Abhanga 1670
Tukaram protests that God, who knowingly captivated him with beauty and love, should not now leave him weary and exposed, and admits his modest restraint has finally given way to open complaint.
The verse
करावा कांटाळा नव्हे हें उचित । आधीं च कां प्रीत लावियेली ॥१॥ जाणतसां तुम्हीं रूपाचें लाघव । आपुलें तें जीव घेतें ऐसा ॥ध्रु.॥ काय म्हणऊनि आलेती आकारा । आम्हां उजगरा करावया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भीड होती आजिवरी । आतां देवा उरी कोण ठेवी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Should (you) make me weary — this is not fitting. Why was prīt attached in the first place? You know the magic of the form — the soul itself takes it thus. For what reason have (you) come into form? — to make us ujagara? Tuka says: bhīḍ was until today — now, Devā, who keeps the residue?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| करावा कांटाळा नव्हे हें उचित | "should you make weary — not fitting" |
| आधीं च कां प्रीत लावियेली | "first place — why — prīt — attached?" |
| जाणतसां तुम्हीं रूपाचें लाघव | "you know — form's magic" |
| आपुलें तें जीव घेतें ऐसा | "one's-own — soul — takes — thus" |
| काय म्हणऊनि आलेती आकारा | "for what reason — have come — into form?" |
| आम्हां उजगरा करावया | "to make us — ujagara" |
| तुका म्हणे भीड होती आजिवरी | "Tuka says — bhīḍ — was — until today" |
| आतां देवा उरी कोण ठेवी | "now — Devā — residue — who keeps?" |
What it means
Should-you-make-me-weary + you-knew-the-form's-magic + ujagara abhang.
The legal-argument: karāvā kāṇṭāḷā navhē hēm uciṭa — ādhīm chi kām prīta lāviyēlī — should you make me weary? — not fitting; why attached prīt first? Kāṇṭāḷā = weariness, exhaustion-from-long-waiting. If you didn't intend to follow-through, why did you attach me with prīt in the first place? The consent-and-commitment-argument.
The form-magic-claim: jāṇatasām tumhīm rūpācēm lāghava — āpulēm tēm jīva ghētēm aisā — you know the magic of the form — the soul takes it thus. Lāghava = the lightness, the magical-ease-of-attraction. You knew (in advance) the magic-power of your form — that the soul gets-taken / steals-the-soul. (= you knew form-show-soul-steal-mechanism, used it on me, now responsible.)
The form-purpose: kāya mhaṇa'ūni ālētī ākārā — āmhām ujagarā karāvayā — for what reason have you come into form? — to make us ujagara? Ujagara = one who is uja-gara — shining-with-shame / made-conspicuous-by-disgrace. For what purpose did you take form? — to embarrass us publicly?
The closing-end-of-restraint: Tukā mhaṇē bhīḍa hōtī ājivarī — ātām Devā urī kōṇa ṭhēvī — Tuka says: bhīḍ was until today; now, Devā, who keeps the residue? Bhīḍ = modesty / restraint / propriety-not-to-make-a-scene. I had restraint until today — but now, who keeps any residue (= leftover restraint)? (= you have exhausted my patience; my modesty about complaining-loudly is now gone.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: should you make me weary like this? — this isn't fitting; why did you attach me with affection in the first place?; you know the magic of your own form — the soul itself gets stolen-thus; for what reason did you come into form — to make us shamed and conspicuous?; Tuka says — restraint held me until today, but now, Devā, who can keep any residue of it?
Where this applies
- When you feel someone drew you in with promise and then left you hanging without follow-through
- When you've stayed quiet out of politeness but your patience has finally run out
- When you feel exposed or embarrassed by a hope that hasn't been fulfilled yet
- When you need to voice a blunt, honest complaint instead of continuing to wait silently