संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1482 of 4582

Abhanga 1482

For today: however we are, we are your refugees, Hari; don't let your reputation become false; my mind isn't pure but I call myself a bhakta; who asks the poor wretch? — Tuka speaks your name.

When you'd plead Hari to uphold his reputation despite your impurity — however we are, your refugees; don't let your brīda be false; citta impure but call self bhakta

The verse

जैसीं तैसीं तरी । शरणागतें तुझीं हरी ॥१॥ आतां न पाहिजे केलें । ब्रीद लटिकें आपुलें ॥ध्रु.॥ शुद्ध नाहीं चित्त । परी म्हणवितों भक्त ॥२॥ मज कोण पुसे रंका । नाम सांगे तुझें तुका ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Jaisīm-taisīm — yet, your śaraṇāgata, Harī. Now, should not be made — your brīda — laṭikā. Citta is not śuddha — but I call myself bhakta. To me, the ranka, who would ask? — Tuka speaks your nāma.

मराठी: जैसीं — तैसीं — तरी; — शरणागतें — तुझीं — हरी. आतां — न — पाहिजे — केलें; — ब्रीद — लटिकें — आपुलें. शुद्ध — नाहीं — चित्त; — परी — म्हणवितों — भक्त. मज — कोण — पुसे — रंका? — नाम — सांगे — तुझें — Tukā.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
जैसीं तैसीं तरी "however (we are) — jaisīm-taisīm (just-as-such) — yet (tarī)"
शरणागतें तुझीं हरी "śaraṇāgatas — yours — Harī"
आतां न पाहिजे केलें "now — should not (na pāhijē) — be made (kēlēm)"
ब्रीद लटिकें आपुलें "brīda (= reputation / pledge / herald-cry) — laṭikēm (false) — your own (āpulēm)"
शुद्ध नाहीं चित्त "citta — is not — śuddha"
परी म्हणवितों भक्त "but (parī) — I call myself (mhaṇavitōm) — bhakta"
मज कोण पुसे रंका "to me (maja) — who would ask (pusē) — ranka (= poor wretch)?"
नाम सांगे तुझें तुका "nāma — speaks — your — Tuka"

What it means

However-we-are-we-are-your-refugees abhang. A dīna-prayer. The opening: jaisīm taisīm tarī — śaraṇāgatēm tujhīm Harīhowever we are — yetyours, the refugees. The however-we-are concession; Hari, we're yours, even imperfect. (Strong dīna-bhāva.)

The reputation-argument: ātām na pāhijē kēlēm — brīda laṭikēm āpulēmnow — should not be made — yourbrīda (= public-cry / reputation) — laṭikēm (false). Brīda — the herald's-cry / standing-pledge / dharma-shout. Hari's brīda is bhakta-vatsala (= protector-of-bhaktas). If he abandons us, his own brīda becomes false. (Classical bhakti-tactic: appeal to Hari's self-interest in his own reputation.)

The honest-confession: śuddha nāhīm citta — parī mhaṇavitōm bhaktacitta is not pure; — but — I call myselfbhakta. No claim of pure-citta — yet I call myself a bhakta. (= claiming the title as a kind of vow / reputation-grasp on Hari.)

The closing: maja kōṇa pusē rankā — nāma sāngē tujhē Tukāwho would ask me, the ranka (= poor wretch)?; — Tuka speaks your nāma. No one notices the poor wretch — but Tuka speaks your name (= his only-claim-to-recognition is uttering Hari's nāma). (Striking-humble close: I'm a poor wretch, but I speak your nāma. Pairs with 1413's Tukā mhaṇē mī akṣara — same self-claim-via-nāma, here humbler.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: however we are, we are your refugees, Hari; don't let your reputation become false; my mind isn't pure but I call myself a bhakta; who asks the poor wretch? — Tuka speaks your name.

Where this applies

Related verses