Abhanga 1812
For today: with kavataka, I speak with stammered words; this should not be in the heart — to be held at a distance; praise and blame — accept-equally, Govinda; Tuka says — speech, you have taught me.
The verse
कवतुकवाणें । बोलों बोबड्या वचनें ॥१॥ हें तों नसावें अंतरीं । आम्हां धरायाचें दुरी ॥ध्रु.॥ स्तुति तैसी निंदा । माना सम चि गोविंदा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे बोलें । मज तुम्ही शिकविलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
With kavataka — I speak with stammered words. This should not be in the heart — for us to hold-at-a-distance. Praise and blame — accept-equally, Govinda. Tuka says: speech, you have taught me.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कवतुकवाणें | "with kavataka (= childish-praise / fond-pomp)" |
| बोलों बोबड्या वचनें | "(I) speak — with stammered words (bōbaḍyā vacanē)" |
| हें तों नसावें अंतरीं | "this — should not be — in the heart" |
| आम्हां धरायाचें दुरी | "for us — to hold-at-distance" |
| स्तुति तैसी निंदा | "praise — and blame" |
| माना सम चि गोविंदा | "accept-equally — Govinda" |
| तुका म्हणे बोलें | "Tuka says — speech" |
| मज तुम्ही शिकविलें | "me — you taught" |
What it means
Kavataka-praise + stuti-nindā-sama + you-taught-me-to-speak abhang.
The opening: kavataka-vāṇē — bōlōm bōbaḍyā vacanē — with kavataka, I speak with stammered words. Kavataka = childish-praise / fond-pomp; bōbaḍyā vacanē = stammered words. Like a child stammering with affection-pomp, I speak my praises.
The petition: hē tōm nasāvē antarī — āmhām dharāyāce durī — this should not be in the heart — for us to hold-at-a-distance. Don't keep-this-stammering-praise as distant-from-the-heart; accept-it-as-intimate. (= don't reject the childish-praise-as-improper; receive-it as a child's-stammer-from-the-heart.)
The praise-and-blame line: stuti taisī nindā — mānā sama chi Gōvindā — praise and blame — accept-equally, Govinda. Foundational request: whatever I speak — praise or insult — accept it equally. (= the bhakta's-tongue may stammer-into-praise or stammer-into-complaint; the Lord should-accept-both as the same-affection.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē bōlē — maja tumhī śikavilē — Tuka says: speech, you have taught me. Echoes the foundational claim of 1768-1769, 1785: Pāṇḍuranga-speaks-through-Tuka. You taught-me-to-speak; whatever-I-speak is your-teaching.
The implicit-message: if I praise, accept-it; if I blame, accept-it-too; for-it-is all-your-teaching expressed through my-childish-stammer. The Lord accepts-both since both originate-from-his-own-teaching.
This abhang is one of Tuka's Lord-as-source-of-his-speech declarations, paired with the praise-and-blame-equal request. The bhakta's theological-cover for his-bold-speech (e.g., the 1801-1807 mocking-cluster).
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For someone today
For today: with kavataka, I speak with stammered words; this should not be in the heart — to be held at a distance; praise and blame — accept-equally, Govinda; Tuka says — speech, you have taught me.
Where this applies
- When you feel embarrassed praying or speaking to God in simple, clumsy words instead of polished ones
- When someone criticizes how you express your devotion or feelings and you start doubting yourself
- When you receive both praise and criticism for something you said from the heart and don't know how to hold both
- When you hesitate to speak up because you feel unqualified or too awkward with words