संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1871 of 4582

Abhanga 1871

For today: what is that strength? — doesn't work in this time — has it become force-less, śakti-less?; by my samcita, I brought you, Hari — it became greater than you; have you lost the Sudarśana and the mace? — don't speak, Govinda — you are ashamed; Tuka says — what use of that title-work? — set aside the name dīna-nātha.

When you'd charge the Lord with impotence + abandoned-title — sāmarthya-na-cālē-śakti-hīṇa; samcita-āṇilāsī-variṣṭha; Sudarśana-gadā-gamāvilī-lājatasām; bridāce-kāma-na-sāṇḍā-dīna-nātha

The verse

काय तें सामर्थ्य न चले या काळें । काय जालीं बळें शक्तिहीण ॥१॥ माझिया संचितें आणिलासी हरी । जालें तुजवरी वरिष्ठ तें ॥ध्रु.॥ काय गमाविली सुदर्शन गदा । नो बोला गोविंदा लाजतसां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे काय ब्रिदाचें तें काम । सांडा परतें नाम दिनानाथ ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: What is that strength? — doesn't work in this time — has it become force-less, śakti-less? By my samcita, I brought you, Hari — (it) became greater than you. Have you lost the Sudarśana and the gadā? — don't speak, Govinda, you are ashamed. Tuka says: what use of that title-work? — set aside the name dīna-nātha.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
काय तें सामर्थ्य न चले या काळें "what is that strengthdoesn't workin this time"
काय जालीं बळें शक्तिहीण "has it become force-less, śakti-less"
माझिया संचितें आणिलासी हरी "by my samcitaI brought you, Hari"
जालें तुजवरी वरिष्ठ तें "(it) becamegreater than you"
काय गमाविली सुदर्शन गदा "have you lost the Sudarśana and the gadā"
नो बोला गोविंदा लाजतसां "don't speak, Govindayou are ashamed"
तुका म्हणे काय ब्रिदाचें तें काम "Tuka says — what useof that title-work"
सांडा परतें नाम दिनानाथ "set aside the namedīna-nātha"

What it means

Charge-of-impotence + abandoned-titles abhang. Among the gatha's sharpest accusations against the Lord.

The opening: kāya tē sāmarthya na cālē yā kāḷē — kāya jālīm baḷē śakti-hīṇawhat is that strength? — doesn't work in this time — has it become śakti-less?. Sharp-charge: the famous-strength of the Lord is-not-working; has-it-become-impotent?.

The samcita-line: mājhiyā samcitē āṇilāsī Hari — jālē tujavarī variṣṭha tēby my samcita, I brought you, Hari — (it) became greater than you. Bold-claim: my samcita-(merit)-brought-you to-me; thus-my-samcita has-become-greater-than-you. (= the bhakta's-pull-of-bhakti is-greater-than-the-Lord's-strength.)

The weapons-line: kāya gamāvilī Sudarśana gadā — nō bōlā Govindā lājatasāmhave you lost the Sudarśana and the gadā? — don't speak, Govinda — you are ashamed. Sudarśana = Viṣṇu's-disc; gadā = the mace. Devastating-charge: have-you-lost-your-weapons (= your saving-power)? — don't-speak (= you-have-nothing-to-say); Govinda, you-are-ashamed. Open-shaming-of-the-Lord.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kāya bridācē tē kāma — sāṇḍā paratē nāma dīna-nāthaTuka says: what use of that title-work? — set aside the name dīna-nātha. Dīna-nātha = Lord-of-the-helpless. If you-can't-act-the-dīna-nātha-role, set-aside-the-name; titles-without-action are-useless.

This abhang is one of the sharpest-charges in the gatha — pairs with 1850's Lord-hides and 1853's Lord-takes-service-by-trickery registers.

[T]

For someone today

For today: what is that strength? — doesn't work in this time — has it become force-less, śakti-less?; by my samcita, I brought you, Hari — it became greater than you; have you lost the Sudarśana and the mace? — don't speak, Govinda — you are ashamed; Tuka says — what use of that title-work? — set aside the name dīna-nātha.

Where this applies

Related verses