Abhanga 29
Until you have actually tasted it, the difficulty is unbridgeable. The descriptions don't transfer; the protective grace before-tasting also doesn't transfer.
The verse
त्याचें सुख नाहीं आलें अनुभवा । कठिण हें जिवा तोंचिवरी ॥१॥ मागिलांचे दुःख लागों नेदी अंगा । अंतर हें संगा नेदी पुढें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे सर्वविशीं हा संपन्न । जाणती महिमान श्रुति ऐसें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: As long as his (Hari's) happiness has not come into your experience, the difficulty for the soul (continues). Past suffering — he does not let it touch the body; the inner-distance going forward — he does not let it arise in companionship. Tuka says: in every respect, he is complete; the Vedas know his greatness this way.
मराठी: त्याचं (हरीचं) सुख अनुभवात आलं नाही, तोपर्यंत जिवाला कठीणच आहे. मागचं दुःख तो अंगाला लागू देत नाही; पुढची अंतरं तो संगतीत येऊ देत नाही. तुकाराम म्हणतात — तो सर्व बाजूंनी संपन्न आहे; श्रुती त्याचा महिमा अशा रीतीनं जाणतात.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| त्याचें सुख नाहीं आलें अनुभवा | "his happiness has not come into experience (yet)" |
| कठिण हें जिवा तोंचिवरी | "until then it is difficult for the soul" |
| मागिलांचे दुःख लागों नेदी अंगा | "(he) does not let past suffering touch the body" |
| अंतर हें संगा नेदी पुढें | "(he) does not let the inner-distance arise in companionship going forward" |
| सर्वविशीं हा संपन्न | "in every respect, he is complete / abundant" |
| जाणती महिमान श्रुति ऐसें | "the Vedas know his greatness so" (श्रुति = the Vedas / revealed scripture) |
What it means
This abhang names the unbridgeable gap before experience. The first verse is plain: as long as his happiness has not come into experience, the difficulty for the soul continues. The middle verse is the consolation — once experience comes, the past suffering does not touch the body, and the future inner-distance does not arise. The deity has both protective functions: erasing-past, preventing-future-distance. But the gap before experience cannot be bridged from the outside. The soul on the not-yet-tasted side has to come through. [T]
For someone today
English: This abhang names a structure modern self-help often denies. There are experiences for which descriptions, encouragement, and even faith from those who have had them do not transfer the experience. The not-yet-tasted side is genuinely hard, and the words from the other side don't reach. Tukaram is not promising that the gap can be talked across. He is naming it as real, naming what comes after the gap is crossed (past-suffering-erased, future-distance-prevented), and leaving the crossing as something you have to do.
The corollary: if you have experienced something profound and find yourself unable to convey it to others, the inability is structural, not a failure of your language. The gap is real. The honest move is to stop trying to talk across it and to be a witness of someone's not-yet-tasted side — without pretending you can shorten the wait.
मराठी: ही ओवी एक रचना नाव सांगते जी आधुनिक self-help नेहमी नाकारते. अशा अनुभव असतात ज्यांच्यासाठी वर्णन, प्रोत्साहन, आणि अनुभव असलेल्यांची श्रद्धासुद्धा — अनुभव transfer होत नाही. अजून-न-चाखलेल्या बाजू खरोखर कठीण असते, आणि दुसऱ्या बाजूचे शब्द पोहोचत नाहीत. तुकाराम वचन देत नाहीत की बोलून ही दरी ओलांडता येईल. ते ती दरी खरी म्हणून नाव देतात — पार झाल्यानंतर काय येतं ते सांगतात (मागचं दुःख पुसलं जातं, पुढचं अंतर येऊ दिलं जात नाही) — आणि ओलांडणं ही गोष्ट तुम्हालाच करायची आहे असं सोडतात.
परिणाम: तुम्ही काहीतरी खोल अनुभवलंय आणि इतरांना सांगता येत नाही — तर असमर्थता रचनात्मक आहे, भाषेचं अपयश नाही. दरी खरी आहे. प्रामाणिक हालचाल — दरीच्या पलीकडे बोलणं थांबवा आणि कोणाच्या-तरी-न-चाखलेल्या बाजूचं साक्षी व्हा — वाट कमी करता येते असं ढोंग न करता.
Where this applies
- When you're trying to convince someone of something they haven't experienced. The words won't carry the weight. Bear witness; don't oversell.
- When you've experienced something and can't describe it. The inability is structural. Stop blaming your language.
- When you're on the not-yet-tasted side. Wait. The gap is real and unbridgeable from outside.