Abhanga 478

English: To do Your dāsya — beg from others for khāvayā — dhig — jiṇē of mine — Pandharī-rāyā.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A Your-dāsa-begs-from-others-this-shames-You-too abhang. Tukaram's dignified-complaint register, addressing Pandhari-rāyā with sharp-but-loving accountability. Four claims:

1. तुझें दास्य करूं आणिका मागों खावया — धिग् जालें जिणें माझें पंढरीराया — do Your dāsya, beg from others for food — dhig my life, Pandharī-rāyā. The opening-shame: I do Your dāsya (servitude / service); yet I have to beg from others for food; shame on my life, Pandharī-rāyā!. Tukaram complains that the deva's-servant has to beg-from-others for sustenance*.

2. काय गा विठोबा तुज म्हणावें — थोराच्या दैवें गोड शुभअशुभ — what should you be called, Viṭhobā — for the great-fortunate, śubha-aśubha is gōḍa. The philosophical-aside: what should I call you, Viṭhobā? — for the great-fortunate (= devotees of the great-deity), even śubha-aśubha (good-and-bad) is sweet. The bhakta accepts both, but the question of the deva's-name remains.

3. संसाराचा धाक निरंतर आम्हांसी — मरण भलें परि काय अवकळा तैसी — samsāra's fear constant — death is good, but not such avakaḷā. The death-preferable-to-disgrace claim: the constant fear of samsāra is upon us; death is good — but not such avakaḷā (disgrace). Death is preferable to begging-disgrace.

4. तुझे शरणागत शरण जाऊं आणिकांसी — तुका म्हणे कवणा लाज हें कां नेणसी — Your śaraṇāgata having to go to others for śaraṇa — Tuka says: for whom is the lāja — don't You know? The closing-challenge: Your śaraṇāgata (the one already-surrendered to You) — has to take śaraṇa (refuge) from others; Tuka says: for whom is the lāja (shame)? — do You not know that this shames You too? The deva's-honor is at stake.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the dignified-complaint-shaming-the-deva register:

1. Your-dāsa begging from others is shameful — to me and to You. Tujhē dāsya — āṇikā māgōm — dhig. When the deva's-bhakta has to beg from others, the shame is shared; don't accept the shame silently; complain.

2. For the great-fortunate, śubha-aśubha is gōḍa*. Thōrācyā daivē gōḍa śubha-aśubha. The deeply-fortunate-bhakta accepts both good and bad as sweet; but the bhakti-relation imposes-its-own-claims*.

3. Death is preferable to disgrace. Maraṇa bhalē — paṇa avakaḷā nahīm. Some forms of life are more painful than death; the disgrace of begging is one of them.

4. Your-śaraṇāgata going to others — for whom is the lāja*? Tujhē śaraṇāgata āṇikāmsi — kavaṇā lāja. When your-surrendered-one has to seek refuge elsewhere, ask the deva: for whom is the shame? Don't you know? The bhakta holds the deva accountable*.

For today: don't accept the disgrace of begging-while-being-deva's-dāsa silently; recognize that the great-fortunate accept śubha-aśubha; death is preferable to avakaḷā; hold the deva accountable when the surrendered-one has to seek elsewhere — for-whom-is-the-shame.

This abhang is Tukaram's bhakta-as-equal-questioner register — the bhakta has standing to question the deva's-care. Compare 0173 I-am-Your-bhakta, You-must-take-care; same deva-accountability claim.

मराठी: ही ओवी dignified-complaint-shaming-the-deva register नाव सांगते:

1. तुमचा-दास इतरांकडून भीक मागणं — मला आणि तुम्हाला दोघांना shame. तुझें दास्य — आणिका मागों — धिग्. Deva-bhakta ला इतरांकडून भीक मागावी लागते — shame shared; Silently shame accept नका; complain करा.

2. Great-fortunate साठी śubha-aśubha gōḍa*. थोराच्या दैवें गोड शुभ-अशुभ. Deeply-fortunate-bhakta good आणि bad दोन्ही sweet म्हणून accept करतो; पण bhakti-relation स्वतःचे-claims imposes करते*.

3. Death preferable to disgrace. मरण भलें — पण अवकळा नाही. काही forms of life death पेक्षा जास्त painful; Begging ची disgrace त्यापैकी एक.

4. तुमचा-śaraṇāgata इतरांकडे जात असेल — साठी lāja* कोणासाठी? तुझे शरणागत आणिकांसि — कवणा लाज. तुमचा-surrendered-one elsewhere refuge शोधत असेल — देवाला विचारा: shame कोणासाठी? तुम्हाला माहीत नाही? Bhakta deva ला accountable hold करतो*.

आज: Deva-dāsa असून भीक मागण्याची disgrace silently accept नका; Great-fortunate śubha-aśubha accept करतात ओळखा; Death preferable to avakaḷā; Surrendered-one elsewhere जात असेल — for-whom-is-the-shame? — deva ला accountable hold करा.

Tukaram च bhakta-as-equal-questioner register — Bhakta ला deva-care question करायचा standing. 0173 I-am-Your-bhakta, You-must-take-care compare; same deva-accountability claim.

Where this applies

• Begging while Your-dāsa is shared shame. Don't accept silently.
• Great-fortunate accept śubha-aśubha. Equal-acceptance.
• Death preferable to avakaḷā. Honor-over-life.
• For-whom-is-the-lāja? Hold deva accountable.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4481
• Abhanga 4482
• Abhanga 4273
• Abhanga 4467 — No-sant-refuge — what-purāṇa-recitation.