Abhanga 529
English: Why deva — speak no gōṣṭi?
The verse
कां हो देवा कांहीं न बोला चि गोष्टी । कां मज हिंपुटी करीतसा ॥१॥ कंठीं प्राण पाहें वचनाची आस । तों दिसे उदास धरिलें ऐसें ॥ध्रु.॥ येणें काळें बुंथी घेतलीसे खोल । कां नये विटाळ होऊं माझा ॥२॥ लाज वाटे मज म्हणवितां देवाचा । न पुससी फुकाचा तुका म्हणे ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Why deva — speak no gōṣṭi? — why make me himpuṭī? Kamṭha — prāṇa — vacana-āsa — but appears udāsa — held-back. This time — deep bumthī — why don't I become viṭāḷa for You? Tuka says: lajjā — being called Yours — You don't ask the phukā — Tuka.
मराठी: कां हो देवा कांहीं न बोला चि गोष्टी — कां मज हिंपुटी करीतसा?. कंठीं प्राण पाहें वचनाची आस — तों दिसे उदास धरिलें ऐसें. येणें काळें बुंथी घेतलीसे खोल — कां नये विटाळ होऊं माझा?. तुकाराम म्हणतां — लाज वाटे मज म्हणवितां देवाचा — न पुससी फुकाचा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कां हो देवा कांहीं न बोला चि गोष्टी | "why deva — speak no gōṣṭi?" |
| कां मज हिंपुटी करीतसा | "why make me himpuṭī?" |
| कंठीं प्राण पाहें वचनाची आस | "kamṭha — prāṇa — vacana-āsa" |
| तों दिसे उदास धरिलें ऐसें | "appears udāsa — held-back" |
| येणें काळें बुंथी घेतलीसे खोल | "this time — deep bumthī" |
| कां नये विटाळ होऊं माझा | "why don't I become viṭāḷa for You?" |
| लाज वाटे मज म्हणवितां देवाचा | "lajjā — being called Yours" |
| न पुससी फुकाचा तुका म्हणे | "You don't ask — phukā — Tuka" |
What it means
A why-no-word-from-You-deep-cloak-You-don't-call abhang. Strong-protest register. Three claims:
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कां हो देवा कांहीं न बोला चि गोष्टी — कां मज हिंपुटी करीतसा — why deva — speak no gōṣṭi? — why make me himpuṭī? The opening-protest: why, deva — speak not a gōṣṭi (word, matter)?; why are You making me himpuṭī (broken-humbled, brought-low)? Silence-as-humiliation-protest.
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कंठीं प्राण पाहें वचनाची आस — तों दिसे उदास धरिलें ऐसें — kamṭha — prāṇa — vacana-āsa — appears udāsa — held-back. The prāṇa-in-throat-claim: the prāṇa (life-breath) is in the kamṭha (throat = at-the-point-of-leaving); waiting (pāhē) the āsa (hope) of vacana (Your-word); but You appear udāsa (indifferent / withdrawn) — holding-back like-this. Prāṇa-at-throat-waiting-for-Your-word-but-You-are-distant.
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येणें काळें बुंथी घेतलीसे खोल — कां नये विटाळ होऊं माझा — लाज वाटे मज म्हणवितां देवाचा — न पुससी फुकाचा — deep bumthī — why no viṭāḷa for You? — lajjā being called Yours — You don't ask phukā. The closing-protest: this kāḷa (time) has put on (ghētalīsē) a deep bumthī (cloak, hood, veil); why don't I become a viṭāḷa (impure-touch / contaminating-contact) for You?; I feel lajjā (shame) being called Yours; You don't ask the phukā (the for-nothing-one, the free-of-charge-petitioner). Three-fold-protest: deva-cloaked-in-distance; bhakta's-touch-not-feared (which would be a kind of acknowledgement); shame-of-being-called-Yours-without-Your-asking. The viṭāḷa-claim is striking: even contamination-by-touch would be a relationship; but the deva is so-distant that even that doesn't happen.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the why-no-word-deep-cloak-You-don't-ask register:
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Protest the silence: why no gōṣṭi — making me himpuṭī*? Bōlā na gōṣṭi — himpuṭī. The bhakta is broken by the silence; the protest is honest. Don't-suppress-the-protest*.
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Prāṇa is in the throat awaiting vacana; You appear udāsa. Kamṭha-prāṇa — vacana-āsa — udāsa. The bhakta is at the point-of-life-leaving, waiting for one word; the deva appears withdrawn. Honest-distress-statement*.
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Even viṭāḷa would be acknowledgement; You don't even ask the phukā*. Viṭāḷa nakō — lajjā Yours-being-called — na pusasī phukā. The deva's-distance is so-extreme that even contamination-by-the-bhakta's-touch (which would be a kind-of-recognition) doesn't happen; the bhakta feels shame being called Yours when You don't even-ask-after-him for-free. Lowest-point-of-protest*.
For today: protest the deva's silence honestly; the prāṇa-at-the-throat is the depth-of-waiting; recognize that even the lowest-form-of-recognition (contamination-by-touch) would be welcome compared to the deva's-cloak-of-distance; the phukā-not-asked-after is the lowest-point.
This abhang is Tukaram's strong-protest register — the viṭāḷa-not-feared claim is one of the most-striking in bhakti-literature: the bhakta wishes the deva would even-fear-contamination, because that would mean the relationship-still-exists. Compare 0528 don't-wait-for-tīrtha; same urgent-petition register but here with the silence-of-the-deva as the central-grievance.
मराठी: ही ओवी why-no-word-deep-cloak-You-don't-ask register नाव सांगते:
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Silence च protest: का gōṣṭi नाही — himpuṭī* करताय? बोला न गोष्टी — हिंपुटी. Silence ने bhakta broken; protest honest. Protest-suppress नका*.
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Prāṇa throat मध्ये vacana च्या वाटेत; You udāsa दिसता. कंठ-प्राण — वचन-आस — उदास. Bhakta life-leaving च्या point ला, एक word च्या वाटेत; देव withdrawn दिसतो. Honest-distress-statement*.
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Viṭāḷa सुद्धा acknowledgement; You phukā ला सुद्धा विचारत नाही. विटाळ नाही — लाज Yours-called — न पुससी फुकाचा. Deva-distance इतकं extreme की bhakta-touch ने contamination सुद्धा (recognition-kind असलं तरी) होत नाही; bhakta lajjā feel करतो Yours called असताना You free-साठी विचारत नाही. Protest च lowest-point*.
आज: Deva च silence honestly protest करा; Prāṇa-throat-वाटेची depth-of-waiting; Lowest-form-of-recognition (contamination-by-touch) सुद्धा welcome असेल देवाच्या-cloak-of-distance पेक्षा ओळखा; Phukā-not-asked-after lowest-point*.
Tukaram च-strong-protest-register — Viṭāḷa-not-feared claim bhakti-literature मधल्या most-striking पैकी एक: bhakta इच्छा करतो देव सुद्धा contamination-fear करावी, कारण ते relationship-अजून-exists म्हणजे. 0528 don't-wait-for-tīrtha compare; तीच urgent-petition register पण इथे देवाचं silence central-grievance.
Where this applies
- Why no gōṣṭi? Silence-protest.
- Prāṇa at throat. Depth-of-waiting.
- Viṭāḷa not feared. Lowest-recognition.
- Phukā not asked. Lowest-point.