संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2221 of 4582

Abhanga 2221

For today: not my concern for myself — some grief has come; preservation of your Name — not being, great fatigue; let no nindā fall in Master's ears, Govinda; Tuka says — the shame is the Master's affair.

When you'd petition Lord's-Name-preservation + shame-is-Master's-affair — mājhā-maja-nāhīm-ubēga; tumacyā-nāmācī-jatana-thōra-sīṇa; na-paḍāvī-nindā-svāmīñchī-Gōvindā; lāja-svāmīñchē-kāja

The verse

माझा मज नाहीं । आला उबेग तो कांहीं ॥१॥ तुमच्या नामाची जतन । नव्हतां थोर वाटे सीण ॥ध्रु.॥ न पडावी निंदा । कानीं स्वामींची गोविंदा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे लाज । आम्हां स्वामीचें तें काज ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: It's not my [concern] for myself — some grief has come. Preservation of your Name — not being [preserved], great fatigue is felt. Let no nindā fall — in the Master's ears, Govinda. Tuka says: the shame — is the Master's affair.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
माझा मज नाहीं "it's not my [concern] for myself"
आला उबेग तो कांहीं "some grief has come"
तुमच्या नामाची जतन "preservation of your Name"
नव्हतां थोर वाटे सीण "not being [preserved], great fatigue is felt"
न पडावी निंदा "let no nindā fall"
कानीं स्वामींची गोविंदा "in the Master's ears, Govinda"
तुका म्हणे लाज "Tuka says — the shame"
आम्हां स्वामीचें तें काज "is the Master's affair"

What it means

Not-my-concern-but-your-Name's-preservation + the-shame-is-the-Master's-affair abhang. Eleventh abhang of the niḍrā-cluster.

The opening — not-my-concern: mājhā maja nāhīm — ālā ubēga tō kāmhīmit's not my [concern] for myself — some grief has come. Ubēga = grief, distress. It's-not-(a-concern)-for-myself; some-grief has-come (for-a-different-reason).

The Name-preservation argument: tumacyā nāmācī jatana — navhatām thōra vāṭē sīṇapreservation of your Name — not being [preserved], great fatigue is felt. It's-the-preservation of-your-Name; when-it-isn't-being-(preserved), great-fatigue (sīṇa) is-felt-(by-me). The bhakta's-genius-move: shifting-the-complaint from-his-own-suffering to-the-Lord's-Name-being-disgraced.

The let-no-nindā: na paḍāvī nindā — kānīm svāmīñchī Gōvindālet no nindā fall — in the Master's ears, Govinda. Let-no-defamation fall in-the-Master's-(your)-ears, Govinda (= don't let-(my-distress)-cause-defamation-to-reach-your-ears).

The closing — shame-is-Master's-affair: Tukā mhaṇē lāja — āmhām svāmīñchē tē kājaTuka says: the shame is the Master's affair. The shame is-the-Master's-affair (= the-Lord's-concern-to-prevent) (= if-I-am-shamed, it-reflects-on-the-Master).

The argument continues from 2220's mercantile-logic: the Lord's-reputation is-at-stake. If-Tukārām-is-shamed, the Lord's-name is-defamed. The bhakta-throws-the-burden-of-his-honor onto-the-Lord-who-claims-him.

[T]

For someone today

For today: not my concern for myself — some grief has come; preservation of your Name — not being, great fatigue; let no nindā fall in Master's ears, Govinda; Tuka says — the shame is the Master's affair.

Where this applies

Related verses