Abhanga 2013
Devotion can include holding God accountable, voicing a grievance as boldly as a merchant demanding a bad trade be set right.
The verse
न व्हावें तें जालें । तुम्हां आम्हांसी लागलें ॥१॥ आतां हालमाकलमें । भांडोनियां काढूं वर्में ॥ध्रु.॥ पाटोळ्यासवेंसाटी । दिली रगट्याची गांठी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हरी । आणूनियां करिन सरी ॥३॥
Literal translation
What shouldn't have happened — happened — between you and us, it stuck. Now with sworn-witnesses — quarreling, we'll bring out the secret. For silk-pāṭōḷā — given a knot of coarse-cloth. Tuka says: Hari — I'll bring (it) and make it level.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| न व्हावें तें जालें | "what shouldn't have happened, happened" |
| तुम्हां आम्हांसी लागलें | "between you and us, it stuck" |
| आतां हालमाकलमें | "now with sworn-witnesses (hālamākalama)" |
| भांडोनियां काढूं वर्में | "quarreling, we'll bring out the secret" |
| पाटोळ्यासवेंसाटी | "for silk-pāṭōḷā" |
| दिली रगट्याची गांठी | "given a knot of coarse-cloth" |
| तुका म्हणे हरी | "Tuka says — Hari" |
| आणूनियां करिन सरी | "I'll bring (it) and make it level" |
What it means
Bad-trade-silk-for-coarse-cloth + I'll-bring-witnesses-and-level-the-score abhang.
The opening: na hvāvē tē jālē — tumhām āmhāmsī lāgalē — what shouldn't have happened — happened — between you and us, it stuck. An unfortunate-thing has-arisen between us.
The witness-summons: ātām hālamākalamē — bhāṇḍōniyām kāḍhūm varmē — now with sworn-witnesses, quarreling, we'll bring out the secret. Hālamākalama = a legal-procedural term for sworn-witness-statement / signed-affidavit. Tukārām threatens: I'll-bring sworn-witnesses; we'll-quarrel-it-out; the truth-(varma) will come-out. Pure courtroom-bhakti.
THE SILK-FOR-COARSE-CLOTH IMAGE: pāṭōḷyāsavēmsāṭī — dilī ragaṭyācī gāṭhī — for silk-pāṭōḷā, given a knot of coarse-cloth. Pāṭōḷā = fine silk-cloth (the most expensive textile). Ragaṭā = coarse, rough cloth. The bhakta-alleges: we-traded silk-for-rags; we-gave-precious-jīva, got-back-only-rough-cloth. A merchant's-grievance against-the-Lord.
The closing — leveling: Tukā mhaṇē Harī — āṇūniyām karina sarī — Tuka says: Hari — I'll bring (it) and make it level. Sarī = equal, level, settled (= accounts settled). Hari — I'll-bring the-account and-settle-it level (= demand-fair-exchange).
[T]
For someone today
For today: what shouldn't have happened — happened — between you and us, it stuck; now with sworn-witnesses — quarreling, we'll bring out the secret; for silk-pāṭōḷā — given a knot of coarse-cloth; Tuka says — Hari — I'll bring (it) and make it level.
Where this applies
- When you feel like you gave your best and got shortchanged in return, even in your relationship with God
- When a wrong between you and someone you love has festered instead of being addressed
- When you're tempted to stay quiet about an injustice instead of naming it directly
- When you need permission to demand fairness rather than simply accept a bad deal