Abhanga 2463

You can honestly complain that devotion hasn't transformed you as promised, and still trust the Name completely enough to face death without fear.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

THE PARIS-AND-IRON COMPLAINT ABHANG.

THE PARIS-IMAGE: parisēmsī bhēṭī — navhē lōhōpaṇā tuṭī — meeting with paris — iron-state doesn't break. Paris = touchstone, alchemical-stone that-turns-iron-to-gold. Even-after-meeting the-paris (= the Lord), my iron-state-doesn't-break. A complaint-bhakti-line — despite-meeting-the-Lord-who-should-turn-iron-to-gold, the bhakta-remains-iron.

The Name-at-throat: tujhē nāma kaṇṭhīm — Tukyā kāḷāsavē bhēṭī — your Name at throat — Tukā meets kāḷa. With-the-Name at-the-throat, Tukā meets-kāḷa (= death-Time). The Name-protection-faces-death.

[T]

For someone today

For today: king's servant afflicts; even meeting paris, iron doesn't break ; Name at throat — meet kāḷa.

Where this applies

• When you've practiced faith for years and still feel like the same flawed person underneath
• When you feel let down that meeting grace or God hasn't instantly fixed what's wrong in you
• When you want to be honest with God about your disappointment without walking away from faith
• When you're facing a frightening moment, like illness or death, and cling to the one prayer or name that still steadies you

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center