Abhanga 2003

For today: I spoke as the Lord made me speak — my jāti-kuḷa is known to you; forgive — don't hold anger — saints are mother-father to the lowly; the speech-driver showed me the secret — what's proper, dharma, before me; Tuka says — offense happens unknowing — give me a place at your feet now.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

I-spoke-as-Lord-made-me-speak-pardon-my-low-jāti abhang.

The opening — biographical confession: bōlilōm jaisē bōlavilē Dēvē — mājhē tumhām ṭhāvē jāti-kuḷa — I spoke as the Lord made me speak — my jāti-kuḷa is known to you. Tukārām disclaims authorship: the Lord-made-me-speak; my-jāti-kuḷa (caste-and-lineage = śūdra-kuṇabī, lower-caste) is-known-to-you. Biographical: Tukārām's awareness-of-his-low-caste-status and-the-Brahmin-resistance to-his-bhakti-authority (the Mambājī episodes).

The plea-for-forgiveness: karā kṣamā kāhīm nakō dharūm kōpa — santa māyabāpa dīnāvari — forgive — don't hold anger — saints are mother-father to the lowly. The saints-are-mother-father (māyabāpa) to-the-lowly; please-forgive any-offense.

The speech-driver: vāchēchā chāḷaka jālā dāvī varma — uchita tē dharma majapuḍhē — the speech-driver showed me the secret — what's proper, dharma, before me. The Lord-as-speech-driver showed-me-the-varma (secret); placed-the-proper-dharma before-me.

The closing-plea: Tukā mhaṇē ghaḍē aparādha nēṇatām — dyāvā maja ātām ṭhāva pāyīm — Tuka says: offense happens unknowing — give me a place at your feet now. Unintended-offenses happen; give-me-a-place-at-your-feet (the saints'-feet, or the-Lord's-feet).

[T]

For someone today

For today: I spoke as the Lord made me speak — my jāti-kuḷa is known to you; forgive — don't hold anger — saints are mother-father to the lowly; the speech-driver showed me the secret — what's proper, dharma, before me; Tuka says — offense happens unknowing — give me a place at your feet now.

Where this applies

• When you blurt out something honest and immediately worry you have offended someone you respect
• When you feel judged for your background or where you come from
• When you need to apologize sincerely for a mistake you did not intend to make
• When you are seeking forgiveness from someone whose good opinion matters deeply to you

Related verses

• Abhanga 4273 — If your time, money, and attention flow easily to everything except God and genuine goodne
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center
• Abhanga 3816 — A person's real priorities are revealed by contrast, in how generously they treat pleasure