Abhanga 1875
For today: those who crossed before — earned by their own sattā, the kamāī, Anantā; in repaying a loan, what dharma is there? — they are ananya to you, you to them; tell me, who like me has gone-waste — that you have saved, Pāṇḍurangā?; Tuka says — action matching the name — I don't see — make sense of this in mind.
The verse
तरले ते मागें आपुलिया सत्ता । कमाईं अनंता करूनियां ॥१॥ उसनें फेडितां धर्म तेथें कोण । ते तुज अनन्ये तुम्ही त्यांसी ॥ध्रु.॥ मज ऐसा कोण सांगा वांयां गेला । तो तुम्ही तारिला पांडुरंगा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे नांवासारिखी करणी । न देखें हें मनीं समजावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Those (who) crossed before — by their own sattā — earned the kamāī, Anantā. In repaying a loan, what dharma is there? — they are ananya to you, you are theirs. Tell me, who like me has gone-waste, that you have saved, Pāṇḍuranga? Tuka says: action matching the name — I don't see — make sense of this in mind.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तरले ते मागें आपुलिया सत्ता | "those (who) crossed — before — by their own sattā" |
| कमाईं अनंता करूनियां | "(they) earned — the kamāī, Anantā" |
| उसनें फेडितां धर्म तेथें कोण | "in repaying a loan — what dharma is there" |
| ते तुज अनन्ये तुम्ही त्यांसी | "they are ananya to you — you are theirs" |
| मज ऐसा कोण सांगा वांयां गेला | "tell me, who like me — has gone-waste" |
| तो तुम्ही तारिला पांडुरंगा | "that you have saved — Pāṇḍuranga" |
| तुका म्हणे नांवासारिखी करणी | "Tuka says — action — matching-the-name" |
| न देखें हें मनीं समजावें | "I don't see — make sense of this in mind" |
What it means
Past-bhaktas-earned + I-have-no-merit-but-must-be-saved abhang.
The opening: taralē tē māgē āpuliyā sattā — kamāī Anantā karūniyām — those (who) crossed before — by their own sattā — earned the kamāī, Anantā. Taralē = those who crossed-over; kamāī = the earnings / merit-acquired. Past-bhaktas crossed-by-their-own-power, earning-merit by-their-own-effort.
The loan-line: usanē phēḍitām dharma tēthē kōṇa — tē tuja ananyē tumhī tyāmsī — in repaying a loan, what dharma is there? — they are ananya to you, you to them. Usana = loan; ananya = non-other / single-only. No special-dharma-credit in-repaying-a-loan; those bhaktas-and-the-Lord were-mutually-ananya (= so close-as-to-be-non-different).
The bhakta's-sharp-claim: maja aisā kōṇa sāngā vāmyām gēlā — tō tumhī tārilā Pāṇḍurangā — tell me, who like me has gone-waste — that you have saved, Pāṇḍurangā?. The bhakta differentiates-himself: those-who-crossed had-merit; I-have-none — yet you-must-save-me; tell-me-of-anyone-without-merit you-have-saved. (= the truly-fallen-without-merit must-be-the-Lord's-burden, since-they-have-no-credit-of-their-own.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē nāmā-sārikhī karaṇī — na dēkhē hē manī samajāvē — Tuka says: action matching the name — I don't see — make sense of this in mind. Nāmā-sārikhī karaṇī = action-corresponding-to-the-name (e.g., "patita-pāvana"). The Lord's-action does-not-yet-match-his-Name; make-sense-of-this.
This abhang's I-have-no-merit-but-must-be-saved-because-others-had-merit-and-they-don't-get-credit-for-loans-paid is a brilliant theological-argument: the truly-merit-less-bhakta is-the-only-one-the-Lord-can-actually-save-without-it-being-just-a-loan-repayment.
[T]
For someone today
For today: those who crossed before — earned by their own sattā, the kamāī, Anantā; in repaying a loan, what dharma is there? — they are ananya to you, you to them; tell me, who like me has gone-waste — that you have saved, Pāṇḍurangā?; Tuka says — action matching the name — I don't see — make sense of this in mind.
Where this applies
- When you feel you have nothing to offer and wonder if grace or help is even meant for you.
- When you compare yourself to more accomplished or worthy people and think grace favors them instead.
- When you're waiting for someone, including God, to live up to a name or promise they claimed for themselves.
- When you need the courage to ask directly for help instead of assuming you must first earn it.