Abhanga 2136
When you've genuinely failed at your duty, own it honestly, accept correction rather than making excuses, and turn back to the one place you still belong.
The verse
लाज वाटे पुढें तोंड दाखवितां । परि जाऊं आतां कोणापाशी ॥१॥ चुकलिया काम मागतों मुशारा । लाज फजितखोरा नाहीं मज ॥ध्रु.॥ पाय सांडूनिया फिरतों बासर । स्वामिसेवे चोर होऊनियां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मज पाहिजे दंडिलें । पुढें हे घडलें न पाहिजे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ashamed to show face ahead — but where else now to go. Missed the work, ask for wages — no shame for the disgrace-monger. Foot abandoned, I wander outside — thief in the Master's service. Tuka says: I should be punished — this shouldn't happen ahead.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| लाज वाटे पुढें तोंड दाखवितां | "ashamed to show face ahead" |
| परि जाऊं आतां कोणापाशी | "but where else now to go" |
| चुकलिया काम मागतों मुशारा | "missed the work, ask for wages" |
| लाज फजितखोरा नाहीं मज | "no shame for the disgrace-monger" |
| पाय सांडूनिया फिरतों बासर | "foot abandoned, I wander outside" |
| स्वामिसेवे चोर होऊनियां | "thief in the Master's service" |
| तुका म्हणे मज पाहिजे दंडिलें | "Tuka says — I should be punished" |
| पुढें हे घडलें न पाहिजे | "this shouldn't happen ahead" |
What it means
Shame-but-nowhere-else + thief-in-Master's-service + punish-me-don't-let-it-happen-again abhang.
The opening — shame-and-nowhere: lāja vāṭē puḍhē tōṇḍa dākhavitām — pari jāūm ātām kōṇāpāśī — ashamed to show face ahead — but where else now to go. Ashamed-to-show-face; but-where-else?.
The wage-asking: chukaliyā kāma māgatōm muśārā — lāja phajita-khōrā nāhīm maja — missed the work, ask for wages — no shame for the disgrace-monger. I-missed-work, still-ask-wages; the disgrace-monger has-no-shame. Self-mocking inversion of 2061's muśārā-ghē'īna.
The thief-image: pāya sāṇḍūniyā phiratōm bāsara — svāmi-sēvē chōra hō'ūniyām — foot abandoned, I wander outside — thief in the Master's service. Leaving-(your)-feet, I-wander-outside; I'm a-thief in-the-Master's-service. Self-condemnation.
The closing — ask-for-punishment: Tukā mhaṇē maja pāhijē daṇḍilē — puḍhē hē ghaḍalē na pāhijē — I should be punished — this shouldn't happen ahead. Punish-me; don't-let-this-happen again.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ashamed to show face ahead — but where else now to go; missed the work, ask for wages — no shame for the disgrace-monger; foot abandoned, I wander outside — thief in the Master's service; Tuka says — I should be punished — this shouldn't happen ahead.
Where this applies
- When you've fallen short of a commitment or duty and feel too ashamed to face the people who trusted you.
- When you catch yourself expecting reward or credit despite not fully doing the work.
- When you've drifted away from a practice or relationship you were supposed to be faithful to.
- When you'd rather ask honestly for correction than make excuses for a real failure.