Abhanga 1070

Devotion can be both humble, sitting quietly at the feet of good company, and bold, insisting at God's door until you are heard.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A give-me-the-company-of-those-whose-love-for-you-is-unbroken-then-I-Kamaḷā-pati-won't-bring-you-fatigue-of-being-called-I-will-fall-and-stay-at-the-saint's-feet-silently-I-won't-ask-won't-do-by-your-oath-Viṭhōbā-whatever-pain-we-both-have-both-are-removed-by-one-I-sat-in-protest-at-the-doors-with-calls-give-mind-to-these-words-bā-Viṭṭhala-don't-make-my-rejection abhang. Sat-in-dharaṇē-at-doors-with-hāka register. Pious-civil-disobedience: Tuka literally sits in protest-fast at Viṭhōbā's door. Four claims:

1. अखंड-प्रीति-संगति — कांटाळा-नाहीं. No-fatigue-of-being-called-claim. Give me thesamgatiof those whoseprītifor you isakhaṇḍa;then I, Kamaḷā-pati, won't bring you kāṇṭāḷā (fatigue of being called). (Note:Kamaḷā-patiis a vocative — "I, calling you Kamaḷā-pati", or it may be appositive:I-the-Kamaḷā-pati-supplicant.)

2. संत-पायीं-पडोन — न-मगें — आण. Fall-at-saint's-feet-silently-claim. I willpaḍōn rāhēna (fall and stay) in that ṭhāyī, ugā-ci at the samtāmciyē pāyī;won't ask, won't do — your āṇa (oath), Viṭhōbā. (I'm swearing on you that I'll be silent.)

3. पीडा-दोन्ही-एकानें — दारेशीं-धरणें-हाका. Sat-in-dharaṇē-at-doors-claim. Whateverpīḍawe both (have) — both are gone by one; I sat indharaṇē (sit-in protest, hunger-strike) at the dārēśīm (at the doors) with hākā (loud calls). (The classicdharaṇē — sit at the door, refuse food, call out — until the master comes out.)

4. Tuka: बोला-चित्त — बा-Viṭṭhala — आव्हेर-नाहीं. Don't-make-my-rejection-claim. Tuka says: to thesebōla;give chitta, bā Viṭṭhala;don't make my āvhēra (rejection-by-aversion). (Thebāis a tender/familialbrother / father address.)

[T]

For someone today

Tukaram asks Vitthal for one thing above all: the company of people whose love for God never wavers, because that companionship will keep him steady. He promises to sit quietly at the feet of the saints, asking for nothing else, and then does something bold: he sits down at God's door like a protester on a hunger strike, calling out and refusing to leave until he is heard. This is devotion that is not shy or passive. It shows that love for the divine can be patient and humble, but it can also plant itself firmly and insist on being noticed.

मराठी: तुकाराम विठ्ठलाकडे एकच गोष्ट मागतात: ज्यांचे प्रेम अखंड आहे अशा भक्तांची संगत, कारण तीच संगत त्यांना स्थिर ठेवते. ते संतांच्या पायाशी शांतपणे राहण्याचे आणि दुसरे काही न मागण्याचे वचन देतात, पण त्याचवेळी ते धाडसाने विठ्ठलाच्या दारात धरणे धरून बसतात, हाका मारत, ऐकले जाईपर्यंत न हलण्याचा निर्धार करतात. ही भक्ती लाजाळू किंवा निष्क्रिय नाही. देवावरचे प्रेम नम्र असूनही ठाम उभे राहू शकते आणि लक्ष वेधून घेऊ शकते, हेच हा अभंग दाखवतो.

Where this applies

• Akhaṇḍa-samgati. Prīti.
• Silent-at-feet. Samta-pāyī.
• Dharaṇē. Dārēśīm.
• Don't-reject. Āvhēra.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2464 — For today: Pāṇḍuranga is sukha-rūpa ; no wandering, no shaving, no sādhana-pressure ; Chan
• 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
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center