संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2416 of 4582

Abhanga 2416

English: We, distressed in life — you, the gōsāvī, indifferent.

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

English: 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 udāsawe, distressed in life — you, the gōsāvī, indifferent. We-are-distressed-in-life; you, the-gōsāvī, are-indifferent (udāsa).

The debate-impossibility: vādāvāda samarthāśīm — kāśānaśīm karāvādebate 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

Related verses