संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2749 of 4582

Abhanga 2749

A continuation of the combative protest-mode. Modesty is not the cause — folks know the method. The more you keep up worldly-appearance, the more you make me cry. Let's go before the sants — they decide cash-down. You are shameless — we have urgent need. The verse permits naming-the-mode: the Lord's keeping-up-appearance is itself the cause of the bhakta's tears. And it proposes sant-arbitration as the venue for forcing a cash-down resolution. The directness — you are shameless — is the kind of language the long-relationship permits.

Let's-take-this-before-the-sants-for-cash-down-decision arbitration-prayer
Recognizing that keeping-up-laukika makes the bhakta cry
The bold accusation: you are shameless, we have urgent need

The verse

नव्हे भिडा हें कारण । जाणे करूं ऐसे जन ॥१॥ जों जों धरावा लौकिक । रडवितोसी आणीक ॥ध्रु.॥ चाल जाऊं संतांपुढें । ते हें निवडिती रोकडें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तूं निर्लज्ज । आम्हां रोकडी गरज ॥३॥

Literal translation

Navhē bhiḍā hē kāraṇathe bhiḍā (modesty, hesitation) is not the kāraṇa (cause/reason); jāṇē karūm aisē janafolks know how to do (this) thus. Jōm jōm dharāvā laukikathe more laukika (worldly-appearance) you keep; raḍavitōsī āṇīkathe more you make (me) cry. Chāla jāūm santāmpuḍhēlet us go before the sants; tē hē nivaḍitī rōkaḍēthey will decide rōkaḍa (cash-down, immediate). Tukā says: tūm nirlajjayou are nirlajja (shameless); āmhām rōkaḍī garajawe have rōkaḍī garaja (immediate need).

What it means

A combative arbitration-verse continuing 2748's protest. Navhē bhiḍā hē kāraṇa — jāṇē karūm aisē janamodesty is not the cause — folks know how to do this thus. The bhakta dismisses bhiḍā (modesty, diffidence) as the operative-cause: people who know-the-method (to make demands on the Lord) do so without bhiḍā. The bhakta has crossed the modesty-line.

The dhrūpada delivers the sharpest line: jōm jōm dharāvā laukika — raḍavitōsī āṇīkathe more you keep up laukika (worldly-appearance), the more you make me cry. The accusation: the Lord is maintaining laukika-appearance (the I'm-just-the-distant-Deva-figure mode) — and this is what makes the bhakta cry. The bhakta wants the non-laukika meeting.

The second verse proposes formal-arbitration: chāla jāūm santāmpuḍhē — tē hē nivaḍitī rōkaḍēlet us go before the sants — they will decide cash-down. The santāmpuḍhē (before the sants) court is named as the arbitration-venue. Rōkaḍa nivāḍa (cash-down decision) — same as 2703's rōkaḍā chi nivāḍano-deferral, immediate-settlement. The sants will not allow deferral.

The close: tūm nirlajja — āmhām rōkaḍī garajayou are nirlajja (shameless) — we have the rōkaḍī garaja (immediate need). The accusation-and-claim: the Lord is nirlajja (without-shame) in maintaining his distance; the bhakta has immediate-and-cash-down need. The asymmetry: shameless-distance vs urgent-need.

For someone today

A continuation of the combative protest-mode. Modesty is not the cause — folks know the method. The more you keep up worldly-appearance, the more you make me cry. Let's go before the sants — they decide cash-down. You are shameless — we have urgent need. The verse permits naming-the-mode: the Lord's keeping-up-appearance is itself the cause of the bhakta's tears. And it proposes sant-arbitration as the venue for forcing a cash-down resolution. The directness — you are shameless — is the kind of language the long-relationship permits.

Where this applies

Related verses