Abhanga 408

You can hold someone you love accountable for real wrongdoing and still let affection, not anger, have the final word.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A butter-thief-Krishna-at-the-dark-door abhang. Continues from 388 in the Krishna-as-butter-thief Daśavanti cluster. Six claims:

1. उघडें कवाड उभ्या काळोशाचे आड — साता पांचा एक भीड मौनेंची ठेल्या — open kavāḍa, standing in kāḷōṣā aside — five-or-seven, one bhīḍa, kept mauna. The opening-scene: open door; (Krishna) standing in the dark aside; five-or-seven (gōpīs), out ofbhīḍa(consideration / hesitation) — keptmauna(silent). Affectionate-tolerance from the gōpīs.

2. नित्य सोंकवला नेदी सांगों चित्त बोला — आतां सांपडतां याला कोण सोडी जीवें — daily-spoiled, won't say citta-bōla — now caught, who releases jīva? The complaint-claim: daily-spoiled (the milk, the butter, the wares) — won't saycitta-bōla(heart-words, won't confess); now that He is caught, who can release Him alive? (= who can punish him?).

3. त्यांच्या भयाभीत चाले पिलंगत भोंवतालें — पाहे तंव देखियेलें नवनीत पुढें — afraid of them, walks pilangata around — sees forward, navanīta. The cautious-walk: afraid of the watchers, He walkspilangata(bent, stooping) around; sees thenavanīta(butter) before.

4. जाणे राखती तयांसि — तेथें अधिक चि नासी — माग लावी हात पुसी — चोरी जाणावया — knows watchers — there destroys more — finds trail, hand-wipes — to know cōrī. The trail-finding: He knows where they keep watch; there He destroys (the butter) even more; finds the trail, wipes his hand — the gōpīs trace it, to know thecōrī.

5. कां रे नागविसी — माझे मुळीं लागलासी — आणवीन तुजपासीं — मागें खादलें तें — why robbing me? — caught at root — fetch from you — what you ate before. The gōpī's-protest: why are You robbing me? — You have caught me at the root; I will fetch from You what You ate before (= demand restitution).

6. तुका म्हणे मुख — त्याचें वाढों नेदी दुःख — दसवंती कवतुक — करुनी रंजविल्या — Tuka says: face — doesn't let duḥkha grow — Daśavanti — by kautuka — amused them. The closing-resolution: His face does not letduḥkhagrow; Daśavanti — by kautuka (wonder) — amused them all.His charm dissolves the protest; Daśavanti's amusement settles.

[T]

For someone today

This vivid little drama follows Krishna the butter thief caught at a dark doorway, with the gopis silently watching out of fondness rather than anger. They know his tricks, how he sneaks around nervously and finds the stash of butter, and they trace the evidence right back to him. One of them confronts him directly, demanding he account for what he's stolen, refusing to let it slide. But in the end, his utterly disarming face simply dissolves the complaint, and delight for him replaces the anger. It shows that you can call out someone you love for real wrongdoing, and still let affection have the last word.

मराठी: ही ओवी लोणी चोरणाऱ्या कृष्णाची एक जिवंत गोष्ट सांगते. तो अंधाऱ्या दाराशी पकडला जातो, आणि गोपी रागाने नाही तर प्रेमापोटी गप्प राहतात. त्यांना त्याच्या युक्त्या माहीत आहेत, तो कसा सावधपणे फिरतो आणि लोण्याचा साठा शोधून काढतो, आणि त्या पुरावा शोधत त्याच्यापर्यंत पोहोचतात. एक गोपी त्याला थेट जाब विचारते, त्याने काय चोरलं याचा हिशोब मागते, आणि हे सहज सोडून द्यायला ती तयार नाही. पण शेवटी त्याचा निरागस, मोहक चेहरा तक्रार विरघळवून टाकतो, आणि रागाची जागा त्याच्याबद्दलच्या कौतुकाने घेते. यातून एक गोष्ट स्पष्ट होते, तुम्ही प्रिय व्यक्तीच्या खऱ्या चुकीबद्दल त्याला जाब विचारू शकता, आणि तरीही शेवटचा शब्द प्रेमाचाच असू शकतो.

Where this applies

• Bhīḍa-mauna even when wrong. Affectionate-tolerance.
• Cautious-walk; trail-finding. Both detective-like.
• Root-caught; demand restitution. Don't let cōrī go.
• Charm dissolves duḥkha. Protest ends in laughter.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2481 — Pandharpur surpasses even the greatest pilgrimage cities because people there set aside pr
• 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 4483 — Tukaram tells of the gopis whose all-consuming secret longing for Krishna, hidden beneath