Abhanga 4531
In one embrace given equally to all, mother, father, God, and ordinary people become the same, because real welcome and real love make no rank among people.
The verse
शुभ मात तिहीं आणिली गोपाळीं । चेंडू वनमाळी घेउनि आले ॥१॥
आली दारा देखे हरुषाची गुढी । सांगितली पुढी हरुषें मात ॥२॥
हरुषलीं माता केलें निंबलोण । गोपाळांवरून कुरवंडी ॥३॥
गोपाळां भोवतें मिळालें गोकुळ । अवघीं सकळ लहान थोरें ॥४॥
थोर सुख जालें ते काळीं आनंद । सांगती गोविंद वरि आला ॥५॥
आले वरि बैसोनियां नारायण । काळया नाथून वहन केलें ॥६॥
नगराबाहेरी निघाले आनंदें । लावूनियां वाद्यें नाना घोष ॥७॥
नारायणापुढें गोपाळ चालती । आनंदें नाचती गाती गीत ॥८॥
तंव तो देखिला वैकुंठींचा पती । लोटांगणीं जाती सकळ ही ॥९॥
सकळ ही एका भावें आलिंगिले । अवघियां जाले अवघे हरि ॥१०॥
हरि आलिंगनें हरिरूप जालीं । आप विसरलीं आपणास ॥११॥
सकळांसी सुख एक दिलें देवें । मायबापां भावें लोकपाळां ॥१२॥
मायबाप देवा नाहीं लोकपाळ । सारिखीं सकळ तुका म्हणे ॥१३॥
Literal translation
A 13-verse yamak-bandha — Lord's-return-after-Kāḷiya-mardana — Chendū-Vanamāḷī-came → mother-nimbalōṇa-kuravaṇḍī → Gokul-assembled → ānanda-Govinda-came-back-up → on-Kāḷiya-naṭhūn-made-vahana → out-of-nagara-with-music-dance → all-fell-lōṭāngaṇa → ēka-bhāva-embraced-all-became-Hari → forgot-themselves → sukha-given-to-all → no-māy-bāp-loka-pāḷa-difference — all-equal-Tukā.
What it means
A 13-verse yamak-bandha — the famous Kāḷiya-vahana procession-return. After-subduing-Kāḷiya, Lord-makes-it-his-vahana (mount) and-rides-back into-Gokul. Mother-does-nimbalōṇa (auspicious-neem-water-circling welcoming-rite) on-the-Gopāḷas. Music-dance-procession out-of-the-nagara. The climactic union: when all-saw-Vaikuṇṭha-pati they-fell-in-lōṭāngaṇa (prostrate) — with-his-ēka-bhāva-embrace, all-became-Hari-rūpa, forgot-themselves. The radical-equality closing: māya-bāpa, Deva, lōkapāḷa — no-difference — all-equal. Pair with 4528 (preceding Kāḷiya-mardana), 4530 (preceding mother-lament), 4532 (continuing chain).
For someone today
When Krishna comes back to Gokul riding on the very serpent he subdued, the whole village pours out with music and dance, his mother performs the welcoming rite, and everyone falls down together in joy. What Tukaram lingers on is the embrace that follows: it is given with one same feeling to everyone, and in that single embrace people forget their separate selves and simply become part of Hari. The closing line makes the point explicit: there is no difference between mother, father, God, and ordinary people, all are made equal by that one embrace. Real welcome and real love do not rank people, they fold everyone into the same joy at once.
मराठी: स्वतः वश केलेल्या नागावर स्वार होऊन कृष्ण गोकुळात परत येतो, तेव्हा संपूर्ण गाव वाद्ये वाजवत, नाचत बाहेर पडते, आई स्वागताची निंबलोण करते, आणि सगळे एकत्र आनंदाने लोटांगण घालतात. तुकाराम त्यानंतरच्या आलिंगनावर विशेष भर देतात, ते आलिंगन सगळ्यांना एकाच भावाने दिले जाते, आणि त्या एका आलिंगनात लोक स्वतःचा वेगळेपणा विसरून हरीरूप होऊन जातात. शेवटची ओळ स्पष्ट सांगते, आई, वडील, देव आणि सामान्य लोक यांच्यात काहीही फरक उरत नाही, ते सगळे त्या एका आलिंगनाने समान होतात. खरे स्वागत आणि खरे प्रेम कोणाला कमी-जास्त मानत नाही, ते सगळ्यांना एकाच आनंदात सामावून घेते.
Where this applies
- When you welcome someone home after a difficult time and want everyone to feel equally included
- When you notice that real love treats no one as more or less important
- When a whole community comes together in shared joy after fear has passed
- When you feel your sense of separateness dissolve in a moment of collective celebration