संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1212 of 4582

Abhanga 1212

For today: when only one question burns — will he save me — that single-pointed anxiety is itself a form of bhakti.

When you can think of nothing but will Hari save me, will he keep my honor — and you keep wanting to ask everyone you meet

The verse

पुसावेंसें हें चि वाटे । जें जें भेटे तयासी ॥१॥ देव कृपा करील मज । काय लाज राखील ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघियांचा विसर जाला । हा राहिला उदेग ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे चिंता वाटे । कोण भेटे सांगेसें ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: I want to ask only this — of every-and-every one I meet: will the Deva show grace to me, will he keep my honor? Everyone (else) is forgotten — only this udēga remains. Tuka says: I worry — whom shall I meet to tell?

मराठी: जें-जें भेटतें त्याला — हें-च पुसावेंसें वाटतें — देव माझ्यावर कृपा करील का? माझी लाज राखील का? सगळ्यांचा विसर पडला — फक्त हाच एक उदेग राहिला. Tukā म्हणे — चिंता वाटतें — कोण भेटेल — सांगायला?

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
पुसावेंसें हें चि वाटे "I want to ask only this"
जें जें भेटे तयासी "of every-and-every (one) I meet"
देव कृपा करील मज "will the Deva show kṛpā to me?"
काय लाज राखील "will he keep (rakṣā) my lāja (honor)?"
अवघियांचा विसर जाला "I have forgotten (visara) everyone (avaghiyā)"
हा राहिला उदेग "this (one) udēga (anxiety) has remained"
कोण भेटे सांगेसें "who will I meet to tell (this)?"

What it means

Anxious-bhakta abhang. The single question crowds out everything else: will Hari save me, will he keep my honor? Tuka asks every person he meets — not for an answer, but because the anxiety has nowhere else to go. Avaghiyāncā visara jālā — every other concern has fallen away; only this udēga remains. The closing pathos: kōṇa bhēṭē sāngēsē — "who will I even find to tell?" — the bhakta's loneliness in extremity.

This is the warkari tradition's permission to bring not only love but anxiety to Hari — the mood of vyākulatā (longing-anxiety) is its own valid bhāva.

[T]

For someone today

For today: when only one question burns — will he save me — that single-pointed anxiety is itself a form of bhakti.

Where this applies

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