Abhanga 956
You don't have to shrink yourself into begging for what you need, and you don't have to flatter someone falsely just because you want something from them. Take only what is rightfully yours by fair reckoning; everyone already knows what fair looks like. Tukaram pushes this all the way to God himself, refusing to be a servant who serves without any real relationship in return, and bluntly asking what kind of master-and-servant bond this even is if there's no accounting on the other side. Real devotion keeps its dignity; it doesn't dissolve into groveling or empty praise.
The verse
मागायाची नाहीं इच्छा । जो मी ऐसा संकोचों ॥१॥ लटिकियाची न करूं स्तुति । इच्छा चित्तीं धरूनि ॥ध्रु.॥ हिशोबें तें आलें घ्यावें । हें तों ठावें सकळांसी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे स्वामिसेवा । येथें देवा काशाची ॥३॥
Literal translation
Māgāyā — icchā — none. Sankōcōm. Laṭikiya — stuti — none. Icchā — citti. Hisōbē — ghyāvē. Ṭhāvē — all. Tuka says: svāmi-sēvā — Dēva — kāśācī.
मराठी: मागायाची इच्छा नाहीं — जो मी ऐसा संकोचों. लटिकियाची स्तुति न करूं — चित्तीं इच्छा धरूनि. हिशोबें तें आलें घ्यावें — हें तों सकळांसीं ठावें. Tuka म्हणे: स्वामि-सेवा — येथें, देवा, कशाची?.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मागायाची नाहीं इच्छा | "māgāyā — icchā" |
| जो मी ऐसा संकोचों | "sankōcōm" |
| लटिकियाची न करूं स्तुति | "laṭikiya — stuti" |
| इच्छा चित्तीं धरूनि | "icchā — citti" |
| हिशोबें तें आलें घ्यावें | "hisōbē — ghyāvē" |
| हें तों ठावें सकळांसी | "ṭhāvē — all" |
| स्वामिसेवा | "svāmi-sēvā" |
| येथें देवा काशाची | "Dēva — kāśācī" |
What it means
A no-iccha-for-asking-shouldn't-shrink-into-asking-won't-praise-the-false-with-iccha-in-citta-take-only-by-account-this-all-know-what-svāmi-sevā-is-this-Dēva abhang. Won't-shrink-or-flatter-Dēva register. Three claims:
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मागण्याची-इच्छा-नाहीं — संकोचों — लटिकियाची-स्तुति-नकाहीं — इच्छा-चित्ती. Won't-shrink-or-flatter-claim. Noicchāformāgāyā; I shouldn'tsankōcōminto-asking; won't makestutioflaṭikiya, holding icchā in citti. Won't-shrink-into-begging-or-flatter-the-false.
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हिशोबें-आलें-घ्यावें — सकळांसी-ठावें. Take-by-account-claim. What comes byhisōbē— should be taken; all know this.
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Tuka: स्वामि-सेवा — कशाची. What-svāmi-sevā-claim. Tuka says:svāmi-sēvā — what kind, here, Dēva? If-You-don't-pay-account-what-svāmi-sevā-is-this. (Bracing closing-rebuke: if You don't keep the account, what svāmi-sevā is this — there's no master-relation.)
[T]
For someone today
You don't have to shrink yourself into begging for what you need, and you don't have to flatter someone falsely just because you want something from them. Take only what is rightfully yours by fair reckoning; everyone already knows what fair looks like. Tukaram pushes this all the way to God himself, refusing to be a servant who serves without any real relationship in return, and bluntly asking what kind of master-and-servant bond this even is if there's no accounting on the other side. Real devotion keeps its dignity; it doesn't dissolve into groveling or empty praise.
मराठी: गरजेसाठी स्वतःला संकोचून भीक मागायची गरज नाही, आणि कोणाकडून काही हवं म्हणून त्याची खोटी स्तुती करायचीही गरज नाही. जे न्याय्य हिशोबाने तुमच्या वाट्याला येतं तेवढंच घ्या - काय योग्य आहे हे सगळ्यांना आधीच माहीत असतं. तुकाराम हे थेट देवापर्यंत नेतात - बदल्यात काहीच न मिळणारी सेवा करणारा सेवक होण्यास ते नकार देतात, आणि स्पष्टपणे विचारतात की जर पलीकडून हिशोब ठेवला जात नसेल तर हे स्वामी-सेवकाचं नातं तरी कसलं आहे. खरी भक्ती आपली प्रतिष्ठा राखते - ती लाचारीत किंवा पोकळ स्तुतीत विरघळून जात नाही.
Where this applies
- Won't-shrink. Dignity.
- Won't-flatter. Honesty.
- No-relation. Rebuke.