Abhanga 1312
Tuka questions God's own contradictions honestly, then still stands humbly at the door, calling out and asking to be forgiven for asking.
The verse
वेदपुरुष तरि नेती कां वचन । निवडूनि भिन्न दाखविलें ॥१॥ तुझीं वर्में तूं चि दावूनि अनंता । होतोसी नेणता कोण्या गुणें ॥ध्रु.॥ यज्ञाचा भोक्ता तरि कां नव्हे सांग । उणें पडतां अंग क्षोभ घडे ॥२॥ वससी तूं या भूतांचे अंतरीं । तरि कां भेद हरी दावियेला ॥३॥ तपतिर्थाटणें तुझे मूर्तिदान । तरि कां अभिमान आड येतो ॥४॥ आतां क्षमा कीजे विनवितो तुका । देऊनियां हाका उभा द्वारीं ॥५॥
Literal translation
The Veda-puruṣa — why does it speakneti? — having distinguished, it shows (you as) bhinna. Ananta, you yourself reveal your varma — by what guṇa do you act not-knowing? You are the bhōktā of yajña — then why doesn't (the bhōktā) appear? — when uṇē, the body's kṣōbha happens. You reside in these bhūtas' antara — yet why, Hari, have you shown bhēda? Tapa, tīrthāṭana, your mūrti-dāna — yet why does abhimāna come in the way? Now please pardon — Tuka beseeches — giving hākā, standing at the door.
मराठी: वेद-पुरुष —नेती(न-असें) वचन कां? — निवडून — भिन्न (तुला) दाखवलें. तुझीं वर्में तूं-च दावितोस, अनंता — कोणत्या गुणानें — नेणता-होतोस? यज्ञाचा भोक्ता — तरी कां सांग नव्हे? — उणें पडतां — अंगाचा क्षोभ घडे. ह्या भूतांच्या अंतरीं — तूं वसतोस — तरी हरी, बेद कां दाखवलास? तप-तीर्थाटण-तुझें मूर्ति-दान — तरी कां अभिमान आड येतो? आतां क्षमा कीजे — विनवीतो Tukā — द्वारीं हाका देऊन — उभा आहें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वेदपुरुष तरि नेती कां वचन | "the Veda-puruṣa — why does (it) speak neti (= not-this)?" |
| निवडूनि भिन्न दाखविलें | "having distinguished — shown (you as) bhinna (separate)" |
| तुझीं वर्में तूं चि दावूनि अनंता | "your varma — you yourself reveal — Ananta" |
| होतोसी नेणता कोण्या गुणें | "by what guṇa do you act nēṇatā (not-knowing)?" |
| यज्ञाचा भोक्ता तरि कां नव्हे सांग | "you are the bhōktā of yajña — then why don't (you do) sānga (= why doesn't the bhōktā appear)?" |
| उणें पडतां अंग क्षोभ घडे | "when uṇē (lacking) — the body's kṣōbha (irritation) happens" |
| वससी तूं या भूतांचे अंतरीं | "you reside (vasasī) in these bhūtas' antara" |
| तरि कां भेद हरी दावियेला | "yet why have you, Hari, shown bhēda?" |
| तपतिर्थाटणें तुझे मूर्तिदान | "tapa, tīrthāṭana, your mūrti-dāna (gift-of-form)" |
| तरि कां अभिमान आड येतो | "yet why does abhimāna come in the way?" |
| क्षमा कीजे विनवितो तुका | "now please pardon — Tuka beseeches" |
| देऊनियां हाका उभा द्वारीं | "giving hākā — (Tuka stands) at the door" |
What it means
Philosophical-protest abhang — Tuka cross-examines Hari on five contradictions.
Five questions, each laying out an apparent self-contradiction:
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Veda-puruṣa neti — the Veda speaks "neti, neti" (Bṛhadāraṇyaka 2.3.6, thenot-this, not-thismethod) — distinguishing you from everything. Why? If you're everywhere, why does the Veda separate you out?
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Tujhīm varmē tūm chi dāvūnī — hōtōsī nēṇatā — you yourself reveal your varma — yet by what guṇa are you (acting as) not-knowing? The līlā-paradox: Hari simultaneously reveals and conceals.
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Yajñācā bhōktā — tarī kām navhē sānga — you are the yajña-bhōktā — then why doesn't sānga (the complete bhōktā-appearance) happen? The ritualist's question: if Hari accepts yajña-offerings, why doesn't he appear in person?
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Vasasī tūm yā bhūtāncē antarīm — tarī kām bhēda Harī dāviyēlā — you reside in the antara of all bhūtas — yet why, Hari, have you shown bhēda? If you're in all, why caste-bhēda? (Echo of 1300.)
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Tapa-tīrthāṭana, mūrti-dāna — tarī kām abhimāna āḍa yētō — tapa, tīrthāṭana, your mūrti-dāna are all available — yet why does abhimāna (ego-pride) come in the way? If the means are abundant, why is the obstruction (ego) so persistent?
The closing posture: kṣamā kījē — vinavitō Tukā — dē'ūnīyām hākā ubhā dvārīm — now please pardon — Tuka beseeches — giving hākā (calls), standing at the door. Tuka is the door-stander, calling questions and asking forgiveness for asking.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the bhakta has the right to ask Hari about his self-contradictions — Tuka stands at the door calling: why neti, why not-knowing, why no sānga, why bhēda, why abhimāna in the way?
Where this applies
- When you're angry or confused at God and want to ask honest, hard questions instead of pretending everything makes sense
- When you notice a gap between what your faith teaches and what you actually experience
- When you see caste or other divisions and struggle to reconcile that with the idea that God lives in everyone
- When you keep circling back to your own ego getting in the way of the spiritual progress you know is possible