Abhanga 4575
True authority protects and honors others without needing pride or status, and it stays free rather than letting anyone claim ownership over it.
The verse
कांहीं चिंता कोणा नाहीं कोणेविशीं । करी द्वारकेसि राज्य देव ॥१॥
द्वारकेसि राज्य करी नारायण । दुष्ट संहारून धर्म पाळी ॥२॥
पाळी वेदआज्ञा ब्राम्हणांचा मान । अतीतपूजन वैष्णवांचें ॥३॥
अतीत अलिप्त अवघियां वेगळा । नाहीं हा गोपाळा अभिमान ॥४॥
अभिमान नाहीं तुका म्हणे त्यासि । नेदी आणिकांसि धरूं देव ॥५॥
Literal translation
No-anxiety-anyone-anywhere — Lord-rules-Dvārakā. Dvārakā-rājya-Nārāyaṇa — duṣṭa-samhāra-dharma-pāḷī. Pāḷī-veda-ājñā-brāhmaṇa-māna — atīta-pūjana-vaiṣṇava. Atīta-alipta-from-all — Gopāḷa-no-abhimāna. No-abhimāna — Tukā: doesn't-let-others-hold-Deva.
What it means
A 5-verse yamak-bandha — Lord's Dvārakā-rule. Notable balance: (a) destroys-duṣṭas-protects-dharma, (b) follows-Veda-ājñā-honors-brāhmaṇas, (c) atīta-pūjana for-vaiṣṇavas, (d) but-himself atīta-alipta-separate-from-all — no-abhimāna, (e) closing: doesn't let others hold (claim/own) the Deva — Lord-stays-unowned-by-anyone. Pair with 4574 (preceding Dvārakā-life), 2956 (padma-patra-unmanī).
For someone today
Under God's rule in Dvaraka, no one has to carry anxiety, because he actively removes wickedness and protects what is right for everyone. He honors tradition and treats devotees with real reverence, yet he himself stays untouched by pride or the need for status, remaining beyond all of it even while fully present and active in the world. Tukaram makes a striking final point: God has no ego of his own, and he also refuses to let anyone else claim ownership over him, staying free even from the grasp of those who worship him.
मराठी: द्वारकेत देवाच्या राज्यात कोणालाही चिंता करावी लागत नाही, कारण तो सक्रियपणे दुष्टतेचा नाश करतो आणि सर्वांसाठी जे योग्य आहे त्याचे रक्षण करतो. तो परंपरेचा मान राखतो आणि भक्तांशी खऱ्या आदराने वागतो, तरीही तो स्वतः अभिमान किंवा प्रतिष्ठेच्या गरजेपासून अलिप्त राहतो, जगात पूर्णपणे उपस्थित आणि कार्यरत असूनही त्याच्या पलीकडे राहतो. तुकाराम शेवटी एक ठळक मुद्दा मांडतात: देवाला स्वतःचा अहंकार नाही, आणि तो इतर कोणालाही त्याच्यावर मालकी सांगू देत नाही, त्याची पूजा करणाऱ्यांच्याही पकडीतून तो मुक्त राहतो.
Where this applies
- When you hold real authority or responsibility but want to stay humble instead of letting it inflate your ego
- When you're leading or protecting others and need to balance firmness with genuine respect for them
- When you notice someone trying to possess or control a relationship that should stay free and open
- When you need reassurance that being in charge doesn't require anxiety if you're acting rightly