संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2219 of 4582

Abhanga 2219

For today: you speak with back-turned — I know the bhāva; what's asked doesn't come by aversion — no respect-authority; ear bent for satisfaction — stolen mind visible; Tuka says — your tricks known — outer-form fancies known.

When you'd confront Lord's-aversion + Lord's-tricks-known — bōlatām-vachana-pāṭha-mōrē-bhāva-kaḷōm; māgatilē-aruchīnē-hātām-sattā-ādarāchī; samādhānāsāṭīm-kāna-chōralē-mana; phanda-varadaḷa-chanda-kaḷōm

The verse

बोलतां वचन असा पाठमोरे । मज भाव बरे कळों आले ॥१॥ मागतिलें नये अरुचीनें हातां । नाहीं वरी सत्ता आदराची ॥ध्रु.॥ समाधानासाटीं लाविलासे कान । चोरलें तें मन दिसतसां ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आम्हां तुमचे चि फंद । वरदळ छंद कळों येती ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: You speak with back-turned — I've come to know the bhāva well. What's asked doesn't come to hand by [your] aversion — no authority of respect above. For satisfaction the ear was bent — the stolen mind is visible. Tuka says: your very tricks are known to us — outer-form fancies become known.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
बोलतां वचन असा पाठमोरे "you speak with back-turned"
मज भाव बरे कळों आले "I've come to know the bhāva well"
मागतिलें नये अरुचीनें हातां "what's asked doesn't come to hand by [your] aversion"
नाहीं वरी सत्ता आदराची "no authority of respect above"
समाधानासाटीं लाविलासे कान "for satisfaction the ear was bent"
चोरलें तें मन दिसतसां "the stolen mind is visible"
तुका म्हणे आम्हां तुमचे चि फंद "Tuka says — your very tricks [are known] to us"
वरदळ छंद कळों येती "outer-form fancies become known"

What it means

Lord-speaks-with-back-turned + tricks-are-known abhang. Ninth abhang of the niḍrā-cluster — confronting the Lord's-aversion.

The back-turned image: bōlatām vachana asā pāṭha-mōrē — maja bhāva barē kaḷōm ālēyou speak with back-turned — I've come to know the bhāva well. Pāṭha-mōrē = with back turned, back-toward. You speak with-back-turned-to-me; I-have-come-to-know-the-bhāva (the inner-feeling) well. The bhakta detects the Lord's-withdrawal even-when-speech-is-offered.

The aversion-and-no-respect: māgatilē nayē aruchīnē hātām — nāhīm varī sattā ādarāchīwhat's asked doesn't come to hand by [your] aversion — no authority of respect above. Aruchī = aversion, distaste. What-is-asked doesn't-come-to-hand because-of-(your)-aversion; no-authority-of-respect (= no-respectful-attention) from-above.

The bent-ear: samādhānāsāṭīm lāvilāsē kāna — chōralē tē mana disatasāmfor satisfaction the ear was bent — the stolen mind is visible. The ear was-bent for-(my)-satisfaction (perfunctorily); the stolen-(distracted)-mind is-visible. (= the Lord's-ear was-merely-pretending-to-listen; the mind-was-elsewhere.)

The closing — tricks-are-known: Tukā mhaṇē āmhām tumacē chi phanda — varadaḷa chanda kaḷōm yētīTuka says: your very tricks are known to us — outer-form fancies become known. Phanda = tricks, deceits. Varadaḷa = outer-layer, outer-form. Your-tricks are-known to-us; outer-form-fancies become-known.

The bhakta's-insight in the niḍrā: even-the-Lord's-affected-attention is-not-fooling-Tukārām. The intimacy is-so-deep that even the Lord's-pretense is-transparent.

[T]

For someone today

For today: you speak with back-turned — I know the bhāva; what's asked doesn't come by aversion — no respect-authority; ear bent for satisfaction — stolen mind visible; Tuka says — your tricks known — outer-form fancies known.

Where this applies

Related verses