulsi-offered-with-bhāva is-greater-than-the-cosmic-ocean-of-milk.
For someone today
Tukārām presents the great bhakti paradox: the cosmic Lord — the one who witnesses the sky above and the underworld below — makes himself small enough to be cradled on Yaśodā's lap and nursed like an ordinary child. He shows that a single tulsi leaf offered with genuine love and feeling outweighs even an ocean of milk. Because God treasures devotees more than life itself, he willingly submits himself to whatever they ask, out of pure love.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे भक्तीचा एक मोठा विरोधाभास मांडतात: आकाशापासून पाताळापर्यंत सर्व काही पाहणारा हा विश्वव्यापी परमेश्वर स्वतःला इतका लहान करतो की यशोदेच्या मांडीवर बसून एखाद्या सामान्य बाळासारखा दूध पितो. एक साधे तुळशीपत्र जर खऱ्या भावाने अर्पण केले, तर तेही क्षीरसागरापेक्षा श्रेष्ठ ठरते, असे ते दाखवतात. देवाला भक्त स्वतःच्या जीवापेक्षाही प्रिय असल्याने, तो शुद्ध प्रेमापोटी स्वतःला त्यांच्या इच्छेनुसार पूर्णपणे समर्पित करतो.
Where this applies
- Canonical Yaśodā-Krṣṇa stanapāna narrative
- Tuḷasī-daḷa > kṣīra-sāgara canonical bhakti-claim
- Bhaktas-dearer-than-jīva to-Deva canonical-claim