Abhanga 153
This abhang refuses the sentimental idea that the deity is only ever protective. Krishna's biography includes real, significant destruction, and Tukaram doesn't hide it. The lesson is that when the deity becomes active in your life, that destructive side can operate too — things you were attached to may be struck down, and people around you may be affected. A relationship with the divine isn't safe domesticity; it's full engagement, which includes the destruction of whatever has to go.
The verse
सहस्र मुखावरी हरी । शेष शिणविलें ॥१॥ चेंडुवासवें घातली उडी । नाथिला काळिया देऊनि बुडी ॥२॥ अशुद्ध पीतां करुणा नाहीं । तुवां माउशी ही मारियेली ॥३॥ रावणाचें घर बुडविलें सारें । त्याचीं रांडापोरें मारियेलीं ॥४॥ जाणो तो ठावा आहेसि आम्हां । तुवां आपुला मामा मारियेला ॥५॥ याशीं खेळतां नाश थोरू । तुकयास्वामी सारंगधरू ॥६॥
Literal translation
Hari, you have tired Shesha's thousand mouths. With the ball you jumped (into Yamuna) — gave a dive that bound Kaliya. Drinking impure-blood — no compassion — you killed (Putana) the maternal-aunt. You destroyed all of Ravana's house — killed his women and children. We know what you are — you killed your own (maternal) uncle (Kamsa). Playing with you is great destruction. Tuka's master — Sarangadhara.
मराठी: हरी, तू सहस्र मुखांवरच्या शेषाला शिणवलंस. चेंडूसवें उडी मारली — काळिय्याला बुडी देऊन बांधलंस. अशुद्ध (रक्त) पिऊन — करुणा नाही — तू माउसीला (पूतनेला) मारलंस. रावणाचं घर पूर्ण बुडवलंस — त्याची रांडा-पोरं मारलीस. तू कोण आहेस आम्हाला माहीत — तू स्वतःचा मामा (कंस) मारलास. तुझ्याशी खेळणं म्हणजे थोरू नाश. तुकाराम-स्वामी सारंगधर.
What it means
A deity-also-destroys abhang. Tukaram catalogues Krishna's classical destructive acts:
- Shesha — the cosmic serpent on whose thousand-headed body Vishnu reclines; Tukaram says Hari has tired even him.
- Kaliya — the Yamuna's poisonous serpent; Krishna jumped onto his hood and danced him into submission.
- Putana — the demon-nurse who tried to poison the infant Krishna with her milk; he sucked her life out.
- Ravana's household — destroyed by Rama (who is Vishnu); women and children included.
- Kamsa — Krishna's maternal-uncle, who tried to kill him at birth and was killed by Krishna.
The structural claim: याशीं खेळतां नाश थोरू — playing with him is great destruction. The deity is not safe; intimacy with him includes proximity to his destructive operations. [T] [Tradition]
For someone today
This abhang refuses the sentimental idea that the deity is only ever protective. Krishna's biography includes real, significant destruction, and Tukaram doesn't hide it. The lesson is that when the deity becomes active in your life, that destructive side can operate too — things you were attached to may be struck down, and people around you may be affected. A relationship with the divine isn't safe domesticity; it's full engagement, which includes the destruction of whatever has to go.
Don't go looking for a deity without destruction — that isn't the bhakti deity. The honest acceptance is that playing with him brings great destruction, and that is exactly what we've signed up for.
मराठी: ही ओवी 'देव फक्त रक्षणकर्ताच असतो' या भावनिक कल्पनेला नाकारते. कृष्णाच्या चरित्रात खरा, मोठा विनाशही आहे — आणि तुकाराम तो लपवत नाहीत. शिकवण अशी की देव जेव्हा तुमच्या आयुष्यात सक्रिय होतो, तेव्हा त्याची विनाशकारी बाजूही कार्यरत होऊ शकते — तुम्ही ज्याला चिकटून आहात त्या गोष्टी उखडल्या जाऊ शकतात, आणि तुमच्या आसपासच्या लोकांवरही परिणाम होऊ शकतो. देवाशी नातं म्हणजे सुरक्षित घरगुतीपणा नाही — ते पूर्ण सहभाग आहे, ज्यात जे जायलाच हवं त्याचा नाशही समाविष्ट आहे.
विनाशाशिवायचा देव शोधू नका — तो भक्तीचा देव नाही. प्रामाणिक स्वीकार असा की त्याच्याशी खेळणं म्हणजे मोठा नाश — आणि आपण नेमकं त्यासाठीच स्वीकारलेलं आहे.
Where this applies
- Imagining deity as only-protective. Catalog says otherwise.
- Playing-with-the-deity has great cost. Honor that.
- Someone you love has been struck. Don't comfort the destruction away.