Abhanga 2012
A vow once given, by you or by God, must be kept, because abandoning a promise makes a person laṇḍī and drags everyone bound to it backward.
The verse
केला पण सांडी । ऐसियासी म्हणती लंडी ॥१॥ आतां पाहा विचारून । समर्थासी बोले कोण ॥ध्रु.॥ आपला निवाड । आपणें चि करितां गोड ॥२॥ तुम्हीं आम्हीं देवा । बोलिला बोल सिद्धी न्यावा ॥३॥ आसे धुरे उणें । मागें सरे तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Who abandons a vow taken — is called laṇḍī (vile). Now look with consideration — who speaks to the Samartha? One's own decision — making one's own is sweet. You and we, Lord — take the spoken-word to siddhi. The leader/yoke-bearer falls short — moves back, Tuka says.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| केला पण सांडी | "who abandons a vow taken" |
| ऐसियासी म्हणती लंडी | "is called laṇḍī (vile)" |
| आतां पाहा विचारून | "now look with consideration" |
| समर्थासी बोले कोण | "who speaks to the Samartha (the Lord)" |
| आपला निवाड | "one's own decision" |
| आपणें चि करितां गोड | "making one's own is sweet" |
| तुम्हीं आम्हीं देवा | "you and we, Lord" |
| बोलिला बोल सिद्धी न्यावा | "take the spoken-word to siddhi" |
| आसे धुरे उणें | "the leader/yoke-bearer falls short" |
| मागें सरे तुका म्हणे | "moves back, Tuka says" |
What it means
Vow-abandoner-is-laṇḍī + fulfill-the-spoken-word abhang. BOLD-REBUKE-OF-LORD register.
The opening — strikes home: kēlā paṇa sāṇḍī — aisiyāsī mhaṇatī laṇḍī — who abandons a vow taken — is called laṇḍī (vile). Paṇa = vow, wager, contract. Laṇḍī = vile, despicable, of-broken-character. The bhakta, in legal-merchant tone, invokes the principle: one who-abandons-a-pledged-vow is laṇḍī. (= implied: the Lord-has-pledged; if-he-abandons, he's...)
The cautious-qualifier: ātām pāhā vichārūna — samarthāsī bōlē kōṇa — now look with consideration — who speaks to the Samartha. A self-restraint: who-am-I to-speak-thus-to-the-Almighty?. Yet-the-principle-stands.
The self-decision: āpalā nivāḍa — āpaṇē chi karitām gōḍa — one's own decision — making one's own is sweet. Best-to-make-one's-own-decision (= the Lord better-decide).
The contract-formula: tumhīm āmhīm Dēvā — bōlilā bōla siddhī nyāvā — you and we, Lord — take the spoken-word to siddhi. Both-of-us-(Lord-and-bhakta)-together must-take the-given-word to-fulfillment (siddhi) — a bilateral-contract-formula.
The closing — yoke-bearer's-shame: āsē dhurē uṇē — māgē sarē Tukā mhaṇē — the leader/yoke-bearer falls short — moves back, Tuka says. Dhurē = the yoke-bearing bullock at-the-front of-the-team. If-the-lead-bullock (= the Lord) falls-short, he-(the-team)-moves-back (= if-the-Lord-fails-the-pledge, the-whole-team-falls-back).
[T]
For someone today
For today: who abandons a vow taken — is called laṇḍī (vile); now look with consideration — who speaks to the Samartha?; one's own decision — making one's own is sweet; you and we, Lord — take the spoken-word to siddhi; the leader falls short — moves back, Tuka says.
Where this applies
- When you promised someone, or yourself, something small and are tempted to quietly let it slide
- When you feel bold enough to hold God, or your faith, accountable to the promises it makes to devotees
- When you lead a family or a team and your own follow-through decides whether everyone behind you keeps moving
- When you are unsure whether you have the right to question authority, yet still know the principle you are naming is true