Abhanga 181
This abhang names the companion-amid-scolding register that real love takes. The first three verses are a full diagnostic: you have lost what was given to your charge; you don't hear the cry that is being made; you have been disgraced repeatedly; you show no shame; you receive daily punishment. The diagnosis is harsh and accurate.
The verse
कां रे गमाविल्या गाई । आली वळती तुझी जाई । मागें जालें काई । एका तें का नेणसी ॥१॥ केलास फजित । मागें पुढें ही बहुत । लाज नाहीं नित्य । नित्य दंड पावतां ॥ध्रु.॥ वोला खोडा खळि गाढी । ऐसा कोण तये काढी । धांवेल का पाडी । तुझी आधीं वोढाळा ॥२॥ चाल धांवें । मी ही येतों तुजसवें । तुका म्हणे जंव । तेथें नाहीं पावली ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Why did you lose the cows? Your homing-time has come — you've turned. What happened behind (you)? Why don't you hear that one (cry/cow)? You've been disgraced — many times before, and (now) more. (You have) no shame — daily, receiving punishment. Wet-knot, hard-bind — who pulls you out of such? Will the calf run? — your stubborn one first. Walk, run — I am also coming with you. Tuka says: until we reach there.
मराठी: का रे गाई गमावल्या? तुझी वळती आली — तू वळलास / निघालास. मागे काय झालं? एका-तं का ऐकत नाहीस? फजित केलास — मागे-पुढे बहुत. लाज नाही नित्य — नित्य दंड पावतोस. वोला-खोडा-खळि-गाढी — असा कोण काढतो? पाडी धावेल का? — तुझी वोढाळा (हट्टी) आधी. चाल, धाव — मी पण तुझ्यासह येतो. तुकाराम म्हणतात — जंव तेथें नाहीं पावली.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कां रे गमाविल्या गाई | "why did you lose the cows?" |
| आली वळती तुझी जाई | "your vaḷatī (homing-turn) has come — you've turned / are leaving" |
| मागें जालें काई | "what happened behind (you)?" |
| एका तें का नेणसी | "why don't you hear that one (cow / cry)?" |
| केलास फजित | "you've been fajita (disgraced / put-to-shame)" |
| मागें पुढें ही बहुत | "many times before and (now) more" |
| लाज नाहीं नित्य | "(have) no shame — daily" |
| नित्य दंड पावतां | "daily, receiving punishment" |
| वोला खोडा खळि गाढी | "wet-knot, hard-bind" |
| ऐसा कोण तये काढी | "who pulls (you) out of such?" |
| धांवेल का पाडी तुझी आधीं वोढाळा | "will the pāḍī (calf) run? — your vōḍhāḷā (stubborn-one) first" |
| चाल धांवें मी ही येतों तुजसवें | "walk, run — I am also coming with you" |
| जंव तेथें नाहीं पावली | "until we reach there" |
What it means
A cow-loser scolding abhang — but with an extraordinary closing-twist. The opening is harsh:
- Why did you lose the cows? (The cows are responsibilities / charges / practices.)
- Your homing-time has come; you've turned. (You're heading home / wandering off, leaving the cows behind.)
- Why don't you hear the one***? (One cow is calling / one signal is there — you don't hear it.)
- Disgraced many times before — no shame, daily punishment.
- Wet-knot, hard-bind — who pulls you out? (Folk image: a beast tangled in wet rope-bonds — a hard rescue.)
But the closing: चाल धांवें मी ही येतों तुजसवें — जंव तेथें नाहीं पावली — walk, run, I'm coming with you, until we reach there.
The harsh-scolding voice does not abandon the scolded. After the full litany of failures, the saint says: I am coming with you — until we reach there. The companion-amid-scolding register is rare and precise. The shame and the punishment do not disqualify; the coming-with is unconditional.
This is the warkari saint's voice: truth-telling about the failure, and yet walking-with toward the recovery. [T]
For someone today
This abhang names the companion-amid-scolding register that real love takes. The first three verses are a full diagnostic: you have lost what was given to your charge; you don't hear the cry that is being made; you have been disgraced repeatedly; you show no shame; you receive daily punishment. The diagnosis is harsh and accurate.
And then: मी ही येतों तुजसवें — जंव तेथें नाहीं पावली. I am coming with you, until we reach there.
This is not forgiveness-in-place-of-truth. This is truth-and-companionship together. The truth-telling does not disqualify the love; the love does not moderate the truth-telling. Both stand.
For today: if you are in a real cow-loser moment — you have failed at what was given to you, you know it, others know it, you've been told before — Tukaram's saint-voice does not tell you it's fine. It tells you all the ways it isn't fine — and then says I'll walk with you to recovery. Receive both messages; either alone is incomplete.
Inversely, if you are in the companion-role to someone who is failing — do not soften the truth and do not withdraw the companionship. Both, together.
मराठी: ही ओवी real love घेणारा companion-amid-scolding register नाव सांगते. पहिले तीन श्लोक full diagnostic: तुम्ही charge मध्ये दिलेलं गमावलंत; जो cry होतोय तो ऐकत नाही; पुन्हा-पुन्हा disgraced; लाज नाही दाखवलीत; दैनंदिन punishment मिळतंय. diagnosis कठोर आणि अचूक.
मग: मी ही येतों तुजसवें — जंव तेथें नाहीं पावली.
हे सत्या-ऐवजी-क्षमा नाही. हे सत्य-आणि-संगत एकत्र. truth-telling प्रेमाला disqualify करत नाही; प्रेम truth-telling moderate करत नाही. दोन्ही उभे.
आज: तुम्ही real cow-loser moment मध्ये असाल — दिलेलं गमावलंत, माहीत आहे, इतरांनाही माहीत आहे, आधी सांगितलंय — तुकारामांची saint-voice सर्व ठीक आहे सांगत नाही. कशा-कशा गोष्टी ठीक नाहीत सांगते — आणि मग म्हणते मी recovery-पर्यंत सोबत येतो. दोन्ही messages घ्या; एकटा incomplete.
उलट — तुम्ही companion-role मध्ये असाल — सत्य soften करू नका आणि companionship withdraw करू नका. दोन्ही, एकत्र.
Where this applies
- You've been losing the cows repeatedly. लाज नाहीं नित्य.
- Diagnosis is harsh — and a companion is offered. Both messages.
- In companion-role. Do not soften truth; do not withdraw company.