संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 240 of 4582

Abhanga 240

English: (Krishna) subdued the Kāliya — came up.

When the deity returns from the deep with form changed — and you have to recognize the change-of-form

When the prior-bhāva doesn't recognize — and you have to update your knowing

When deva consoles with hands and is true — and you accept the post-leelā register

The verse

काळिया नाथूनि आला वरी । पैल हरी दाखविती ॥१॥ दुसरिया भावें न कळे कोणा । होय नव्हेसा संदेह मना ॥ध्रु.॥ रूपा भिन्न पालट जाला । गोरें सांवळेंसा पैं देखिला ॥२॥ आश्वासीत आला करें । तुका खरें म्हणे देव ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: (Krishna) subdued the Kāliya — came up. Here is Hari! — they show. In the prior bhāva, no-one understands; is-or-is-not doubt in the mind. The form changed — the fair is seen as dark. Coming, consoling with (his) hands. Tuka says: deva is true.

मराठी: काळिया नाथूनि आला वरी — पैल हरी दाखविती. दुसरिया भावें न कळे कोणा — होय नव्हेसा संदेह मना. रूपा भिन्न पालट जाला — गोरें सांवळेंसा पैं देखिला. आश्वासीत आला करें — तुका खरें म्हणे देव.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
काळिया नाथूनि आला वरी	"(Krishna) nāthūnī (subdued) the Kāliya — came up"
पैल हरी दाखविती	"pail (over there) is Hari — they show"
दुसरिया भावें न कळे कोणा	"in the dusariyā bhāva (other / former bhāva) — no-one understands"
होय नव्हेसा संदेह मना	"hōya nahvēsā (is-or-is-not) doubt in the mana"
रूपा भिन्न पालट जाला	"the rūpa is different — pālaṭa (transformation) happened"
गोरें सांवळेंसा पैं देखिला	"the gora (fair) is seen as sāvaḷā (dark)"
आश्वासीत आला करें	"coming — āśvāsīt (consoling) with (his) karē (hands)"
तुका खरें म्हणे देव	"Tuka says: kharē (true) deva"

What it means

The Kāliya-mardana resolution abhang. Three movements:

काळिया नाथूनि आला वरी — पैल हरी दाखविती — (Krishna) subdued Kāliya — came up; here is Hari! they show. The return-from-the-deep. Hari has subdued the venom-serpent and come up. The bhakta-band's recognition gesture: here is Hari! — pointing at his return*.
दुसरिया भावें न कळे कोणा — होय नव्हेसा संदेह मना — in the prior bhāva, no-one understands — is-or-is-not doubt in the mind. The recognition-difficulty. The bhaktas' prior-bhāva (= the bhāva from before he jumped) cannot recognize the post-leelā Krishna. The is-or-is-not doubt arises in the mana. Is this really him? Is this not?
रूपा भिन्न पालट जाला — गोरें सांवळेंसा पैं देखिला — the form changed — the fair is seen as dark. The form-change. The gora (fair) Krishna appears as sāvaḷā (dark) — perhaps because of the Kāliya-venom on the body, or because of the intensity of the leelā. The form has been transformed by the encounter with the deep. Recognition-failure is understandable.
आश्वासीत आला करें — तुका खरें म्हणे देव — coming, consoling with (his) hands; deva is true. The resolution. Krishna comes consoling with his hands (= physical, embodied reassurance). And Tuka's closing claim: kharē mhaṇē deva — the deva is true. After all the form-change and recognition-doubt, the deva-is-true. Sāvaḷā or gora — the deva is true.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names a return-from-the-deep register:

The deity returns from the deep — recognize. Pail Harī dākhavitī. When the loved-one returns from a deep-engagement (a crisis, a confrontation, an unknown-territory), the bhakta-band's task is to show: here is Hari! — recognize and point.
The prior-bhāva will not recognize. Dusariyā bhāvē na kaḷē koṇā. The bhāva you had before the leap will fail to recognize the post-leelā loved-one. The form has changed; the prior-bhāva must update.
Form-change is honest, recognition-difficulty is honest. Rūpā bhinna pālaṭa jālā — gora sāvaḷēmsā. The form-change is real. The recognition-difficulty is honest, not failure. Don't blame yourself for the is-or-is-not doubt; the form has changed; the prior-bhāva is genuinely-out-of-date.
Consoling-with-hands is the resolution. Āśvāsīt ālā karē. Krishna consoles with hands. The bodily-reassurance is offered. The recognition is completed by the touch. And the deva is true.

For today: when the loved-one returns from a deep-engagement, expect form-change; don't trust the prior-bhāva to recognize; let the consoling-with-hands complete the recognition; trust that the deva is true despite the form-change.

मराठी: ही ओवी return-from-the-deep register नाव सांगते:

देव deep-मधून परत येतो — recognize करा. पैल हरी दाखविती. प्रिय-व्यक्ती deep-engagement-मधून परत येते (crisis, confrontation, unknown-territory) — bhakta-band चं task दाखवणं: हा हरी! — recognize आणि point.
Prior-bhāva recognize करणार नाही. दुसरिया भावें न कळे कोणा. Leap च्या आधीचा bhāva post-leelā loved-one ला recognize करायला fail होईल. Form बदललं; prior-bhāva update व्हायला हवा.
Form-change honest, recognition-difficulty honest. रूपा भिन्न पालट जाला — गोरें सांवळेंसा. Form-change real. Recognition-difficulty honest, failure नाही. Is-or-is-not doubt वर स्वतःला blame करू नका; form बदललं; prior-bhāva genuinely-out-of-date.
हातांनी consoling resolution. आश्वासीत आला करें. कृष्ण हातांनी consoles. Bodily-reassurance offer होतं. Recognition touch ने complete. देव true.

आज: प्रिय-व्यक्ती deep-engagement-मधून परत येते — form-change expect करा; prior-bhāva recognize करेल असं trust करू नका; consoling-with-hands recognition complete करू द्या; form-change असूनही देव true विश्वास ठेवा.

Where this applies

Return-from-the-deep — recognize. Here is Hari!
Prior-bhāva will not recognize. Update needed.
Form-change is honest. Don't self-blame for doubt.
Consoling-with-hands completes. Deva is true.