Abhanga 4581
Tukaram closes his songs by confessing his own unworthiness and boldness, offering everything back to God, and asking only for a small place at the Lord's feet.
The verse
मना वाटे तैसीं बोलिलों वचनें । केली धिटपणें सलगी देवा ॥१॥
वाणी नाहीं शुद्ध याति एक ठाव । भक्ति नेणें भाव नाहीं मनीं ॥२॥
नाहीं जालें ज्ञान पाहिलें अक्षर । मानी जैसें थोर थोरी नाहीं ॥३॥
नाहीं मनीं लाज धरिली आशंका । नाहीं भ्यालों लोकां चतुरांसि ॥४॥
चतुरांच्या राया मी तुझें अंकित । जालों शरणागत देवदेवा ॥५॥
देवा आतां करीं सरतीं हीं वचनें । तुझ्या कृपादानें बोलिलों तीं ॥६॥
तुझें देणें तुझ्या समर्पूनि पायीं । जालों उतरायी पांडुरंगा ॥७॥
रंकाहुनि रंक दास मी दासांचें । सामर्थ्य हें कैचें बोलावया ॥८॥
बोलावया पुरे वाचा माझी कायी । तुका म्हणे पायीं ठाव द्यावा ॥९॥
Literal translation
Spoke-as-mind-felt — dhīṭa-pana-salgī-with-Deva. Vāṇī-not-pure-yāti-low-ṭhāva — no-bhakti-no-bhāva. No-jñāna-no-akṣara-read — feel-thōra-when-no-greatness. No-mind-lāja-no-āśankā — not-afraid-of-loka-chaturas. King-of-chaturas-I-am-your-ankita — śaraṇāgata-Deva-Deva. Deva-make-these-words-saratīm — by-your-krpā-dāna-I-spoke. Your-gift-offered-at-feet — became-uttarāyī-Pāṇḍurangā. Rānkā-than-rānka-dāsa-of-dāsas — what-sāmarthya-to-speak. Vāchā-not-enough — Tukā: at-feet-give-place.
What it means
MAJOR A 9-verse penultimate-closing-prayer — Tukārām's farewell-self-deprecation prayer of-the-entire-Gathā. Structural arc:
(a) Confession of impudence: spoke as mind felt — made boldness, intimate-familiarity with Deva — confesses presumption
(b) Self-disqualification (5-fold): impure-speech / low-jāti / no-bhakti-no-bhāva / no-jñāna / not-afraid-of-clever-people
(c) Surrender-as-ankita: I am your ankita, king-of-chaturas — śaraṇāgata, Deva, Deva
(d) Plea for validation: 'Deva, now, make these words saratīm (complete-and-pass-through, validated) — by your krpā-dāna I spoke them' — Lord-himself-must-validate-the-Gathā
(e) Offering: 'your gift, I offer at your feet — I have become uttarāyī (paid-off), Pāṇḍurangā' — the offering-of-the-Gathā-itself-back-to-the-Lord
(f) Closing-self-effacement: rānkā-than-rānka, dāsa of dāsas — what capability for speaking is mine — is my speech enough for the saying
(g) Final petition: 'Tukā says: give me a place at your feet' — THE CLOSING PETITION OF THE ENTIRE-CORPUS
Why monumental: This is Tukārām's canonical-closing-prayer of-the-whole-Gathā — the colophon-prayer offering-the-corpus-back-to-Pāṇḍuranga. The uttarāyī (paid-off, free-of-debt) claim is climactic — the speaking-of-the-Gathā is itself-the-discharge-of-the-debt-to-the-Lord. The final-line give-me-a-place-at-your-feet completes the trajectory begun-from-the-first-abhang. Pair with 4448 (vaikuṇṭha-gamana farewell), 4582 (final-final closing-benediction).
For someone today
Near the close of his whole body of songs, Tukaram admits he spoke boldly, even with a kind of familiar impudence toward God, saying whatever his mind felt. He confesses he has no pure speech, no high birth, no real devotion or knowledge to boast of, yet he was not afraid of clever, learned people judging him. He calls himself simply God's marked servant, one who has surrendered completely, and asks the Lord himself to make these very words worthy, since it was only by God's grace that he spoke them at all. He offers everything back at the Lord's feet, calling himself the lowliest servant of servants, and ends with one plain request: just give him a place at those feet. The lesson here is that you do not need to be polished, learned, or worthy to speak from the heart to the divine; honesty and surrender count for more than credentials.
मराठी: आपल्या संपूर्ण गाथेच्या शेवटी तुकाराम कबूल करतात की त्यांनी मनात जे वाटले ते धीटपणे, देवाशी जणू सलगीने बोलले. त्यांची वाणी शुद्ध नाही, जन्म उच्च नाही, खरी भक्ती किंवा ज्ञान त्यांच्याकडे नाही, तरीही चतुर, विद्वान लोकांच्या मताची त्यांना भीती वाटली नाही. ते स्वतःला केवळ देवाचे अंकित सेवक, पूर्णपणे शरण आलेला भक्त म्हणवतात, आणि परमेश्वरालाच विनंती करतात की हे शब्द सार्थ करावेत, कारण ते केवळ देवाच्याच कृपेने बोलले गेले. ते सर्वकाही देवाच्या चरणी अर्पण करतात, स्वतःला दासांचाही दास, रंकांहून रंक म्हणवतात, आणि शेवटी एकच साधी विनंती करतात: त्याच्या चरणी थोडी जागा द्यावी. यातील शिकवण अशी की देवाशी मनापासून बोलण्यासाठी नटलेले, विद्वान किंवा पात्र असण्याची गरज नाही; प्रामाणिकपणा आणि शरणागती हीच खरी पात्रता आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel unqualified, unlearned, or unworthy to speak about spiritual matters
- When you worry about being judged by clever or educated people for your simple faith
- When you have spoken boldly or too familiarly and now feel a need to ask for grace
- When you want to offer your work or effort back rather than claim credit for it