संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 543 of 4582

Abhanga 543

English: Why no kaḷavaḷā — for me — being close — hṛdaya-stha?

When the bhakta protests no kaḷavaḷā from the close-by deva — and you have to recognize this register
When the throat is bursting and the deva doesn't know — and you accept this throat-claim
When anger is held perhaps because pāpa hasn't run out — and you receive this self-doubting question

The verse

कां रे माझा तुज न ये कळवळा । असोनि जवळा हृदयस्था ॥१ ॥ अगा नारायणा निष्ठ‍ा निर्गुणा । केला शोक नेणां कंठस्फोट ॥ध्रु.॥ कां हें चित्त नाहीं पावलें विश्रांती । इंद्रियांची गति कुंटे चि ना ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कां रे धरियेला कोप । पाप सरलें नेणों पांडुरंगा ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Why no kaḷavaḷā — for me — being close — hṛdaya-stha? Agā Nārāyaṇaniṣṭhanirguṇa — made śokakaṇṭha-sphōṭa — don't know? Why citta no viśrānti? — indriya-gati doesn't kumṭē. Tuka says: why kōpa held? — pāpa run-out — don't know, Pāṇḍuranga?

मराठी: कां रे माझा तुज न ये कळवळा — असोनि जवळा हृदयस्था?. अगा नारायणा — निष्ठा — निर्गुणा — केला शोक नेणां — कंठस्फोट?. कां हें चित्त नाहीं पावलें विश्रांती — इंद्रियांची गति कुंटे चि ना?. तुकाराम म्हणतां — कां रे धरियेला कोप — पाप सरलें नेणों पांडुरंगा?

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
कां रे माझा तुज न ये कळवळा "why no kaḷavaḷā — for me?"
असोनि जवळा हृदयस्था "being close — hṛdaya-stha"
अगा नारायणा निष्ठ‍ा निर्गुणा "Nārāyaṇaniṣṭhanirguṇa"
केला शोक नेणां कंठस्फोट "made śokakaṇṭha-sphōṭa — don't know"
कां हें चित्त नाहीं पावलें विश्रांती "why citta — no viśrānti?"
इंद्रियांची गति कुंटे चि ना "indriya-gati — doesn't kumṭē"
कां रे धरियेला कोप "why — kōpa — held?"
पाप सरलें नेणों पांडुरंगा "pāpa run-out — don't know, Pāṇḍuranga"

What it means

A why-no-warmth-throat-bursting abhang. Strong-protest with the unique hṛdaya-stha-but-no-kaḷavaḷā paradox. Three claims:

  1. कां रे माझा तुज न ये कळवळा — असोनि जवळा हृदयस्थाwhy no kaḷavaḷā for me — being close hṛdaya-stha. The opening-paradox-protest: why does no kaḷavaḷā (warmth, pity, tenderness) come for me?; being so close — hṛdaya-stha (heart-dweller). You-are-in-my-heart-but-no-pity-comes. Inner-deva-shows-no-pity-paradox.

  2. अगा नारायणा निष्ठ‍ा निर्गुणा — केला शोक नेणां कंठस्फोट — कां हें चित्त नाहीं पावलें विश्रांती — इंद्रियांची गति कुंटे चि नाagā Nārāyaṇa niṣṭha nirguṇa — made śoka — kaṇṭha-sphōṭa — don't know — why citta no viśrānti — indriya-gati doesn't kumṭē. The throat-bursting-and-restless-citta-claim: agā (oh) Nārāyaṇaniṣṭha (steady, fixed) and nirguṇa (without-attributes); I have made (kēlā) śoka (lamentation); kaṇṭha-sphōṭa (throat-bursting, calling-till-throat-cracks); don't You know (nēṇām)?; why has the citta not reached viśrānti (rest)?; the indriya's gati (motion, activity) doesn't kumṭē (stop, halt) at all. Throat-bursting-restless-citta-deva-doesn't-acknowledge.

  3. तुका म्हणे कां रे धरियेला कोप — पाप सरलें नेणों पांडुरंगाTuka says: why kōpa held — pāpa run-out — don't know, Pāṇḍuranga. The closing-self-doubting-question: Tuka says: why is kōpa (anger) held?; has my pāpa (sin) not saralēm (run-out, exhausted), Pāṇḍuranga, nēṇōm (I-don't-know)? Self-doubting-question: maybe my pāpa isn't yet exhausted; that's why You hold anger. The bhakta-tries-to-explain-the-deva's-anger-by-his-own-failing*.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the why-no-warmth-throat-bursting register:

  1. Why no kaḷavaḷā for me — being so close, hṛdaya-stha*? Tuja na yē kaḷavaḷā — javaḷā hṛdaya-sthā. The paradox-protest: the inner-deva (heart-dweller) shows no pity. Inner-closeness-doesn't-guarantee-warmth*.

  2. Throat-bursting śoka and restless-citta* — don't You know? Kaṇṭha-sphōṭa — nēṇām — citta no viśrānti — indriya-gati doesn't kumṭē. The depth-of-distress: throat-cracking, mind-restless, senses-unstoppable. Don't-suppress-the-distress-claim*.

  3. Why anger held — has my pāpa* not run-out? Kōpa dharī — pāpa saralēm nēṇōm? Self-doubting-question: the bhakta tries-to-explain-the-deva's-anger by his own failing. Honest-self-questioning rather than only-blaming-the-deva*.

For today: the inner-deva (hṛdaya-stha) doesn't always show kaḷavaḷā — recognize the paradox; throat-bursting distress is honest; self-question: maybe my pāpa hasn't yet run-out; the bhakti-relationship includes self-examination.

This abhang is Tukaram's protest-with-self-doubt registerthe closing self-doubting-question is unusual: most protest-abhangs blame the deva alone; here Tukaram considers his own pāpa might be the cause. Compare 0529 na-pusasī-phukā; same protest-register but here with the unique hṛdaya-stha-paradox and the self-doubting-question. The kaṇṭha-sphōṭa image is striking and physical.

मराठी: ही ओवी why-no-warmth-throat-bursting register नाव सांगते:

  1. माझ्यासाठी kaḷavaḷā का नाही — hṛdaya-stha* असून? तुज न ये कळवळा — जवळा हृदयस्था. Paradox-protest: inner-देव (heart-dweller) ने pity दाखवली नाही. Inner-closeness-warmth-guarantee नाही*.

  2. Kaṇṭha-sphōṭa śoka आणि restless-citta — don't You know? कंठ-स्फोट — नेणां — चित्त विश्रांती नाही — इंद्रिय-गति कुंटत नाही. Distress च depth: throat-cracking, mind-restless, senses-unstoppable. Distress-claim suppress नका*.

  3. Anger का धरली — माझं pāpa* run-out झालं नाही? कोप धरी — पाप सरलें नेणोंं? Self-doubting-question: bhakta आपल्या-failing-ने देवाची-anger explain करतो. Only-देव-blame पेक्षा honest-self-questioning*.

आज: Inner-देव (hṛdaya-stha) नेहमी kaḷavaḷā दाखवत नाही — paradox ओळखा; Throat-bursting distress honest; Self-question: कदाचित माझं pāpa run-out झालं नाही; bhakti-relationship मध्ये self-examination सुद्धा.

Tukaram च-protest-with-self-doubt-registerClosing self-doubting-question unusual: most protest-abhangs देवाला-blame करतात; इथे Tukaram आपलं-pāpa cause असेल विचार करतो. 0529 na-pusasī-phukā compare; तीच protest-register पण इथे unique hṛdaya-stha-paradox आणि self-doubting-question. Kaṇṭha-sphōṭa image striking and physical.

Where this applies

Related verses