Abhanga 764
Tukaram shows that devotion can include boldly pressing your claim on God right now, after long silence out of politeness, instead of only waiting patiently.
The verse
आपुलें मागतां । काय नाहीं आम्हां सत्ता ॥१॥ परि या लौकिकाकारणें । उरीं ठेविली बोलणें ॥ध्रु.॥ ये चि आतां घडी । करूं बैसों ते ची फडी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे करितों तुला । ठाव नाहींसें विठ्ठला ॥३॥
Literal translation
Āpulē — asking — what — not — us — sattā. Yet — laukika-kāraṇa — urīm — kept — words. This — moment — phaḍī — sit-down — make. Tuka says: I-make You — ṭhāva nāhīm-sē — Viṭhṭhal.
मराठी: आपलें मागतां — काय आम्हांला सत्ता नाहीं?. परि लौकिका-कारणें — उरीं ठेविलीं बोलणें. ये च आतां घडी — phaḍī करूं बैसों. Tuka म्हणे: करितों तुला — ठाव-नाहीं-सें Viṭhṭhalā.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आपुलें मागतां | "āpulē — asking" |
| काय नाहीं आम्हां सत्ता | "what — not — us — sattā" |
| परि या लौकिकाकारणें | "yet — laukika-kāraṇa" |
| उरीं ठेविली बोलणें | "urīm — kept — words" |
| ये चि आतां घडी | "this — moment" |
| करूं बैसों ते ची फडी | "phaḍī — sit-down — make" |
| करितों तुला ठाव नाहींसें विठ्ठला | "I-make You — ṭhāva nāhīm-sē — Viṭhṭhal" |
What it means
A asking-my-own-have-authority-for-laukika-sake-words-in-remainder-make-document-Viṭhṭhal-placeless abhang. Legal-document-against-Viṭhṭhal register. Three claims:
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आपलें-मागतां — सत्ता-नाहीं-काय — laukika-कारणें — उरीं-ठेवलं-बोलणं. Asking-my-own-but-for-world-saved-words-claim. Asking my-āpulē(own thing) —what — do we not have sattā (authority)?;yet, laukika-kāraṇa (for the sake-of-the-world / public-decency) — kept the bōlaṇē (words) urīm (in reserve, in remainder).I-could-have-asserted-my-right-but-for-decency-kept-quiet.
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ये च-आतां-घडी — phaḍī-करूं-बैसों. This-moment-make-the-document-claim. This veryghaḍī(moment); let'sbaisōm(sit-down) and make thephaḍī(the legal-paper, the official document). Now-let's-formalize-it.
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Tuka: करितों-तुला — ठाव-नाहीं-सें Viṭhṭhalā. Make-You-placeless-Viṭhṭhal-claim. Tuka says:I am making You — ṭhāva nāhīm-sē (without-place, placeless), Viṭhṭhal!. I'm-making-You-placeless-by-this-document. (This is a striking bhakta-suing-deva image: by-virtue-of-the-document, Viṭhṭhal is placeless — i.e., compelled-to-be-everywhere-the-bhakta-is, or stripped-of-his-resort-against-the-bhakta's-claim.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram admits he had every right to ask God for what was his, but held his tongue out of politeness, for the sake of appearances. Now he decides that moment is over: let's sit down right now and settle this, put it in writing. He tells Vitthal directly that he is done letting God off the hook, he is cornering him so there is nowhere left to hide from the claim. This verse gives permission for devotion to include insistence, not just patient waiting, when a relationship has gone on too long without an honest reckoning.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की आपला हक्क मागायचा आपल्याला पूर्ण अधिकार होता, पण नुसत्या शिष्टाचारापायी, लोकलाजेखातर आपण शब्द आवरून धरले. पण आता ती वेळ संपली, आता याच क्षणी बसून हा हिशोब मिटवायचा, लिहून घ्यायचा असं ते ठरवतात. विठ्ठलाला ते स्पष्ट सांगतात की आता त्याला सोडणार नाही, त्याला अशा कोंडीत पकडणार आहेत की सुटायला जागाच उरणार नाही. ही ओवी सांगते की भक्तीत फक्त धीराने वाट पाहणंच नसतं, कधीकधी खूप वेळ प्रामाणिक हिशोबाशिवाय गेलेलं नातं थेट मागणी करूनही जागं करावं लागतं.
Where this applies
- Asking my-own. Authority.
- Phaḍī — document. Legal-claim.
- Viṭhṭhal-placeless. Aggressive.