Abhanga 2125
Protect what is true, refute what is false, keep spreading genuine devotion, and speak the same honest truth to everyone without fear or favoritism.
The verse
धर्माचे पाळण । करणें पाषांड खंडण ॥१॥ हें चि आम्हां करणें काम । बीज वाढवावें नाम ॥ध्रु.॥ तीक्षण उत्तरें । हातीं घेउनि बाण फिरें ॥२॥ नाहीं भीड भार । तुका म्हणे साना थोर ॥३॥
Literal translation
Protecting dharma — cutting pāṣaṇḍa (heresy). This is our task — grow the Name-seed. Sharp answers — taking arrows in hand, I move-around. No fear or burden — Tuka says — small or big.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| धर्माचे पाळण | "protecting dharma" |
| करणें पाषांड खंडण | "cutting pāṣaṇḍa (heresy)" |
| हें चि आम्हां करणें काम | "this is our task" |
| बीज वाढवावें नाम | "grow the Name-seed" |
| तीक्षण उत्तरें | "sharp answers" |
| हातीं घेउनि बाण फिरें | "taking arrows in hand, I move-around" |
| नाहीं भीड भार | "no fear or burden" |
| तुका म्हणे साना थोर | "Tuka says — small or big" |
What it means
Protect-dharma-cut-pāṣaṇḍa + sharp-arrow-answers abhang. TUKĀRĀM'S MISSION STATEMENT.
The opening — mission: dharmāchē pāḷaṇa — karaṇē pāṣāṇḍa khaṇḍana — protecting dharma — cutting pāṣaṇḍa (heresy). Pāṣaṇḍa = heretical/false-doctrine. Two tasks: protect-dharma + cut-heresy. Tukārām's clear-stated-mission.
The Name-seed: hē chi āmhām karaṇē kāma — bīja vāḍhavāvē Nāma — this is our task — grow the Name-seed. Our-task: cultivate the-Name-seed.
The arrows-image: tīkṣaṇa uttarē — hātīm ghē'uni bāṇa phirē — sharp answers — taking arrows in hand, I move-around. Sharp-replies are-my-arrows; I-walk-with-them-in-hand. Verbal-arrows for-heresy-cutting.
The closing — no-fear: nāhīm bhīḍa bhāra — Tukā mhaṇē sānā thōra — no fear or burden — small or big. No-fear-or-deference; small-or-big — I-answer-everyone.
[T]
For someone today
For today: protecting dharma — cutting pāṣaṇḍa (heresy); this is our task — grow the Name-seed; sharp answers — taking arrows in hand, I move-around; Tuka says — no fear or burden — small or big.
Where this applies
- When you need to speak up against falsehood or wrongdoing even though it feels risky.
- When you're tempted to soften the truth because the person you're addressing is powerful or important.
- When you want a clear, simple purpose to focus your energy on, like spreading something genuinely good.
- When you're being asked to stay quiet out of deference rather than honesty.