Abhanga 2114
True devotion holds God as the real giver of liberation and has no patience for those who mock bhakti or claim identity with Brahman without knowing love's secret.
The verse
विठ्ठल मुक्तिदाता । नव्हे मरो हें बोलता ॥१॥ मज न साहावें कानीं । विष उत्तर लागे मनीं ॥ध्रु.॥ हरीकथेतें धीकारी । शत्रु माझा तो वैरी ॥२॥ सुना काळतोंडा । जो या देवा म्हणे धोंडा ॥३॥ अहं म्हणे ब्रम्ह । नेणे भक्तीचें तें वर्म ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे क्षण । नको तयाचें दर्षण ॥५॥
Literal translation
Viṭhṭhala is mukti-giver — not 'dies' — the saying. Can't bear in ear — poison-words stick in mind. The Hari-kathā-reviler — is my enemy — my opponent. Blackened-face daughter-in-law — who says this Deva is a stone. Says 'I am Brahma' — doesn't know bhakti's secret. Tuka says: for a moment — don't want his darśana.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| विठ्ठल मुक्तिदाता | "Viṭhṭhala is mukti-giver" |
| नव्हे मरो हें बोलता | "not 'dies' — the saying" |
| मज न साहावें कानीं | "can't bear in ear" |
| विष उत्तर लागे मनीं | "poison-words stick in mind" |
| हरीकथेतें धीकारी | "the Hari-kathā-reviler" |
| शत्रु माझा तो वैरी | "is my enemy — my opponent" |
| सुना काळतोंडा | "blackened-face daughter-in-law" |
| जो या देवा म्हणे धोंडा | "who says this Deva is a stone" |
| अहं म्हणे ब्रम्ह | "says 'I am Brahma'" |
| नेणे भक्तीचें तें वर्म | "doesn't know bhakti's secret" |
| तुका म्हणे क्षण | "Tuka says — for a moment" |
| नको तयाचें दर्षण | "don't want his darśana" |
What it means
Hari-kathā-reviler-is-enemy + aham-Brahma-knows-no-bhakti-secret abhang. CONDEMNATION OF FALSE-ADVAITA-PRETENDERS.
The opening — mukti-dātā: Viṭhṭhala mukti-dātā — navhē marō hē bōlatā — Viṭhṭhala is mukti-giver — not 'dies' — the saying. Viṭhṭhala is-the-mukti-giver, not the-(philosophical)-saying that "dies" (= the Advaita-claim of-self-merger as marō).
The poison-words: maja na sāhāvē kānīm — viṣa uttara lāgē manīm — can't bear in ear — poison-words stick in mind. Can't-hear-such-words; they stick like-poison.
The enemy-declaration: Harī-kathētē dhīkārī — śatru mājhā tō vairī — the Hari-kathā-reviler — is my enemy — my opponent. The Hari-kathā-reviler is-my-enemy.
The Deva-as-stone insult: sunā kāḷa-tōṇḍā — jō yā Dēvā mhaṇē dhōṇḍā — blackened-face daughter-in-law — who says this Deva is a stone. Dhōṇḍā = stone (an insult: 'just-a-stone, no-Deva'). The kāḷa-tōṇḍā-sunā image returns — those who-say the-Lord's-mūrti is-just-a-stone.
THE ANTI-ADVAITA-LINE: aham mhaṇē Brahma — nēṇē bhaktīchē tē varma — says 'I am Brahma' — doesn't know bhakti's secret. Says "aham-Brahma"; doesn't-know bhakti's-secret. Tukārām's distinctive opposition to-the-advaita-pretender who-claims-identity-with-Brahman without-knowing-bhakti.
The closing — no-darśana: Tukā mhaṇē kṣaṇa — nakō tayāchē darṣaṇa — Tuka says: for a moment — don't want his darśana. Don't-want his-darśana, even-for-a-moment.
[T]
For someone today
For today: Viṭhṭhala is mukti-giver — not 'dies' — the saying; can't bear in ear — poison-words stick in mind; the Hari-kathā-reviler — is my enemy — my opponent; blackened-face daughter-in-law — who says this Deva is a stone; says 'I am Brahma' — doesn't know bhakti's secret; Tuka says — for a moment — don't want his darśana.
Where this applies
- When someone dismisses devotional singing or worship as beneath them.
- When a person claims deep spiritual knowledge or oneness with God but shows no real love or humility.
- When someone mocks a sacred image or symbol that others hold dear.
- When clever talk about religion leaves you feeling something is hollow or even poisonous.