Abhanga 4577
The Lord carries the heaviest burdens, even his own hard cycles of birth, on his own head so his devotees are spared the weight and are never abandoned to time.
The verse
सोसियेला आटी गर्भवास फेरे । आयुधांचे भारे वागवितां ॥१॥
वाहोनि सकळ आपुलिये माथां । भार दासां चिंता वाहों नेदी ॥२॥
नेदी काळाचिये हातीं सेवकांसि । तुका म्हणे ऐसी ब्रिदावळी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Endured-aṭi-garbha-vāsa-cycles — āyudha-load. Carried-all-on-own-head — bhakta-no-bhāra-no-chinta. Doesn't-give-sevaka-to-Kāla-hand — Tukā: such-bīrudāvaḷī.
What it means
A compact 3-verse closing-statement. Lord's-bhakta-bearing: he endured the extreme-effort, took-birth-cycles (avatāras), carries the load of his weapons — carries all this on his own head so the burden and worry don't come to his servants — he doesn't allow his servants to be given into Time's hands — such is the list-of-his-vows. Final-statement of Lord-as-bhakta-burden-bearer. Pair with 4576 (preceding kāsāvīsa-for-bhaktas), 4568 (bhakta-bhāra-on-Anantā-head), 4565 (sōḍavaṇē-runs-bhakta-kaivārē).
For someone today
Tukaram says the Lord himself has endured cycles of birth and carried the weight of his own weapons, and he carries all of it on his own head so that his servants never have to bear that burden or worry. He will not hand his devotees over to the grip of time and death. This is offered as a standing promise, a list of vows the Lord keeps. The comfort here is practical: if you have given yourself over in devotion, the heaviest load is not actually yours to carry alone.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की परमेश्वराने स्वतः जन्मांचे फेरे आणि आपल्या शस्त्रांचे ओझे सोसले आहे, आणि हे सर्व तो स्वतःच्या डोक्यावर वाहतो, जेणेकरून त्याच्या सेवकांवर भार किंवा चिंता येऊ नये. तो आपल्या सेवकांना काळाच्या हातात सोपवत नाही. ही त्याच्या शपथांची यादी, एक ठाम वचन म्हणून दिली आहे. यातील दिलासा साधा आहे: जर तुम्ही भक्तीने स्वतःला त्याच्या हाती सोपवले असेल, तर सर्वात मोठे ओझे तुम्हाला एकट्याने वाहायचे नाही.
Where this applies
- When you feel crushed under worry and wonder if anyone is carrying the load with you
- When you fear death or the passage of time taking away what matters most
- When you have surrendered in devotion but still feel you must fix everything yourself
- When you need a reminder that being someone's devotee comes with a promise of protection