Abhanga 2114
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.
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
English: 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
- Viṭhṭhala-mukti-giver-not-philosophical-marō.* Viṭhṭhala-mukti-dātā-marō-bōlatā.
- Poison-words-don't-bear-in-ear.* Sāhāvē-kānīm-viṣa-uttara.
- Hari-kathā-reviler-is-enemy.* Harī-kathētē-dhīkārī-śatru-vairī.
- Says-Deva-is-stone-blackened-face.* Sunā-kāḷa-tōṇḍā-Dēvā-dhōṇḍā.
- Aham-Brahma-knows-no-bhakti-secret.* Aham-Brahma-bhaktīchē-varma.
- Don't-want-his-darśana.* Kṣaṇa-darṣaṇa-na.