Abhanga 557
English: Eyes can't see — ākānta — para-pīḍā — citta duḥkhī.
The verse
न देखवे डोळां ऐसा हा आकांत । परपीडे चित्त दुःखी होतें ॥१॥ काय तुम्ही येथें नसालसें जालें । आम्हीं न देखिलें पाहिजे हें ॥ध्रु.॥ परचक्र कोठें हरिदासांच्या वासें । न देखिजेत देशें राहातिया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माझी लाजविली सेवा । हीनपणें देवा जिणें जालें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Eyes can't see — ākānta — para-pīḍā — citta duḥkhī. Have You — nasālasē? — we don't want to see. Para-cakra — where? — Hari-dāsa-vāsa — not seen in country. Tuka says: my sevā — lājavilī — hīna-paṇa — deva's jīṇē.
मराठी: न देखवे डोळां ऐसा हा आकांत — परपीडे चित्त दुःखी होतें. काय तुम्ही येथें नसालसें जालें — आम्हीं न देखिलें पाहिजे हें. परचक्र कोठें हरिदासांच्या वासें — न देखिजेत देशें राहातिया. तुकाराम म्हणतां — माझी लाजविली सेवा — हीनपणें देवा जिणें जालें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न देखवे डोळां ऐसा हा आकांत | "eyes can't see — ākānta" |
| परपीडे चित्त दुःखी होतें | "para-pīḍā — citta duḥkhī" |
| काय तुम्ही येथें नसालसें जालें | "have You — nasālasē?" |
| आम्हीं न देखिलें पाहिजे हें | "we — don't want to see this" |
| परचक्र कोठें हरिदासांच्या वासें | "para-cakra — where? — Hari-dāsa-vāsa" |
| न देखिजेत देशें राहातिया | "not seen in country" |
| माझी लाजविली सेवा | "my sevā — lājavilī" |
| हीनपणें देवा जिणें जालें | "hīna-paṇa — deva's jīṇē" |
What it means
A para-cakra-where-was-You-deva abhang. Historical-context: the 17th-century Deccan saw repeated invasion-and-aggression; this abhang protests the suffering-of-the-people. Three claims:
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न देखवे डोळां ऐसा हा आकांत — परपीडे चित्त दुःखी होतें — eyes can't see — ākānta — para-pīḍā — citta duḥkhī. The opening-distress-claim: eyes can't bear to see — this ākānta (calamity, public-disaster); para-pīḍā (others' suffering) makes the citta duḥkhī. Bhakta-suffers-at-seeing-others-suffer.
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काय तुम्ही येथें नसालसें जालें — आम्हीं न देखिलें पाहिजे हें — परचक्र कोठें हरिदासांच्या वासें — न देखिजेत देशें राहातिया — have You nasālasē? — we don't want to see — para-cakra — where? — Hari-dāsa-vāsa — not seen in country. The protective-rule-claim: Have You — nasālasē (become absent / not-here)?; we don't want to dēkhilē pāhijē (have-to-see) this; where there is Hari-dāsa-vāsa (dwelling of Hari's servants) — para-cakra (foreign-army / aggression) is not seen — in the country, the place where they live. The protective-rule: where the Hari-dāsa lives, para-cakra is not seen; if it is seen, deva must have been absent*.
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तुका म्हणे माझी लाजविली सेवा — हीनपणें देवा जिणें जालें — Tuka says: my sevā — lājavilī — hīna-paṇa — deva's jīṇē. The closing-shame-charge: Tuka says: my sevā has been lājavilī (put-to-shame, exposed-to-disgrace); by hīna-paṇa (low-degree, lowness), the deva's jīṇē (life-going-on, mode-of-existing) has jālē (become). The deva's-life-going-on has-become-low-by-not-protecting; the bhakta's-sevā is shamed. Reputation-charge*.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the para-cakra-where-was-You register:
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Bhakta suffers at seeing others' suffering. Para-pīḍā citta duḥkhī. The bhakta's-distress-includes-others'-suffering. Don't-be-indifferent-to-public-suffering.
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Where the Hari-dāsa lives, para-cakra* should not be seen. Hari-dāsa-vāsa — para-cakra na dēkhīje. The protective-rule: if invasion is seen where the dāsa lives, the deva must be absent. Hold-the-deva-to-the-protective-rule*.
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My sevā is shamed; the deva's jīṇē is hīna*. Sevā lājavilī — jīṇē hīna. Reputation-charge: by not-protecting, the deva's-life-mode is low; the bhakta's sevā is exposed-to-shame. Don't-spare-the-reputation-charge*.
For today: bhakta-distress-includes-public-suffering; the deva is held to the protective-rule for Hari-dāsa-vāsa; non-protection shames-deva-and-bhakta-alike.
This abhang is Tukaram's political-protest register — unusual: this abhang directly addresses public-calamity / invasion-suffering. Compare 0530 deserted-house-this-suits-You; same protest-register but here public-not-personal. The 17th-century context: Tukaram lived through Mughal-incursions and famines; this abhang is the bhakta's-political-charge to the deva.
मराठी: ही ओवी para-cakra-where-was-You register नाव सांगते:
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Bhakta others'-suffering बघून suffer होतो. पर-पीडा चित्त दुःखी. Bhakta-distress-public-suffering-includes. Public-suffering-indifferent नका.
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Hari-dāsa च्या-वस्तीत para-cakra दिसू नये. हरिदास-वास — पर-चक्र न देखीजे. Protective-rule: dāsa-वस्तीत invasion दिसलं तर देव absent असायला हवा. देवाला-protective-rule-वर-hold-करा*.
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माझी sevā shamed; देवाचा jīṇē hīna*. सेवा लाजविली — जिणें हीन. Reputation-charge: protect-न-केल्याने देवाचा-life-mode-low; bhakta ची sevā shame-होते. Reputation-charge spare नका*.
आज: Bhakta-distress public-suffering include; देवाला Hari-dāsa-vāsa च्या protective-rule वर hold; Non-protection देव-and-bhakta दोघांना-shame.
Tukaram च-political-protest-register — Unusual: हा abhang public-calamity / invasion-suffering directly address करतो. 0530 deserted-house-this-suits-You compare; तीच protest-register पण इथे public-not-personal. 17th-century context: Tukaram Mughal-incursions आणि famines मध्ये जगला; हा abhang bhakta-political-charge देवाला.
Where this applies
- Eyes can't bear ākānta. Public-distress.
- Where dāsa lives — no para-cakra. Protective-rule.
- Sevā shamed — deva's jīṇē hīna. Mutual-shame.
- Public-not-personal protest. Political register.