Abhanga 1852
For today: kṛpāvanta, don't hold anger in chitta — even my teasing-words are stuti; your depth, what do we know, deva? — don't know how to do that service; Ananta, arūpa, alakṣa, Acyuta — nirguṇa, sat-cit, sarvottama; you took these good names, placing them — yet became small for bhakti's sake; Tuka says — on your feet, always, let my mastaka be, Govinda.
The verse
कृपावंता कोप न धरावा चित्ती । छळूं वक्रोक्ति स्तुती करूं ॥१॥ आम्ही तुझा पार काय जाणों देवा । नेणों कैसी सेवा करावी ते ॥ध्रुर्वो.॥ अनंता अरूपा अलक्षा अच्युता । निर्गुणा सचिता सवाौत्तमा ॥२॥ चांगलीं हीं नामें घेतलीं ठेवून । जालासी लाहान भक्तिकाजा ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे तुझ्या पायांवरी सदा । मस्तक गोविंदा असो माझा ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Kṛpāvanta, don't hold anger in chitta — (if I) tease with vakrōkti, (it's) stuti I make. Your depth, what do we know, deva? — we don't know how to do that service. Ananta, arūpa, alakṣa, Acyuta — nirguṇa, sat-cit, sarvottama. These good names you took, placing — you became small for bhakti's sake. Tuka says: on your feet, always — let my mastaka be, Govinda.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कृपावंता कोप न धरावा चित्ती | "kṛpāvanta — don't hold anger — in chitta" |
| छळूं वक्रोक्ति स्तुती करूं | "(if I) tease — with vakrōkti — (it's) stuti I make" |
| आम्ही तुझा पार काय जाणों देवा | "your depth — what do we know — deva" |
| नेणों कैसी सेवा करावी ते | "we don't know — how to do that service" |
| अनंता अरूपा अलक्षा अच्युता | "Ananta, arūpa, alakṣa, Acyuta" |
| निर्गुणा सचिता सवाौत्तमा | "nirguṇa, sat-cit, sarvottama" |
| चांगलीं हीं नामें घेतलीं ठेवून | "these good names — (you) took, placing" |
| जालासी लाहान भक्तिकाजा | "(you) became small — for bhakti's sake" |
| तुका म्हणे तुझ्या पायांवरी सदा | "Tuka says — on your feet — always" |
| मस्तक गोविंदा असो माझा | "let my mastaka be — Govinda" |
What it means
Vakrōkti-is-still-stuti + names-list + became-small-for-bhakti abhang. Part of the 1848-1857 confrontation-cluster — but here Tuka softens, claiming his teasing-words are also stuti.
The opening: kṛpāvantā kōpa na dharāvā chittī — chaḷūm vakrōkti stuti karūm — kṛpāvanta, don't hold anger — (if I) tease with vakrōkti, (it's) stuti I make. Vakrōkti = twisted-speech, indirect-praise via apparent-criticism (= the rhetorical-figure of paradoxical-praise). Even when I-seem-to-tease-or-taunt, it's actually-stuti. (Defense of the bold-speech of the cluster's earlier abhangs.)
The depth-line: āmhī tujhā pāra kāya jāṇōm devā — nēṇōm kaisī sēvā karāvī tē — what depth of yours do we know? — don't know how to do that service. I-don't-know-your-vastness; don't-know-how-to-properly-serve.
The names-list: Anantā arūpā alakṣā Acyutā — nirguṇā saccitā sarvōttamā — Ananta, arūpa, alakṣa, Acyuta — nirguṇa, sat-cit, sarvottama. Seven cosmic-names: the endless, formless, unmarked, unfallen — qualityless, sat-cit, supreme.
The brilliant inversion: cāngalīm hīm nāmē ghētalīm ṭhē'ūna — jālāsī lāhāna bhakti-kājā — you took these good names, placing them — (and yet) became small for bhakti's sake. The cosmic-Lord-with-cosmic-names becomes-small for-the-bhakta-sake. (Echoes 1828's bhāvē kēlāsī lahāna — we made you small by bhāva.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē tujhyā pāyāmvarī sadā — mastaka Govindā asō mājhā — Tuka says: on your feet, always — let my mastaka be, Govinda. The simple-bhakti-conclusion: let my head-rest on your feet always.
This abhang is the conciliation in the middle of the confrontation-cluster — the bhakta admits his teasing-words are stuti, names-the-Lord's-cosmic-grandeur, and-then-thanks-the-Lord for-becoming-small for-bhakti.
[T]
For someone today
For today: kṛpāvanta, don't hold anger in chitta — even my teasing-words are stuti; your depth, what do we know, deva? — don't know how to do that service; Ananta, arūpa, alakṣa, Acyuta — nirguṇa, sat-cit, sarvottama; you took these good names, placing them — yet became small for bhakti's sake; Tuka says — on your feet, always, let my mastaka be, Govinda.
Where this applies
- Vakrōkti-tease-is-still-stuti.* Chaḷūm-vakrōkti-stuti.
- Don't-know-your-depth-or-how-to-serve.* Pāra-na-jāṇōm-sēvā-na.
- Cosmic-names-Ananta-arūpa-alakṣa-Acyuta-nirguṇa-saccita-sarvottama.* Ananta-arūpa-saccita.
- Took-cosmic-names-but-became-small-for-bhakti.* Nāmē-lāhāna-bhakti-kājā.
- Mastaka-on-your-feet-always.* Mastaka-pāyī-Govinda.