Abhanga 953
Real devotion allows you to confront distance or broken promises boldly and without fear, because true surrender means you have nothing left to lose.
The verse
जैशासाठीं तैसें हावें । हें बरवें कळलेंसे ॥१॥ उदास तूं नारायणा । मी ही म्हणा तुम्ही च ॥ध्रु.॥ ठका महाठक जोडा । जो धडफुडा लागासी ॥२॥ एकांगी च भांडे तुका । नाहीं धोका जीवित्वें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Jaiśā-sāṭī — taisē. Baravē kaḷalēsē. Udāsa — Nārāyaṇa. I — call — you. Ṭhaka — mahā-ṭhaka — jōḍā. Dhaḍa-phuḍā. Tuka — eka-angī — fights. Dhōkā — jīvitva — none.
मराठी: जैशा-साटीं तैसें हावें — हें बरवें कळलेंसें. उदास तूं, Nārāyaṇā — मी ही (उदास) म्हणा, तुम्ही-च. ठका महा-ठक जोडा — जो धड-फुडा लागासि. Tuka एकांगी-च भांडे — नाहीं धोका जीवित्वें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जैशासाठीं तैसें हावें | "jaiśā-sāṭī — taisē" |
| हें बरवें कळलेंसे | "baravē kaḷalēsē" |
| उदास तूं नारायणा | "udāsa — Nārāyaṇa" |
| मी ही म्हणा तुम्ही च | "I — call — you" |
| ठका महाठक जोडा | "ṭhaka — mahā-ṭhaka — jōḍā" |
| जो धडफुडा लागासी | "dhaḍa-phuḍā — confront" |
| एकांगी च भांडे तुका | "eka-angī — fights" |
| नाहीं धोका जीवित्वें | "dhōkā — jīvitva" |
What it means
A for-such-a-one-such-needed-You-are-udāsa-call-me-also-for-the-thakā-the-master-thakā-comes-Tuka-fights-one-sidedly-no-life-risk abhang. For-thakā-comes-mahā-thakā register. Three claims:
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जैशा-साठीं-तैसें — कळलेंसे — उदास-Nārāyaṇa-मी-ही. Match-the-other-claim. Forjaiśā(such-a-one),taisēneeded; known well; udāsa You, Nārāyaṇā — call me also so.I'll-be-as-You-are. (Sharp-claim: if You areudāsa(indifferent / withdrawn), then I'll beudāsa too.)
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ठका-महा-ठक-जोडा — धड-फुडा-लागासि. For-the-thakā-master-thakā-claim. Forṭhaka,mahā-ṭhakapair-comes; who comes outdhaḍa-phuḍā(stout-faced) to confront. Match-against-match. (If You are ṭhaka (a swindler) — i.e., if You-don't-keep-Your-word, evade the bhakta — then a mahā-ṭhaka arises to match You.)
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Tuka: एकांगी-भांडे — धोका-जीवित्वें-नाहीं. One-sided-fight-no-life-risk-claim. Tuka fightseka-angī; nodhōkāto (his)jīvitva. Fight-one-sided-life-not-at-risk. (Bold-claim: Tuka can fight one-sided (= only-his-side, no-reply-from-Hari) without-fear-for-his-life, since he is not staking his life on the outcome.)
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram gets bold here, he says he has learned well that you have to match what you are dealt, if Narayana is going to be withdrawn and indifferent, then call him indifferent too, he will match that. If God plays the swindler, not keeping his word, staying just out of reach, then a match for a swindler shows up to confront him stoutly, face to face. But Tuka clarifies that he is only fighting one sided, he is not risking his own life on the outcome, because he has already given that up. This verse shows that real devotion does not require passive politeness, you are allowed to call out silence or evasion directly, without fear, because you have nothing left to lose.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे ठामपणे बोलतात, त्यांना पक्कं कळलं आहे की जसं वागवलं जातं तसंच उत्तर द्यावं लागतं, नारायण जर उदास आणि अलिप्त राहणार असेल, तर मलाही उदास म्हणा, मी तसाच होईन. देव जर ठक बनून वागला, शब्द न पाळता दूर राहिला, तर त्याच्यासमोर ठाम उभा राहणारा मोठा ठक येऊन भिडतो. पण तुका स्पष्ट करतात की ते फक्त एकांगी भांडतात, या भांडणात त्यांचा जीव पणाला लागलेला नाही, कारण तो त्यांनी आधीच अर्पण केला आहे. ही ओवी सांगते की खरी भक्ती नम्र गप्प बसण्याची मागणी करत नाही, तुम्ही मौन किंवा टाळाटाळ थेट, निर्भयपणे विचारू शकता, कारण गमावण्यासारखं काही उरलेलं नसतं.
Where this applies
- Match. Like-for-like.
- I'll-be-as-You. Equality-claim.
- Bold-bhakta. No-fear.