Abhanga 1919
When suffering openly contradicts a promise of protection, it is honest and right to say so, because the silence itself damages the promise.
The verse
समर्थाचे पोटीं । आम्ही जन्मलों करंटीं ॥१॥ ऐसी जाली जगीं कीर्ति । तुझ्या नामाची फजिती ॥ध्रु.॥ येथें नाहीं खाया । न ये कोणी मूळ न्याया ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जिणें । आतां खोटें जीवपणें ॥३॥
Literal translation
In the samartha's belly — we are born unfortunate. Such fame in the world — (is) your Name's-disgrace. Here, no food — no one comes as messenger to take (us). Tuka says: life — now false in jīva-existence.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| समर्थाचे पोटीं | "in the samartha's belly" |
| आम्ही जन्मलों करंटीं | "we are born — unfortunate ones (karaṇṭī)" |
| ऐसी जाली जगीं कीर्ति | "such fame in the world" |
| तुझ्या नामाची फजिती | "(is) your Name's-disgrace (phajitī)" |
| येथें नाहीं खाया | "here — no food" |
| न ये कोणी मूळ न्याया | "no one comes — as messenger to take (us)" |
| तुका म्हणे जिणें | "Tuka says — life" |
| आतां खोटें जीवपणें | "now — false — in jīva-existence" |
What it means
Born-unfortunate-in-Lord's-belly + Name's-disgrace abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The opening: samarthāce pōṭīm — āmhī janmalōm karaṇṭīm — in the samartha's belly — we are born unfortunate. Samartha = the mighty-one (= the Lord); karaṇṭī = unfortunate, wretched. Born-as-children-of-the-mighty-Lord, yet-we-are-still-unfortunate.
The Name's-disgrace line: aisī jālī jagī kīrti — tujhyā nāmācī phajitī — such fame in the world — your Name's-disgrace. Phajitī = disgrace, public-shame. Striking — the bhakta-tells-the-Lord that-his-Name-itself is-being-disgraced when-his-bhaktas-suffer; the world-laughs at-the-claim that-his-Name-saves.
The no-food line: yēthē nāhīm khāyā — na yē kōṇī mūḷa nyāyā — here, no food — no one comes as messenger to take (us). No-food + no-summons-to-Pandhari.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē jiṇē — ātām khōṭē jīva-paṇē — Tuka says: life — now false in jīva-existence. Existence-itself feels-false (= the very-jīva-state has-lost meaning).
The implicit-message: the Lord's-Name-fame is-at-stake in-his-bhaktas'-suffering; if-he-doesn't-respond, the Name itself becomes-disgrace.
[T]
For someone today
For today: in the samartha's belly — we are born unfortunate; such fame in the world — (is) your Name's-disgrace; here, no food — no one comes as messenger to take (us); Tuka says — life — now false in jīva-existence.
Where this applies
- When your hardship publicly contradicts what you were promised or told to expect
- When you are the child or follower of someone powerful yet still struggling and unseen
- When you feel forgotten, as if no one is coming to check on you or bring you home
- When your outward circumstances feel disconnected from the story you were told about your life