संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2416 of 4582

Abhanga 2416

It is honest and allowed to voice frustration when you feel you are struggling while the divine seems distant and untouched.

When you feel worn out from struggling while things around you seem calm and unaffected.

When you want to argue with someone or something far more powerful than you and know you cannot win.

When you admit you still do not understand why the burden feels so unequal.

The verse

आम्ही आर्तभूत जिवीं । तुम्ही गोसावी तों उदास ॥१॥ वादावाद समर्थाशीं । काशानशीं करावा ॥ध्रु.॥ आम्ही मरों वेरझारीं । स्वामी घरीं बैसले ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे करितां वाद । कांहीं भेद कळेना ॥३॥

Literal translation

We, distressed in life — you, the gōsāvī, indifferent. Debate with the powerful — by what means. We die in back-and-forth — Svāmī sits at home. Tuka says: doing debate — no difference understood.

What it means

THE WE-DIE-IN-BACK-AND-FORTH-SVĀMĪ-SITS-AT-HOME ABHANG. A celebrated complaint-bhakti line.

The indifferent-gōsāvī: āmhī ārta-bhūta jīvīm — tumhī gōsāvī tōm udāsa — we, distressed in life — you, the gōsāvī, indifferent. We-are-distressed-in-life; you, the-gōsāvī, are-indifferent (udāsa).

The debate-impossibility: vādāvāda samarthāśīm — kāśānaśīm karāvā — debate with the powerful — by what means. How can-one-debate with-the-powerful (the Lord, who-has-all-arguments)?

THE CELEBRATED LINE: āmhī marōm vērajhārīm — svāmī gharīm baisalē — we die in back-and-forth — Svāmī sits at home. Vērajhārī = back-and-forth, to-and-fro running, suffering-of-saṃsāra. WE die in-back-and-forth (= dying-rebirthing-running-around in-saṃsāra); the SVĀMĪ sits at-home (= peacefully-undisturbed). The complaint-bhakta-stance: the bhakta-suffers-and-runs while-the-Lord-sits-comfortable.

[T]

For someone today

For today: we, distressed; you, indifferent gōsāvī; we die in back-and-forth — Svāmī sits at home ; no debate with the powerful; no difference understood.

Where this applies

When you feel like life keeps hitting you while everyone else, even God, seems untouched and calm
When you want to argue with a situation or a person more powerful than you and realize the fight is not a fair one
When you are exhausted from running in circles just trying to keep your life together
When you are honest enough to admit you do not understand why things are unequal and you are still confused about it

Non-dual / Advaita Bhakti