Abhanga 1848
For today: shouldn't speak — but the prasanga has fallen — the world calls by your name; fake show — array was spread — you are truly a beggar, I have come to know; shamelessly we, gathering courage, remain holding the support; how I don't know now you will do the end — you've made the quarrel ahead; Tuka says — you don't speak anything, deva — is this fitting, while taking my service?.
The verse
न बोलावें परी पडिला प्रसंग । हाकलितें जग तुझ्या नामें ॥१॥ लटिकें चि सोंग मांडिला पसारा । भिकारी तूं खरा कळों आलें ॥ध्रु.॥ निलाजिरीं आम्ही करोनियां धीर । राहिलों आधार धरूनियां ॥२॥ कैसा नेणों आतां करिसी शेवट । केली कटकट त्याची पुढें॥३॥ तुका म्हणे कांहीं न बोलसी देवा । उचित हे सेवा घेसी माझी ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Shouldn't speak — but the prasanga has fallen — the world calls by your name. Fake show — the array was spread — you are truly a beggar, I have come to know. Shamelessly we — gathering courage — remain, holding the support. How I don't know — now you'll do the end — you've made the quarrel ahead. Tuka says: you don't speak anything, deva — is this fitting — while taking my service?.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न बोलावें परी पडिला प्रसंग | "shouldn't speak — but the prasanga has fallen" |
| हाकलितें जग तुझ्या नामें | "the world calls — by your name" |
| लटिकें चि सोंग मांडिला पसारा | "fake show — spread the array" |
| भिकारी तूं खरा कळों आलें | "you are truly a beggar — I have come to know" |
| निलाजिरीं आम्ही करोनियां धीर | "shamelessly we — gathering courage" |
| राहिलों आधार धरूनियां | "we remain — holding the support" |
| कैसा नेणों आतां करिसी शेवट | "how I don't know — now you'll do the end" |
| केली कटकट त्याची पुढें | "made the quarrel ahead" |
| तुका म्हणे कांहीं न बोलसी देवा | "Tuka says — you don't speak — deva" |
| उचित हे सेवा घेसी माझी | "is this fitting — (while) taking my service" |
What it means
Bhakta-accuses-Lord-of-disguised-poverty abhang. Part of the 1848-1857 cluster of pressuring-the-Lord abhangs.
The opening: na bōlāvē parī paḍilā prasanga — hākalitē jaga tujhyā nāmē — shouldn't speak — but the prasanga has fallen — the world calls by your name. The bhakta apologizes-for-having-to-speak-out, but the situation has demanded it.
The accusation: laṭikē chi sōnga māṇḍilā pasārā — bhikārī tūm kharā kaḷōm ālē — fake show — the array was spread — you are truly a beggar. Bold accusation: the cosmic-Lord's-show is fake; underneath, you-are-actually-a-beggar. (= the Lord's-promised-saving has-not-come-through, exposing him as bankrupt.)
The shameless-stance: nilājirīm āmhī karōniyām dhīra — rāhilōm ādhāra dharūniyām — shamelessly, gathering courage, we remain, holding the support. Despite-the-disgrace, we-still-hold-on to-you-as-the-only-support.
The end-question: kaisā nēṇōm ātām karisī śēvaṭa — kēlī kaṭakaṭa tyācī puḍhē — how I don't know — now you'll do the end — you've made the quarrel ahead. I-don't-know-how-you'll-conclude-this; you've-set-up-the-quarrel-yourself.
The closing-charge: Tukā mhaṇē kāhīm na bōlasī devā — ucita hē sēvā ghēsī mājhī — Tuka says: you don't speak, deva — is this fitting, while taking my service?. Direct-charge: you-take-my-service-while-staying-silent — this is not-fair.
This abhang is the opening of the 1848-1857 confrontation-cluster — pairs with 1788, 1796, 1797 from earlier as legal-style bhakta-Lord-confrontations.
[T]
For someone today
For today: shouldn't speak — but the prasanga has fallen — the world calls by your name; fake show — array was spread — you are truly a beggar, I have come to know; shamelessly we, gathering courage, remain holding the support; how I don't know now you will do the end — you've made the quarrel ahead; Tuka says — you don't speak anything, deva — is this fitting, while taking my service?.
Where this applies
- World-calls-by-your-name-prasanga-fallen.* Prasanga-paḍilā-jaga-nāmē.
- Fake-show-you-are-truly-a-beggar.* Sōnga-pasārā-bhikārī-kharā.
- Shameless-courage-holding-the-support.* Nilājirī-dhīra-ādhāra.
- You-don't-speak-while-taking-my-service.* Na-bōlasī-ucita-sēvā.