Abhanga 1736
For today: people are tormenting us — has Nārāyaṇa died, then?; we have become destitute orphans — no place, no bottom, no basin (to settle-in); should we be the ones to fear people? — then why doesn't Deva feel shame at his own (failure to protect)?; Tuka says — the country has become deserted, without Deva.
The verse
आम्हां गांजी जन । तरि कां मेला नारायण ॥१॥ जालों पोरटीं निढळें । नाहीं ठाव बुड आळें ॥ध्रु.॥ आम्हीं जना भ्यावें। तरि कां न लाजिजे देवें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देश । जाला देवाविण ओस ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: People torment us — then has Nārāyaṇa died? We have become destitute orphans — no place, no bottom, no basin. Should we fear people? — then why doesn't Deva feel shame? Tuka says: the country has become deserted without Deva.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आम्हां गांजी जन | "to us — people torment" |
| तरि कां मेला नारायण | "then why — Nārāyaṇa died" |
| जालों पोरटीं निढळें | "we have become — destitute orphans" |
| नाहीं ठाव बुड आळें | "no place — bottom — basin" |
| आम्हीं जना भ्यावें | "should we — fear people" |
| तरि कां न लाजिजे देवें | "then why — not feel shame — Deva" |
| तुका म्हणे देश | "Tuka says — the country" |
| जाला देवाविण ओस | "has become — deserted without Deva" |
What it means
People-torment-Lord-must-feel-shame + country-deserted-without-Deva abhang.
The opening provocation: āmhām gāṇjī jana — tari kām mēlā Nārāyaṇa — people torment us — then has Nārāyaṇa died? (Striking-petition: the only-explanation for the bhakta's-suffering-by-people would be that Nārāyaṇa is dead — but that's impossible; therefore: act!)
The destitution: jālōm pōraṭīm niḍhaḷē — nāhīm ṭhāva buḍa āḷē — we have become destitute orphans — no place, no bottom, no basin. Pōraṭīm niḍhaḷē = destitute orphans (homeless-children); ṭhāva-buḍa-āḷa = place-bottom-basin (= no resting-spot anywhere).
The shame-question: āmhīm janā bhyāvē — tari kām na lājijē Devē — should we fear people? — then why doesn't Deva feel shame? (= if our-fear-of-people increases, Deva should feel-shame at his-own-failure-as-protector.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē dēśa — jālā Devā-vīṇa ōsa — Tuka says: the country has become deserted without Deva. Ōsa = deserted, empty, lonely. Without-Deva-acting, the country is essentially-empty.
This is one of Tukaram's boldest petition-with-shame-invocation abhangs — invoking Lord's-shame-at-his-failure-to-protect.
[T]
For someone today
For today: people are tormenting us — has Nārāyaṇa died, then?; we have become destitute orphans — no place, no bottom, no basin (to settle-in); should we be the ones to fear people? — then why doesn't Deva feel shame at his own (failure to protect)?; Tuka says — the country has become deserted, without Deva.
Where this applies
- People-torment-has-Nārāyaṇa-died.* Gāṇjī-jana-mēlā-Nārāyaṇa.
- Destitute-orphans-no-place.* Pōraṭīm-niḍhaḷē-ṭhāva-buḍa-āḷa-na.
- If-we-fear-people-Lord-shame.* Janā-bhyāvē-Devē-lāja.
- Country-deserted-without-Deva.* Dēśa-Devā-vīṇa-ōsa.