Abhanga 1331
For today: the patita's protest — saints' regard is a chain of error; my citta knows I'm not saved; broke ties with kin; the pōṭa drove me; ēkānta took me; for bhāva — let no one take (Hari) from me.
The verse
ऐका वचन हें संत । मी तों आगळा पतित । काय काजें प्रीत । करीतसां आदरें ॥१॥ माझें चित्त मज ग्वाही । सत्य तरलों मी नाहीं । एकांचिये वांहीं । एक देखीं मानिती ॥ध्रु.॥ बहु पीडिलों संसारें । मोडीं पुसें पिटीं ढोरें । न पडतां पुरें । या विचारें राहिलों ॥२॥ सहज सरलें होतें कांहीं । द्रव्य थोडें बहु तें ही । त्याग केला नाहीं । दिलें द्विजां याचकां ॥३॥ प्रियापुत्रबंधु । यांचा तोडिला संबंधु । सहज जालों मंदु । भाग्यहीन करंटा ॥४॥ तोंड न दाखवे जना । शिरें सांदी भरें राणां । एकांत तो जाणां । तयासाटीं लागला ॥५॥ पोटें पिटिलों काहारें । दया नाहीं या विचारें । बोलावितां बरें । सहज म्हणें यासाटीं ॥६॥ सहज वडिलां होती सेवा । म्हणोनि पूजितों या देवा । तुका म्हणे भावा । साटीं झणी घ्या कोणी ॥७॥
Literal translation
English: Listen, saints, this vacana — I am unequalled patita — why do you hold prīta with ādara? My citta is my witness — truly, I have not been saved — by one's hand, others (only) see and consider. Was much pīḍila by samsāra — wandering, begging, beating-cattle — not falling enough, I stayed by this thinking. (I had) some little dravya — did not do (formal) tyāga — gave it to dvijas-and-yācakas. With priyā-putra-bandhu — broke the sambandha — naturally became mandu, bhāgyahīna-karaṇṭā. Couldn't show face to people — head buried in the corner — ēkānta knew it — for that I got attached. The pōṭa beat me with kahara — no dayā by this thinking. (I came when) summoned-well — for that, sahaja. Naturally I had the sevā of the elders — therefore I worship this Deva. Tuka says: for bhāva — let no one take (it from me).
मराठी: (saints) ऐका हें वचन — मी तों — आगळा पतित — कां प्रीत आदरें करितसां? माझें चित्त-च माझें ग्वाही — मी सत्यतः तरलों नाहीं — एकाच्या वाहीं — दुसरे देखोनी मानतात. बहु पीडिलों संसारानें — मोडीं-पुसें-पिटीं ढोरें (हिडतोडी, भिक्षा, ढोरें मारलीं) — पुरतें न पडतां — या विचारानें राहिलों. द्रव्य थोडें होतें — त्याग केला नाहीं — द्विजांना-याचकांना दिलें. प्रिया-पुत्र-बंधु यांचा संबंध तोडला — सहज मंद-भाग्यहीन-करंटा झालों. लोकांना तोंड दाखवायला नाहीं — शिर सांदी (कोपर्यांत) — एकांत-च लागला. पोटानें कहारानें पीटलें — या विचारानें दया नाहीं — बोलावलें तेव्हां बरें — सहज. वडिलांची सहज सेवा — म्हणून हा देव पूजितों. Tukā म्हणे — भावा-साठीं — झणी (कोणी हि) — कोणी घेऊं नका.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi (selected) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐका वचन हें संत | "listen, saints, this vacana" |
| मी तों आगळा पतित | "I — am āgaḷā (unequalled / set-apart) patita" |
| काय काजें प्रीत करीतसां आदरें | "why do you hold prīta — with ādara?" |
| माझें चित्त मज ग्वाही | "my citta is my gvāhī (witness)" |
| सत्य तरलों मी नाहीं | "truly — I have not been saved (taralōm)" |
| बहु पीडिलों संसारें | "much pīḍila by samsāra" |
| मोडीं पुसें पिटीं ढोरें | "wandering, asking-for, beating cattle (pīṭīm ḍhōrē)" |
| न पडतां पुरें या विचारें राहिलों | "not falling enough — by this thinking — I stayed" |
| द्रव्य थोडें बहु तें ही | "(I had) some little dravya" |
| त्याग केला नाहीं — दिलें द्विजां याचकां | "did not do (formal) tyāga — gave to dvijas-and-yācakas" |
| प्रियापुत्रबंधु — यांचा तोडिला संबंधु | "with priyā-putra-bandhu — broke the sambandha" |
| सहज जालों मंदु — भाग्यहीन करंटा | "naturally — (I) became mandu (dull) — bhāgyahīna-karaṇṭā (luckless-and-cursed)" |
| तोंड न दाखवे जना | "couldn't show face to people" |
| शिरें सांदी भरें राणां | "head — buried — in the rāṇā (place / corner)" |
| एकांत तो जाणां — तयासाटीं लागला | "ēkānta — knew it — for that — (I) lāgalā (got attached)" |
| पोटें पिटिलों काहारें | "the pōṭa — beat me — with kahara (calamity)" |
| दया नाहीं या विचारें | "no dayā — for this thinking" |
| भावा साटीं झणी घ्या कोणी | "for bhāva — let no one (jhaṇī) take (it from me)" |
What it means
The unworthy-bhakta protest + biography continued — abhang #2 of the vairāgya-set.
The opening is Tukaram's signature humility: mī tōm āgaḷā patita — kāya kājē prīta karītasām ādarē? — I am unequalled patita — why do you hold prīta with ādara? Why are the saints honoring me?
The proof of unworthiness: mājhē citta maja gvāhī — satya taralōm mī nāhīm — my citta is my own witness — truly I am not saved. Ēkāncīyē vāmhī — ēka dēkhīm mānitī — because of one one's reputation, others (mistakenly) consider too. (The crowd's regard is a chain-reaction of error.)
Then — biography continues from 1330: - Bahu pīḍila by samsāra — pīḍita greatly - Mōḍī pusē piṭīm ḍhōrē — wandered, begged, drove cattle (the deep-poverty stage) - Tyāga kēlā nāhīm — dilēm dvijām yācakām — did not do (formal) tyāga — what dravya remained, gave to brahmins-and-beggars (no formal renunciation; just spending-down) - Priyā-putra-bandhu — yāncā tōḍilā sambandhu — broke ties with wife, son, brothers — sahaja jālōm mandu — bhāgyahīna karaṇṭā — naturally became dull-witted, luck-less, cursed-one (the social-shame) - Tōṇḍa na dākhavē janā — śirēm sāndī bharēm rāṇām — couldn't show face to people; head buried in corners - Ēkānta tō jāṇām — tayāsāṭīm lāgalā — the ēkānta knew it (= took me to itself) — for that I got attached. The withdrawal-into-solitude was originally social-shame but became spiritual-vocation. - Pōṭē piṭilōm kahārē — the pōṭa (belly) beat me with kahara (calamity) — hunger drove him - Bōlāvitām barēm — sahaja mhaṇēm yāsāṭīm — when summoned, I went; sahaja, for that. (Possibly: when invited to give kīrtana, I went — that became the livelihood.) - Sahaja vaḍilām hōtī sēvā — mhaṇōnī pūjitōm yā Devā — I had the elders' sēvā naturally — therefore I worship this Deva
The closing: bhāvā sāṭīm jhaṇī ghyā kōṇī — for bhāva — let no one take (it from me). Jhaṇī = at-all, by-any-means; don't let anyone deprive me of Hari, who is my bhāva. Even the saints' adoration (which began the abhang) is suspect — don't let them take Hari from me through their honor-game.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the patita's protest — saints' regard is a chain of error; my citta knows I'm not saved; broke ties with kin; the pōṭa drove me; ēkānta took me; for bhāva — let no one take (Hari) from me.
Where this applies
- Listen-saints-I'm-unequalled-patita.* Mī-āgaḷā-patita.
- Citta-is-my-witness-not-truly-saved.* Mājhē-citta-gvāhī-satya-taralōm-nāhīm.
- Broke-ties-with-priyā-putra-bandhu.* Tōḍilā-sambandhu.
- Head-buried-in-corner-ēkānta-took-me.* Śirēm-sāndī-ēkānta-lāgalā.
- Pōṭa-beat-with-kahara.* Pōṭē-piṭilōm-kahārē.
- For-bhāva-let-no-one-take-Hari-from-me.* Bhāvā-sāṭīm-jhaṇī-ghyā-kōṇī.