Abhanga 397

Expect the world to resist your devotion, hand your flaws over without shame, and let God settle inside you quietly while your outer life goes on as usual.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A jaga-against-but-deva-inside-the-jīva abhang. Four claims:

1. कोठें मी तुझा धरूं गेलें संग — लावियेलें जग माझ्या पाठीं — where can I keep Your sanga? — the jaga is set behind me. The opening-protest: where can I keep Yoursanga(company) — the world has been set against me. The world's-opposition makes outer-sanga difficult.

2. सर सर रे परता अवगुणाच्या गोवळा — नको लावूं चाळा खोटा येथें — pass by, avaguṇāñcyā gōvaḷā — don't play khōṭā tricks here. The playful-rebuke: pass by,cowherd-of-vices; don't playkhōṭā(false) tricks here. The bhakta names the deva playfully as the cowherd-of-vices (= the deva accumulates the bhakta's vices in his play); don't play here, the public-place is dangerous.

3. रूपाच्या लावण्यें नेली चित्तवृत्ती — न देखें भोंवतीं मी ते माझी — rūpa-lāvaṇya took cittavṛtti — I don't see around — I am no longer mine. The absorbed-claim: form-beauty has taken mycittavṛtti(mind-modes); I do not see around; I am no longer mine. Self-possession lost. (Compare 378 parā-bhakti distracted-but-absorbed; same register.)

4. तुकयाचा स्वामी माझे जीवीं च बैसला — बोलीं च अबोला करूनियां — Tukya-svāmī sat in my very jīva — making abōlā in the very bōlī. The closing-image: Tukya-svāmī sat in my veryjīva; makingabōlā(silence, not-speaking) within the verybōlī(speech). The deva's-presence creates silence-within-speech: outer-words continue; inner-silence reigns.

[T]

For someone today

Don't be surprised if the world outside pushes back against your inner devotion — that resistance is common, not a sign you're doing something wrong. You can hand over your flaws and weaknesses to God like handing them to a playful, trusted companion, without shame — that closeness isn't something to hide, even in public. When beauty or love overwhelms you and you feel like you've lost yourself, that isn't a failure; it's what deep absorption feels like. And when God settles quietly inside you, you don't have to make an announcement — your outer words and daily life can go on as normal, while a private stillness grows underneath them.

मराठी: तुमच्या आतल्या भक्तीला बाहेरचं जग विरोध करत असेल, तर त्यात आश्चर्य वाटू देऊ नका — हा विरोध सर्वसामान्य आहे, तुम्ही काही चुकीचं करत आहात याचं लक्षण नाही. तुमचे दोष आणि कमकुवतपणा तुम्ही एखाद्या खेळकर, विश्वासू सोबत्याकडे सोपवावेत तसे देवाकडे सोपवू शकता, लाज न बाळगता — ही जवळीक लपवण्याची गोष्ट नाही, अगदी सगळ्यांसमोरही. जेव्हा सौंदर्य किंवा प्रेम तुम्हाला इतकं व्यापून टाकतं की तुम्ही स्वतःला हरवल्यासारखं वाटतं, तेव्हा तो अपयश नाही; खोल तल्लीनतेचं तेच रूप असतं. आणि जेव्हा देव शांतपणे तुमच्या आत स्थिरावतो, तेव्हा त्याची जाहीर घोषणा करावी लागत नाही — बाहेरचे शब्द आणि रोजचं आयुष्य नेहमीसारखं चालू राहतं, आणि त्याखाली एक खासगी शांतता वाढत जाते.

Where this applies

• Jaga set against bhakta-sanga. Don't expect public-ease.
• Avaguṇāñcyā gōvaḷā — give vices. Playful charge.
• Rūpa-lāvaṇyatakescittavṛtti. Self-possession lost.
• Abōlāwithinbōlī. Inner-silence beneath outer-speech.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 3902 — God himself takes joy in kirtana and walks alongside whoever sings his praise, as Narada's
• Abhanga 4273 — If your time, money, and attention flow easily to everything except God and genuine goodne