Abhanga 1500
Tukārām openly questions why sincere devotion meets obstruction and persecution in the world, and challenges God to defend the honor of his own name.
The verse
ऐसें कां जालें तें मज ही न कळे । कीर्तनाचे रळेपळे जगीं ॥१॥ कैसें तुम्हां देवा वाटतसे बरें । संतांचीं उत्तरें लाजविलीं ॥ध्रु.॥ भाविकां कंटक करिताती पीडा । हा तंव रोकडा अनुभव ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाम निर्वाणीचा बाण । याचा अभिमान नाहीं तुम्हां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Why has this become — even to me, not known? — kīrtana's raḷē-paḷē in the jaga. How, Deva, does it seem barēm to you? — saints' uttara have been lājavilī. To bhāvikas, kaṇṭakas cause pīḍā — this is indeed rōkaḍā anubhava. Tuka says: nāma is nirvāṇīcā bāṇa — for this you have no abhimāna.
मराठी: ऐसें — कां — जालें — तें — मज — ही — न — कळे? — कीर्तनाचे — रळे-पळे — जगीं. कैसें — तुम्हां — देवा — वाटतसे — बरें? — संतांचीं — उत्तरें — लाजविलीं. भाविकां — कंटक — करिताती — पीडा; — हा — तंव — रोकडा — अनुभव. Tukā म्हणे — नाम — निर्वाणीचा — बाण; — याचा — अभिमान — नाहीं — तुम्हां.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐसें कां जालें तें मज ही न कळे | "why — has it become like this — even to me — not known" |
| कीर्तनाचे रळेपळे जगीं | "of kīrtana — raḷē-paḷē (= hindrances / obstructions) — in the jaga" |
| कैसें तुम्हां देवा वाटतसे बरें | "how — to you, Deva — does it seem (vāṭatasē) — barēm (right)?" |
| संतांचीं उत्तरें लाजविलीं | "samtas' — uttarē (sayings) — have been put-to-shame (lājavilīm)" |
| भाविकां कंटक करिताती पीडा | "to the bhāvikas — kaṇṭakas — cause pīḍā (torment)" |
| हा तंव रोकडा अनुभव | "this — tava (indeed) — rōkaḍā (= cash / immediate) — anubhava" |
| तुका म्हणे नाम निर्वाणीचा बाण | "Tuka says — nāma — is nirvāṇīcā bāṇa (= the arrow of (the) end)" |
| याचा अभिमान नाहीं तुम्हां | "for this — abhimāna (= honor-claim) — you don't have" |
What it means
Hari-tāḍ-on-kīrtana-obstruction abhang. A Hari-tāḍ protest. The opening: aisēm kām jālēm tēm maja hī na kaḷē — kīrtanācē raḷē-paḷē jagīm — why has this happened — evento me— not known; —kīrtana's —raḷē-paḷē(= obstructions) — in the world. Even Tuka, the bhakta-poet, can't understand why kīrtana faces hindrances. Raḷē-paḷē — onomatopoeia for bumps and stoppages.
The shaming-charge: kaisēm tumhām Devā vāṭatasē barēm — samtāñcīm uttarē lājavilīm — how,Deva, does this seemrightto you? —samtas' words have beenput-to-shame. The saints have been disgraced; how can this be acceptable to you?
The diagnostic: bhāvikām kaṇṭaka karitātī pīḍā — hā tava rōkaḍā anubhava — to thebhāvikas —kaṇṭakas (thorns / persecutors) — causepīḍā(torment); — this is indeedrōkaḍā(= cash / immediate)anubhava. The faithful are being persecuted by thorn-people; this is immediate / unmistakable experience. (= the bhakti-persecution is rōkaḍā — not abstract, but daily-cash-experience.)
The closing-charge: nāma nirvāṇīcā bāṇa — yācā abhimāna nāhīm tumhām — thenāma— is thenirvāṇī-cā bāṇa(= the arrow of (the) end / decisive arrow); — for this —abhimāna(= honor-claim / pride-of-defense) — you don't have. Nāma is your decisive weapon; but you don't take pride in defending it. (= strong Hari-tāḍ accusation: Hari is failing to defend his own nāma's honor. The nirvāṇīcā bāṇa — the finishing-arrow — Hari's own ultimate weapon — and he's not protective of it.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: why is this happening? — kīrtana faces obstructions in the world; how can this seem right to you? — saints' sayings have been shamed; thorn-people torment the faithful, daily-experience; the nāma is your decisive arrow — but you take no honor-pride in defending it.
Where this applies
- When you keep meeting obstruction while trying to do something sincere and good, and cannot understand why
- When you see genuinely faithful, well-meaning people being mocked or tormented by hostile people around them
- When you feel angry or confused at God or life itself for allowing something sacred to you to be disrespected
- When you want permission to voice a real complaint in prayer instead of only offering praise