Abhanga 1052

Tukaram admits that people are impressed by his outward appearance, but inside he knows he has not actually become what they think he is. That gap between how others see him and how he truly is worries him, and it makes him ashamed to speak in public as though he were better than he is. He notices that saints, because they see everyone as one with the divine, do not even notice his faults, which is its own kind of relief but does not erase the truth. In the end he settles it plainly: he knows himself, and he tells God, I am as I am, and that is fine. You do not have to perform a better version of yourself for others; being honestly known, even with your flaws, to yourself and to God is enough.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A people-are-impressed-on-the-outside-but-I-have-not-become-so-on-the-inside-therefore-Pandharī-nātha-anxiety-is-felt-to-speak-publicly-shame-is-felt-for-the-saints-the-entire-people-has-become-the-form-of-brahma-they-do-not-see-my-faults-I-am-known-to-myself-I-am-as-I-am-O-Dēva abhang. I-am-as-I-am register. A bold self-disclosure abhang. Four claims:

1. जन-मानविलें-बाह्य — अंतरीं-तैसा-नाहीं. Outside-impressed-inside-not-claim. People aremānavilē (impressed, convinced) on the bāhyātkārī (outward-form); I have not become soantarī (inside).

2. Pandharī-nātha-चिंता — प्रगट-लाज. Shame-to-speak-publicly-claim. Therefore Pandharī-nāthā,chinta vāṭatasē;to speak prakaṭa (publicly), lāja vāṭē (shame is felt).

3. संत-जन-ब्रह्म-रूप — अवगुण-न-दिसती. Saints-don't-see-my-faults-claim. For thesamtas, the entire jana has become brahma-rūpa;they don't see my avaguṇa. (Because they see all as brahma, they don't notice my faults — they don't think to look.)

4. Tuka: आपणांसी-ठावा — जैसा-तैसा-बरा. I-am-known-to-myself-I-am-as-I-am-claim. Tuka says: I am known to myself; I am as I am, Dēvā (jaisā-taisā barā — just-as-I-am, that's-fine). (The bold private-truth:only-I know me, and Dēva knows me — and that's fine, even if the world doesn't.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram admits that people are impressed by his outward appearance, but inside he knows he has not actually become what they think he is. That gap between how others see him and how he truly is worries him, and it makes him ashamed to speak in public as though he were better than he is. He notices that saints, because they see everyone as one with the divine, do not even notice his faults, which is its own kind of relief but does not erase the truth. In the end he settles it plainly: he knows himself, and he tells God, I am as I am, and that is fine. You do not have to perform a better version of yourself for others; being honestly known, even with your flaws, to yourself and to God is enough.

मराठी: तुकाराम महाराज कबूल करतात की लोक त्यांच्या बाह्य रूपावरून प्रभावित होतात, पण आतून ते स्वतः जाणतात की आपण खरोखर तसे झालेलो नाही. लोकांना दिसणारं रूप आणि आपलं खरं अंतरंग यातली ही तफावत त्यांना अस्वस्थ करते, आणि त्यामुळे उघडपणे बोलताना जणू आपण जास्त चांगले आहोत असं भासवायला त्यांना लाज वाटते. ते सांगतात की संत सगळ्यांनाच ब्रह्मरूप मानतात म्हणून त्यांना माझे दोष दिसतच नाहीत, हा एक प्रकारचा दिलासा असला तरी त्यामुळे खरी गोष्ट बदलत नाही. शेवटी ते सरळ स्वीकारतात: मी स्वतःला ओळखतो, आणि देवाला सांगतात, मी जसा आहे तसा आहे, आणि तेवढं पुरेसं आहे. इतरांसाठी स्वतःची चांगली प्रतिमा उभी करत बसण्याची गरज नाही; स्वतःशी आणि देवाशी प्रामाणिकपणे, दोषांसकट ओळखलं जाणं, हेच पुरेसं आहे.

Where this applies

• Outside-not-inside. Bāhyātkārī.
• Anxiety-shame. Prakaṭa-lāja.
• Saints-don't-see. Brahma-rūpa.
• I-am-as-I-am. Jaisā-taisā.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2464 — For today: Pāṇḍuranga is sukha-rūpa ; no wandering, no shaving, no sādhana-pressure ; Chan
• Abhanga 2490 — The divine is most reachable through the living presence of a true saint, not through a di
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with