संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.

Abhanga 30

At some point, you have stopped trying to convince anyone. Listen if it suits you, or wander on; the speaker has followed her own truth and has no further word for the listener.

When you've stopped trying to bring people along and you have to learn what to say after that
When someone keeps asking you to justify what you've already decided — and you have to find words that are not defenses
When you realize aikā svabhāvē — listen if it suits your nature — is the most honest and least invasive thing you can offer

The verse

न राहे रसना बोलतां आवडी । पायीं दिली बुडी माझ्या मनें ॥१॥ मानेल त्या तुम्ही अइका स्वभावें । मी तों माझ्याभावें अनुसरलें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तुम्हीं फिरावें बहुतीं । माझी तों हे गती जाली आतां ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: My tongue does not stop speaking — out of love; my mind has plunged at his feet. Those who agree, listen by your own nature. I have followed my own feeling. Tuka says: you wander where you will; this has now become my way.

मराठी: माझी जीभ बोलणं थांबवत नाही — आवडीमुळे; माझ्या मनाने त्याच्या पायांशी बुडी मारली आहे. ज्यांना पटतं ते आपल्या स्वभावानं ऐका. मी माझ्या भावाने चालले आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात — तुम्ही जिथे फिरायचं तिथे फिरा; आता हीच माझी गती आहे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
न राहे रसना बोलतां आवडी "the tongue does not stop speaking — out of love"
पायीं दिली बुडी माझ्या मनें "my mind has plunged at the (His) feet"
मानेल त्या तुम्ही अइका स्वभावें "you who agree, listen by your own nature"
मी तों माझ्याभावें अनुसरलें "I have followed my own भाव (own feeling/pattern)"
तुम्हीं फिरावें बहुतीं "you (people) wander as you will"
माझी तों हे गती जाली आतां "this has now become my course / way"

What it means

The abhang reaches a quiet exit. The speaker has stopped trying to convince. मानेल त्या तुम्ही अइका स्वभावेंthose who agree, listen by your own nature — is the most permissive and least invasive form of devotional witness. She is no longer addressing anyone-in-particular; she is simply reporting her own course. The path is not for sharing; it is for walking. [T]

For someone today

English: This abhang is permission to stop arguing for what you've already decided. मी तों माझ्याभावें अनुसरलेंI have followed my own feeling. The truthful sentence after a long-debated choice is not "let me explain why this is right"; it is "I have followed my own feeling, and you may listen if it suits you." Most modern conflicts about life-choices end here when they end honestly: not in agreement, not in vindication, but in the speaker's quiet refusal to keep arguing. The listener is free to wander wherever; the speaker is now on her own way.

मराठी: ही ओवी आधीच निवडलेल्यासाठी आता वाद घालायचं थांबवण्याची परवानगी आहे. मी तों माझ्याभावें अनुसरलें. दीर्घ-वादाच्या निवडीनंतरचं प्रामाणिक वाक्य "मी का बरोबर ते सांगतो" नाही — "मी माझ्या भावाने चालले, तुम्हाला पटलं तर ऐका" आहे. आधुनिक जीवन-निवडींबद्दलचे बहुतेक वाद इथेच संपतात — सहमतीने नाही, समर्थनाने नाही — वक्त्याच्या शांत वाद-नकारात. श्रोता हवं तिथे फिरू शकतो; वक्ता आता आपल्या वाटेवर आहे.

Where this applies

Related verses