Abhanga 1819
For today: now don't deviate from your fitting role — udāra husband of Rakhumāī; to commit doṣa is our prescribed role — to save the fallen is yours; we have kept our side — let what happens from your side happen; Tuka says — Viṭho, king of the clever — what is here, for what reason will you let it be broken?.
The verse
आतां नको चुकों आपुल्या उचिता । उदारा या कांता रखुमाईंच्या ॥१॥ आचरावे दोष हें आम्हां विहित । तारावे पतित तुमचें तें ॥ध्रु.॥ आम्ही तों आपुलें केलेसें जतन । घडो तुम्हांकून घडेल ते ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे विठो चतुराच्या राया । आहे ते कासया मोडों देसी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Now don't deviate from your ucita — udāra husband of Rakhumāī. To commit doṣa — that is our prescribed (role); to save the fallen — that is yours. We have kept our side — let what happens from your side happen. Tuka says: Viṭho, king of the clever — what is here, for what reason will you let-be-broken?.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आतां नको चुकों आपुल्या उचिता | "now — do not deviate — from your ucita (= fitting role)" |
| उदारा या कांता रखुमाईंच्या | "udāra (generous) — this husband — of Rakhumāī" |
| आचरावे दोष हें आम्हां विहित | "to commit doṣa — that is our prescribed (role)" |
| तारावे पतित तुमचें तें | "to save the fallen — that is yours" |
| आम्ही तों आपुलें केलेसें जतन | "we have kept — what is ours — in custody" |
| घडो तुम्हांकून घडेल ते | "let it happen from your side — what will happen" |
| तुका म्हणे विठो चतुराच्या राया | "Tuka says — Viṭho — king of the clever" |
| आहे ते कासया मोडों देसी | "what is (here) — for what reason — will you let-be-broken" |
What it means
Role-division-bhakta-makes-doṣa-Lord-uplifts-fallen abhang. A humorous theological-claim: the bhakta and the Lord have complementary-prescribed-roles.
The opening: ātām nakō cukōm āpulyā ucitā — udārā yā kāntā Rakhumāīñcyā — now don't deviate from your ucita — udāra husband of Rakhumāī. Ucita = the fitting / prescribed-role; kāntā Rakhumāīñcyā = Viṭhṭhal as Rakhumāī's-husband. Don't break-form, generous Viṭhṭhal.
The role-division: ācarāvē dōṣa hē āmhām vihita — tārāvē patita tumcē tē — to commit doṣa is our prescribed (role) — to save the fallen is yours. Vihita = prescribed, sanctioned. The bhakta's witty-claim: we-bhaktas have-the-prescribed-job of committing-doṣas; you-have-the-prescribed-job of saving-the-fallen; if-we-don't-commit-doṣas, you-have-no-fallen-to-save; therefore-you-need-our-doṣas as-much-as-we-need-your-saving. (= interdependent-role-division.)
The custody-line: āmhī tōm āpulēm kēlēsē jatana — ghaḍō tumhānkūna ghaḍēla tē — we kept our side — let what happens from your side happen. We did our part (= committed-doṣas); now let-yours-happen (= the saving).
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē Viṭhō catura-cyā rāyā — āhē tē kāsayā mōḍōm dēsī — Tuka says: Viṭho, king of the clever — what is here, for what reason will you let-be-broken?. Catura-cyā rāyā = king of the clever / wise; mōḍōm dēsī = will you let-be-broken / let-it-collapse. You-are-the-king-of-the-clever; will-you-let-this-arrangement-break-down?.
The implicit-message: the bhakta's-relationship-with-the-Lord rests-on-the-traditional role-division (sinner + savior); the Lord-must-not-break-this-arrangement by-failing-to-save. Witty-but-insistent role-claim. (Compare 1788, 1796, 1797 — the bhakta-pressuring-the-Lord register.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: now don't deviate from your fitting role — udāra husband of Rakhumāī; to commit doṣa is our prescribed role — to save the fallen is yours; we have kept our side — let what happens from your side happen; Tuka says — Viṭho, king of the clever — what is here, for what reason will you let it be broken?.
Where this applies
- Don't-deviate-from-your-fitting-role.* Ucitā-udārā-Rakhumāī-kānta.
- Our-role-doṣa-yours-saving-fallen.* Ācarāvē-dōṣa-tārāvē-patita.
- We-kept-our-side-let-yours-happen.* Jatana-ghaḍēla-tē.
- Viṭho-king-of-clever-don't-break-it.* Viṭhō-catura-rāyā-mōḍōm-na.