Abhanga 1203
When God acts, no obstacle holds; even a broken man like Ajamila was saved because God knew his heart's anguish, so stop straining alone and trust that.
The verse
आड आला म्हुन फोडियेला डोळा । बिळनें आंधळा शुक्र केला ॥१॥ करी देव तरी काय नव्हे एक । कां तुम्ही पृथक सिणा वांयां ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघे चि त्यांचें देवें केलें काज । धर्म आणि लाज राखियेली ॥२॥ बहुत विघ्नें केलीं तया आड । परि नाहीं कैवाड सांडियेला ॥३॥ तयां दिलें ते कोणासी नाहीं । अवघा अंतर्बाहीं तो चि जाला ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे हा जाणतो कळवळा । म्हणोनि अजामेळा उद्धरिलें ॥५॥
Literal translation
When (Śukra) came in the way, his eye was broken — by the cosmic thrust Śukra was made one-eyed. If the Deva acts, what is not done? Why do you, separately, strain in vain? The Deva did all of their work — preserved their dharma and honor. Many obstacles arose against them — but the kaivāḍa (protector's stand) was not abandoned. What was given to them is given to none — he became their all, inside and out. Tuka says: he knows the heart's kaḷavaḷā — therefore Ajāmiḷa was uplifted.
मराठी: (शुक्र) आड आला म्हणून त्याचा डोळा फोडला — विशाल बळानें त्याला आंधळें केलें. देव करतो तर काय करत नाहीं? — मग तुम्हीं स्वतः वायां सिणतां काय? त्यांचें सर्व काम देवानें-च केलें — धर्म आणि लाज दोन्ही राखली. आड बहु विघ्नें आलीं — पण देवानें कैवाड सांडला नाहीं. त्यांना दिलें तें इतर कोणासच नाहीं — आंत आणि बाहेर — तो-च त्यांचा (सर्व) झाला. Tukā म्हणे — तो (देव) कळवळा (अंतःकरणाचें दुःख) जाणतो — म्हणूनच अजामेळाचा उद्धार केला.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आड आला म्हुन फोडियेला डोळा | "(when Śukra) came in the way, his eye was broken (by Bali, with kuśa-grass)" |
| बिळनें आंधळा शुक्र केला | "by the (cosmic) thrust Śukra was made one-eyed (āndhaḷā)" |
| करी देव तरी काय नव्हे एक | "if the Deva acts — what is not (made) one (= done)?" |
| कां तुम्ही पृथक सिणा वांयां | "why do you separately strain in vain (siṇā vāyām)?" |
| अवघे चि त्यांचें देवें केलें काज | "all of their work the Deva did" |
| धर्म आणि लाज राखियेली | "preserved their dharma and lāja (honor)" |
| बहुत विघ्नें केलीं तया आड | "many obstacles came in their way" |
| परि नाहीं कैवाड सांडियेला | "but the kaivāḍa (protector-stand) was not abandoned" |
| अवघा अंतर्बाहीं तो चि जाला | "he became their all — inside and outside (antar-bāhī)" |
| हा जाणतो कळवळा | "he knows the kaḷavaḷā (heart-suffering)" |
| म्हणोनि अजामेळा उद्धरिलें | "therefore Ajāmiḷa was uplifted (uddharilēm)" |
What it means
Ajāmiḷa-uddhāra abhang. The frame is the Bhāgavata story (skandha 6): Ajāmiḷa, a fallen brahmin who lived in sin with a low-caste woman, called his son's name Nārāyaṇa on his deathbed — and Viṣṇu's messengers (Viṣṇu-dūtas) saved him from Yama's noose because the Name had been spoken. Tuka opens with another Bhāgavata image: at Bali's sacrifice, Vāmana came as the dwarf-brahmin; the demon-guru Śukrācārya, sensing the trick, hid in the spout of the kamaṇḍalu (water-pot) to block the water-pour that would seal the gift. Bali pierced the spout with kuśa-grass — putting out Śukra's eye. The point: if the Deva moves, all opposition fails. Therefore: don't strain separately (pṛthak siṇā vāyām) — let Hari do the work; he knows the kaḷavaḷā of his bhaktas — that's how even Ajāmiḷa was lifted.
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For someone today
When God acts, nothing can stand in the way — even Śukra was struck blind when he tried to block Bali's sacrifice. So why strain and struggle on your own? God takes care of everything for his devotees, protecting their dharma and their honor, and even when many obstacles arise, he never withdraws his support. What he gives to his devotees, he gives to no one else — he becomes everything to them, inside and out. Tuka says: he understands the anguish of the heart — that is why even Ajāmiḷa was saved, simply for calling out to his son using one of Hari's own names.
मराठी: देव जेव्हा कार्य करतो, तेव्हा कोणताही अडथळा टिकत नाही — बळीच्या यज्ञात आड येऊ पाहणाऱ्या शुक्राचार्यांचा डोळाही फुटला. मग तुम्ही एकट्याने का वायफळ झटता? देव आपल्या भक्तांचे सर्व काम स्वतः करतो, त्यांचा धर्म आणि त्यांची लाज राखतो, आणि अनेक विघ्ने आली तरी तो कधी हात मागे घेत नाही. जे तो आपल्या भक्तांना देतो, ते इतर कोणालाही देत नाही — तो त्यांचा आतबाहेर सर्वस्व होऊन जातो. तुका म्हणतात, देवाला भक्ताच्या अंतःकरणातील कळवळा कळतो — म्हणूनच अजामेळाने केवळ आपल्या मुलाला हरिनामाने हाक मारली, आणि त्याचाही उद्धार झाला.
Where this applies
- Bali-Vāmana-Śukra-ḍoḷā. The eye-of-Śukra image — Hari's helper-power.
- Don't-strain-separately. Pṛthak-siṇā-vāyām.
- Ajāmiḷa-saved. Ajāmēḷā-uddharilēm.
- He-knows-kaḷavaḷā. Jāṇatō-kaḷavaḷā.