संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2435 of 4582

Abhanga 2435

Let distant critics stay distant, because once devotion is planted firmly within you, outside blame cannot dislodge it, even if it costs you the world's approval.

When someone tries to provoke you into defending your beliefs and you choose to let them keep their distance instead.

When you feel steady in what you know is true inside you, even while the world around looks harsh or unpredictable.

When you accept being seen as strange or foolish because you're devoted to something the crowd doesn't value.

The verse

जैशा तुम्ही दुरी आहां । तैशा राहा अंतरें ॥१॥ नका येऊं देऊं आळ । अंगीं गोपाळ जडलासे ॥ध्रु.॥ अवघा हा चि राखा काळ । विक्राळ चि भोंवता ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे मज ऐशा । होतां पिशा जगनिंद्य ॥३॥

Literal translation

As you are far — stay distant. Don't bring tantrum — Gōpāḷa is fixed in the body. Guard this very moment — terrible all around. Tuka says: for me, becoming such mad-one — world-blameable.

What it means

THE GŌPĀḶA-FIXED-IN-THE-BODY ABHANG.

The internal-Lord: angīm Gōpāḷa jaḍalāsē — Gōpāḷa is fixed in the body. Gōpāḷa is-fixed (jaḍalāsē = embedded) in-the-body. No-need to-bring-tantrum since the Lord is-already-internalized.

The world-blame: Tukā mhaṇē maja aiśā — hōtām piśā jaganindya — for me, becoming such mad-one — world-blameable. By-being such-a-bhakta-mad-one (piśā), one-becomes world-blameable — but-the bhakta-doesn't-care.

[T]

For someone today

For today: stay distant if you must; Gōpāḷa is fixed in the body ; guard the moment; mad-one is world-blameable.

Where this applies

When people mock your faith or your passion and you'd rather not argue with their doubts.
When your devotion or commitment invites gossip from people who don't understand it.
When you know something steady about yourself inside that outside opinion cannot shake.
When you're protecting a fragile inner conviction from a harsh crowd around you.