Abhanga 2384
For today: rejected wife still has authority; even hypocrite-bhaktas are protected from Yama-dūta ; king's-son can't be punished by others; many flaws but Dēva-mark on throat.
The verse
प्रीति नाही राया वर्जिली ते कांता । परी तिची सत्ता जगावरी ॥१॥ तैसे दंभी जालों तरी तुझे भक्त । वास यमदूत न पाहाती ॥ध्रु.॥ राजयाचा पुत्र अपराधी देखा । तो काय आणिकां दंडवेल ॥२॥ बाहातरी खोडी परी देवमण कंठीं । तैसो जगजेठी म्हणे तुका ॥३॥
Literal translation
The king has no love for the rejected wife — yet her authority over the world. Even if we became hypocrites, [we're] your bhaktas — Yama-dūta doesn't look-in. The king's-son, even if guilty — who can punish him. Many flaws but Dēva-mark on throat — so to Jagajēṭhī, says Tukā.
What it means
THE BHAKTA-PROTECTED-EVEN-IF-FLAWED ABHANG.
The rejected-wife-with-authority: prīti nāhī rāyā varjilī tē kāntā — parī tichī sattā jagāvarī — the king has no love for the rejected wife — yet her authority over the world. Even-when-the-king-rejects-her-love, the-queen retains-authority-over-the-realm.
THE PROTECTION-CLAIM: taisē dambhī jālōm tarī tujhē bhakta — vāsa Yama-dūta na pāhātī — even if we became hypocrites, [we're] your bhaktas — Yama-dūta doesn't look-in. Even-if-we-became-hypocrites (dambhī), [we're-still] your-bhaktas; Yama-dūta doesn't-look-in (= at-our-dwelling). The bhakta's-paradoxical-claim: even-with-our-flaws, being-yours protects-us.
The king's-son: rājayāchā putra aparādhī dēkhā — tō kāya āṇikām daṇḍavēla — the king's-son, even if guilty — who can punish him. Even-the-king's-son when-guilty cannot-be-punished by-others (only-the-king-himself can).
The Dēva-mark: bahātarī khōḍī parī Dēva-maṇa kaṇṭhīm — taisō Jagajēṭhī mhaṇē Tukā — many flaws but Dēva-mark on throat — so to Jagajēṭhī, says Tukā. Many-flaws but-the-Dēva-mark on-throat (= bhakti-mark of-belonging).
[T]
For someone today
For today: rejected wife still has authority; even hypocrite-bhaktas are protected from Yama-dūta ; king's-son can't be punished by others; many flaws but Dēva-mark on throat.
Where this applies
- When you feel unworthy of grace because of your own flaws or hypocrisy
- When you are reassured that belonging to someone or something bigger protects you even when you fall short
- When you compare your own imperfect loyalty to someone else's and wonder if it still counts
- When you need to trust that a genuine core commitment matters more than a flawless record