Abhanga 1501
Tukārām voices honest grief and a sense of unequal treatment, insisting that his sorrow be acknowledged even though his mind cannot yet turn to ordinary work.
The verse
तुम्ही बैसलेती निर्गुणाचे खोळे । आम्हां कां हे डोळे कान दिले ॥१॥ नाइकवे तुझी अपकीर्ति देवा । अव्हेरली सेवा न देखवे ॥ध्रु.॥ आपुले पोटीं तों राखियेला वाव । आम्हांसी कां भाव अल्प दिला ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे दुःखी असें हें कळों द्या । पुढिलिया धंद्या मन नेघे ॥३॥
Literal translation
You have seated in nirguṇa's khōḷa — to us, why these eyes-ears given? Cannot bear hearing your apa-kīrti, Deva — rejected sēvā, cannot be seen. In your own pōṭa, you kept vāva — to us, why was only alpa-bhāva given? Tuka says: let it be known, I am duḥkhī — mind doesn't go to future enterprises.
मराठी: तुम्ही — बैसलेती — निर्गुणाचे — खोळे; — आम्हां — कां — हे — डोळे — कान — दिले? नाइकवे — तुझी — अप-कीर्ति — देवा; — अव्हेरली — सेवा — न — देखवे. आपुले — पोटीं — तों — राखियेला — वाव; — आम्हांसी — कां — भाव — अल्प — दिला? Tukā म्हणे — दुःखी — असें — हें — कळों — द्या; — पुढिलिया — धंद्या — मन — नेघे.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तुम्ही बैसलेती निर्गुणाचे खोळे | "you (politely) — have seated (baisalētī) — nirguṇa's khōḷa (= lap / shelter)" |
| आम्हां कां हे डोळे कान दिले | "to us — why — these — eyes (ḍōḷē), ears (kāna) — given?" |
| नाइकवे तुझी अपकीर्ति देवा | "cannot be heard (nā'ikavē) — your — apa-kīrti (= dis-fame), Deva" |
| अव्हेरली सेवा न देखवे | "sēvā — avhērilī (= rejected) — cannot be seen (na dēkhavē)" |
| आपुले पोटीं तों राखियेला वाव | "in your own — pōṭa (belly) — vāva (= space / room) — has been kept (rākhiyēlā)" |
| आम्हांसी कां भाव अल्प दिला | "to us — why — bhāva — alpa (little) — was given?" |
| तुका म्हणे दुःखी असें हें कळों द्या | "Tuka says — duḥkhī — I am — let this be known (kaḷōm dyā)" |
| पुढिलिया धंद्या मन नेघे | "to future (puḍhilīyā) — dhandā (work / enterprise) — mind doesn't go (nēghē)" |
What it means
Asymmetry-Hari-tāḍ abhang. Continuation of 1500's Hari-tāḍ. The opening accusation: tumhī baisalētī nirguṇācē khōḷē — āmhām kām hē ḍōḷē kāna dilē — you haveseatedinnirguṇa'skhōḷa(= lap / shelter); — to us —why— were theseeyesandearsgiven? The asymmetry-charge: Hari is comfortable in formless-shelter while bhaktas have eyes-ears that must witness everything. (= Hari has insulation the bhakta lacks.)
The grievance: nā'ikavē tujhī apa-kīrti Devā — avhērilī sēvā na dēkhavē — cannot bearhearing— yourapa-kīrti(= disrepute),Deva; —rejected sēvā—cannot be seen. The eyes-ears that you gave us forced us to witness your disrepute — and the rejection of bhakti-service we cannot bear to see.
The further-grievance: āpulē pōṭīm tōm rākhiyēlā vāva — āmhāmsī kām bhāva alpa dilā — in your ownpōṭa(belly) — youkeptvāva(= room / space); —to us—why— wasbhāva—alpa(little) —given? The accusation: you reserved abundant-room in your own belly, but gave us only-a-little-bhāva. (= unequal-distribution: Hari has all the space, bhaktas have insufficient bhāva.)
The closing-grief: duḥkhī asēm hēm kaḷōm dyā — puḍhilīyā dhandyā mana nēghē — I amduḥkhī— let thisbe known; — tofuture enterprises— minddoesn't go. Just know I'm grieving; — my mind has nothing for future-work. (Strong-bhakta-protest: I refuse to engage with anything-else until you address this.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: Hari, you sit in formless shelter while we have eyes-ears that witness everything; we can't bear hearing your disrepute or seeing rejected service; you kept room in your belly but gave us only a little bhāva; let it be known I'm grieving — my mind doesn't go to future-work.
Where this applies
- When you feel that life has given you the burden of witnessing pain while someone else seems shielded from it
- When you feel let down by unequal treatment, as if others were given more while you got less
- When your grief is so heavy that you cannot focus on ordinary work or plans
- When you need permission to simply say I am hurting, without immediately trying to fix or explain it away