Abhanga 4532
The Lord embraces everyone without asking their status, and the devotion of his devotees puts even him in their debt, which is why he takes form to become their champion.
The verse
नेणें वर्ण धर्म जीं आलीं सामोरीं । अवघीं च हरी आळिंगिलीं ॥१॥
हरि लोकपाळ आले नगरांत । सकळांसहित मायबाप ॥२॥
पारणें तयांचें जालें एका वेळे । देखिलें सावळें परब्रम्ह ॥३॥
ब्रम्हानंदें लोक सकळ नाचती । गुढिया उभविती घरोघरीं ॥४॥
घरोघरीं सुख आनंद सोहळा । सडे रंग माळा चौकदारीं ॥५॥
दारीं वृंदावनें तुळसीचीं वनें । रामकृष्णगाणें नारायण ॥६॥
नारायण तिहीं पूजिला बहुतीं । नाना पुष्पयाती करूनियां ॥७॥
यांचें ॠण नाहीं फिटलें मागील । पुढें भांडवल जोडिती हीं ॥८॥
हीं नव्हतीं कधीं या देवा वेगळीं । केला वनमाळी सेवाॠणी ॥९॥
सेवाॠणें तुका म्हणे रूपधारी । भक्तांचा कैवारी नारायणा ॥१०॥
Literal translation
A 10-verse yamak-bandha — Lord doesn't know varṇa-dharma — embraces all; Hari and lokapāḷas came into nagara with māy-bāp; pāraṇē was one-time-saw-sāvaḷē-para-brahma; brahma-ānanda dance — raise-guḍīs-house-to-house; saḍē-ranga-māḷā at-chaukadāra; doors-vrndāvanas-tulasī-vanas — Rāma-Krṣṇa-singing-Nārāyaṇa; many-worshiped-with-puṣpa; rṇa-not-cleared-from-past-add-more-bhāṇḍavala-for-future; never-separate-from-Deva — Vanamāḷī-made-sēvā-rṇī; sēvā-rṇē-Lord-takes-rūpa-bhakta-kaivārī-Nārāyaṇa.
What it means
A 10-verse yamak-bandha — Lord's-arrival-into-nagara after Kāḷiya-victory. Key claims: (a) Hari doesn't know varṇa-dharma — embraces all (universal-anti-caste), (b) house-to-house-celebration with flags, color-sprinklings, garlands, tulasī-vanas, Rāma-Krṣṇa-singing — the canonical welcome-the-Lord-home festive-image, (c) Vanamāḷī-made-sēvā-rṇī — the bhaktas-made-the-Lord-their-debtor-by-service — Lord-takes-rūpa to-pay-the-debt-of-service = sēvā-rṇē-rūpa-dhārī — radical-claim that the Lord-himself-takes-incarnation as-the-bhakta-kaivārī-because-of-the-debt-owed-to-his-bhaktas. Pair with 4531 (preceding chain).
For someone today
When Krishna enters the village, he asks no one their caste or standing, he simply embraces everyone who comes to meet him, and the whole town lights up with flags, colors, garlands, and singing at every doorway. Tukaram then makes a bold claim: by loving and serving him so faithfully, the devotees have made the Lord their debtor, and it is to repay that debt of service that he takes on form at all, becoming the protector and champion of his devotees. Love given without condition erases every rank, and it can even put the greater party in debt to the lesser.
मराठी: गावात प्रवेश करताना कृष्ण कोणाची जात किंवा दर्जा विचारत नाही, तो त्याला भेटायला येणाऱ्या प्रत्येकाला आलिंगन देतो, आणि संपूर्ण गाव प्रत्येक दारात गुढ्या, रंग, माळा आणि गाणी यांनी उजळून निघते. तुकाराम नंतर एक धाडसी दावा करतात, भक्तांनी इतक्या निष्ठेने सेवा आणि प्रेम केले की त्यांनी देवालाच त्यांचा ऋणी बनवले, आणि तेच ऋण फेडण्यासाठी तो रूप धारण करतो आणि भक्तांचा कैवारी बनतो. निरपेक्ष प्रेम कोणताही दर्जा मिटवते, आणि ते मोठ्याला सुद्धा लहानाचे ऋणी बनवू शकते.
Where this applies
- When you welcome someone home without asking who they are or where they come from
- When a whole community celebrates together regardless of status or background
- When you wonder whether faithful service and love ever place a claim on the one you serve
- When you see genuine devotion create a bond stronger than any social rank