संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1249 of 4582

Abhanga 1249

For today: the bhakta-protest, when severe, can rest on this: the saints' word vouches for Hari, and the protest itself is Hari's prasāda working through the bhakta.

When the bhakta says: you've made me piteous; the saints' promises are being shamed by your delay; what kind of śakti are you?

The verse

कां गा किविलवाणा केलों दीनाचा दीन । काय तुझी हीन शक्ति जालीसी दिसे ॥१॥ लाज येते मना तुझा म्हणवितां दास । गोडी नाहीं रस बोलिली यासारिखी ॥ध्रु.॥ लाजविलीं मागें संतांची हीं उत्तरें । कळों येतें खरें दुजें एकावरूनि ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माझी कोणें वदविली वाणी । प्रसादावांचूनि तुमचिया विठ्ठला ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Why have you made me piteous — the dīna of dīnas? Does your śakti look hīna? Shame comes to mind to be called your dāsa — there's no gōḍī, no rasa in being so-spoken. The saints' replies (promises) have been shamed before — the truth is known: from one (case) the other follows. Tuka says: who else made me speak this vāṇī — except your prasāda, Viṭṭhalā?

मराठी: कां गा — मला किविलवाणा केलें — दीनांचा दीन? — तुझी शक्ति हीन झालेली दिसते कां? तुझा दास म्हणवून घेण्यांत मनाला लाज वाटते — त्यांत कुठली गोडी, कुठला रस? मागें संतांचीं उत्तरें (तुझ्यावरील विश्वास-वचनें) लाजवली गेलीं — एकावरून दुजें — खरें कळतें. Tukā म्हणे — माझी ही वाणी कोणी वदवून घेतली? — तुमच्या प्रसादा-वांचून, विठ्ठला?

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
कां गा किविलवाणा केलों दीनाचा दीन "why made me kivilavāṇā (piteous) — the dīna of dīnas?"
काय तुझी हीन शक्ति जालीसी दिसे "does your śakti look hīna (diminished)?"
लाज येते मना तुझा म्हणवितां दास "shame comes to mind to be called your dāsa"
गोडी नाहीं रस बोलिली यासारिखी "no gōḍī (sweetness), no rasa, in (being) so-spoken"
लाजविलीं मागें संतांची हीं उत्तरें "the saints' (past) uttarās (replies/promises) have been shamed before"
कळों येतें खरें दुजें एकावरूनि "(this) comes to be known truly — the second from the first"
माझी कोणें वदविली वाणी "who made me speak this vāṇī?"
प्रसादावांचूनि तुमचिया विठ्ठला "without your prasāda, Viṭṭhalā?"

What it means

Sāsuravāsa 3 of 8 — Hari-tāḍ-style protest within the bride's-mode.

The opening is fierce: kāya tujhī hīna śakti jālīsī disēdoes your śakti look hīna (diminished, weakened)? The Hari-tāḍ register from 1220-1226 returns, now in the bride's voice.

The novel argument: lājavilīm māgē samtāncī hīm uttarēthe saints' (earlier promises) have been shamed before. The saints have vouched for Hari to bhaktas; if Hari delays, the saints' word is shamed. Kaḷōm yētē kharē dujē ēkāvarūnī — by one shamed promise, the truth of all the others is suspected.

The closing twist: mājhī kōṇē vadavilī vāṇī — prasādāvāmcūnī tumaciyā Viṭṭhalāwho else made me speak this vāṇī (this complaint-speech) — except your own prasāda, Viṭṭhalā? The bhakta turns the sting around: even this protest is your own grace working through me. So you cannot reject it without rejecting your own prasāda.

[T]

For someone today

For today: the bhakta-protest, when severe, can rest on this: the saints' word vouches for Hari, and the protest itself is Hari's prasāda working through the bhakta.

Where this applies

Related verses