Abhanga 1911
Tukaram half jokingly scolds God for neglecting his hungry children, using playful complaint to voice a real ache for attention and care.
The verse
काय पोरें जालीं फार । किंवा न साहे करकर ॥१॥ म्हणऊनि केली सांडी । घांस घेऊं न ल्हां तोंडीं ॥ध्रु.॥ करूं कलागती । तुज भांडणें भोंवतीं ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे टांचें । घरीं जालेंसे वरोचें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Are there too many children — or you don't tolerate the noise? Therefore (you) abandoned (us) — we don't get a morsel in mouth. Let's make a row — disputes around you. Tuka says: the earthen-pot has become heavier in (your) house.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय पोरें जालीं फार | "are there too many children" |
| किंवा न साहे करकर | "or you don't tolerate the noise (kara-kara)" |
| म्हणऊनि केली सांडी | "therefore (you) abandoned" |
| घांस घेऊं न ल्हां तोंडीं | "we don't get a morsel in mouth" |
| करूं कलागती | "let's make a row (kalāgatī)" |
| तुज भांडणें भोंवतीं | "disputes around you" |
| तुका म्हणे टांचें | "Tuka says — the earthen-pot (ṭāñcē)" |
| घरीं जालेंसे वरोचें | "has become heavier in (your) house (varōcē)" |
What it means
Comic-complaint-to-the-Lord-as-parent abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The opening: kāya pōrē jālīm phāra — kimvā na sāhē kara-kara — are there too many children — or you don't tolerate the noise?. Pōrē = children; kara-kara = the rattle, the noise of children. Comic-question to the parent-Lord: too-many-bhaktas-to-feed? or-tired-of-our-noise?.
The morsel-line: mhaṇa'ūni kēlī sāṇḍī — ghāsa ghē'ūm na lhām tōṇḍī — therefore (you) abandoned — we don't get a morsel in mouth. Children-go-hungry without-the-parent's-attention.
The threat: karūm kalāgatī — tuja bhāṇḍaṇē bhōmvatīm — let's make a row — disputes around you. Kalāgatī = quarrel, contention. Children-will-make-noise around-the-parent until-fed.
The closing-image: Tukā mhaṇē ṭāñcē — gharī jālē-sē varōcē — Tuka says: the earthen-pot has become heavier in (your) house. Ṭāñcē = earthen-cooking-pot; varōcē = heavier, more-burdensome. The earthen-pot of-cooking-for-the-children has-become-too-heavy in-your-house (= the parent has-burdens that-make-him-skip-feeding-the-bhaktas).
This is the comic-complaint-letter-fragment — the bhakta-as-hungry-child-rowdy-around-the-distracted-parent.
[T]
For someone today
For today: are there too many children — or you don't tolerate the noise?; therefore (you) abandoned us — we don't get a morsel in mouth; let's make a row — disputes around you; Tuka says — the earthen-pot has become heavier in your house.
Where this applies
- When you feel neglected by someone you love and want to complain about it, half joking and half serious
- When you use humor to point out that you are not getting the attention you truly need
- When you feel like just one of many people someone is responsible for, and wonder if you have been forgotten
- When you decide that making a little noise is the only way to finally get noticed