Abhanga 1556
Tuka refuses respect or deference to anyone, however exalted, who denies that Vitthal is the ultimate divine reality.
The verse
म्हणे विठ्ठल ब्रम्ह नव्हे । त्याचे बोल नाइकावे ॥१॥ मग तो हो का कोणी एक । आदि करोनि ब्रम्हादिक ॥ध्रु.॥ नाहीं विठ्ठल जया ठावा । तो ही डोळां न पाहावा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नाहीं । त्याची भीड मज कांहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
(One who) says Viṭhṭhal is not Brahma — his words should not be heard. Then let it be anyone — even Brahmā or others. One to whom Viṭhṭhala is not known — should not even be looked at with eyes. Tuka says: no — I have no bhīḍa for him.
मराठी: म्हणे — विठ्ठल — ब्रम्ह — नव्हे; — त्याचे — बोल — नाइकावे. मग — तो — हो — का — कोणी — एक; — आदि — करोनि — ब्रम्हादिक. नाहीं — विठ्ठल — जया — ठावा; — तो — ही — डोळां — न — पाहावा. Tukā म्हणे — नाहीं; — त्याची — भीड — मज — कांहीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| म्हणे विठ्ठल ब्रम्ह नव्हे | "(one who) says — Viṭhṭhala — is not — Brahma" |
| त्याचे बोल नाइकावे | "his — words — should not be heard (nā'ikāvē)" |
| मग तो हो का कोणी एक | "then — let it be — anyone — whichever" |
| आदि करोनि ब्रम्हादिक | "starting with — Brahmā etc." |
| नाहीं विठ्ठल जया ठावा | "(one) to whom — Viṭhṭhala — is not known (ṭhāvā)" |
| तो ही डोळां न पाहावा | "that one too — with eyes — should not be seen (na pāhāvā)" |
| तुका म्हणे नाहीं | "Tuka says — no" |
| त्याची भीड मज कांहीं | "his — bhīḍa (= social-deference) — to me — any" |
What it means
Viṭhṭhal=Brahma uncompromising-defense abhang. The opening: mhaṇē Viṭhṭhala Brahma navhē — tyācē bōla nā'ikāvē — (one who)says—Viṭhṭhala is not Brahma— hiswords— shouldnot be heard. Don't even listen to anyone who claims Viṭhṭhal isn't Brahma.
The radical-extension: maga tō hō kā kōṇī ēka — ādi karōnī Brahmādika — then —let him be—anyone whichever—starting with Brahmā etc.. Even if it's Brahmā himself or any of the great-deities. (Striking: Tuka subordinates even Brahmā / Indra etc. to Viṭhṭhal; if any of them deny Viṭhṭhal=Brahma, don't hear their words.)
The further-avoidance: nāhīm Viṭhṭhala jayā ṭhāvā — tō hī ḍōḷām na pāhāvā — (one) to whom —Viṭhṭhala— is not known; —that one too—with eyes— should not beseen. Don't even look at one who doesn't know Viṭhṭhala. (Compare 1464's fake-bhakta = mātṛ-gamana avoidance; same severity here for Viṭhṭhal-deniers.)
The closing-stance: nāhīm — tyācī bhīḍa maja kāhīm — no — his — bhīḍa (= social-deference) — to me — any. I have no social-deference for him. Bhīḍa — the Marathi quality of giving-respect-to-someone-out-of-social-position-or-relationship; Tuka explicitly refuses bhīḍa for Viṭhṭhal-deniers, even if they are eminent.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't hear the words of one who says Viṭhṭhal isn't Brahma — even if it's Brahmā himself; don't even look at one who doesn't know Viṭhṭhal; I have no social-deference for him.
Where this applies
- When someone with authority or status tells you your deepest conviction is wrong.
- When you're tempted to go along with an idea just because an important person said it.
- When you feel pressured to show deference to someone whose values contradict what you hold sacred.
- When you need permission to hold firm on a core belief even against respected voices.