Abhanga 2756
The verse
वेडें वांकडें गाईंन । परि मी तुझा चि म्हणवीन॥१॥
मज तारीं दिनानाथा । ब्रीदें साच करीं आता ॥ध्रु.॥
केल्या अपराधांच्या राशीं । म्हणऊनि आलों तुजपाशीं ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे मज तारीं । सांडीं ब्रीद नाहींतरी ॥३॥
Literal translation
Vēḍē vānkaḍē gāīna — I'll sing vēḍē-vānkaḍē (mad-and-crooked, badly); parī mī tujhā chi mhaṇavīna — but I'll be mhaṇavīna (made-to-be-called, identified-as) yours. Maja tārī Dīnā-nāthā — save me, Dīnā-nātha (Lord-of-the-destitute); brīdē sācha karī ātā — make-good (sācha karī) your brīda (banner-vow) now. Kelyā aparādhāñcyā rāśīm — (I have) heaps of committed aparādha (offenses, wrongs); mhaṇa'ūnī ālōm tujapāśīm — therefore I came to you. Tukā says: maja tārī — sāṇḍī brīda nāhīm tarī — save me — otherwise drop the brīda.
What it means
A striking covenant-challenge verse. Vēḍē vānkaḍē gāīna — parī mī tujhā chi mhaṇavīna — I'll sing badly and crookedly — but I will be called yours. The opening: whatever my performance-level, I will be identified-as yours. The bhakta's identification-with-the-Lord doesn't depend on his performance-quality.
The dhrūpada delivers the covenant-claim: maja tārī Dīnā-nāthā — brīdē sācha karī ātā — save me, Dīnā-nātha — make-good your brīda (banner-vow) now. Dīnā-nātha (Lord-of-the-destitute) is the title; brīda (banner-vow, public-promise) is the implicit-pledge that the title carries. Sācha karī ātā — make-it-true now — the bhakta calls for the title to be operationally-honored.
The second verse names the substance of the petition: kelyā aparādhāñcyā rāśīm — mhaṇa'ūnī ālōm tujapāśīm — I have heaps of committed offenses — therefore I came to you. The rāśīm (heaps, piles) of aparādha (offenses) is the qualification — because of heaps-of-offenses, the bhakta has come to the Dīnā-nātha. The destitution is what qualifies him to approach the Savior-of-the-destitute.
The close is the boldest line: maja tārī — sāṇḍī brīda nāhīm tarī — save me — otherwise drop the brīda. The ultimatum: if you save me, your brīda is honored; if you don't, then drop the brīda — admit it was empty. The bhakta puts the Lord's brīda on the line: honor it operationally, or admit it doesn't apply.
This is among Tukārām's boldest covenant-claims — the Lord's titles must be operationally-honored or they should be dropped.
For someone today
A striking covenant-challenge prayer. I'll sing badly — but I'll be called yours. Save me, Dīnā-nātha — make-good your banner-vow now. I have heaps of offenses — therefore I came to you. Save me — otherwise drop the brīda. The structure: (1) identify-as-yours regardless of performance; (2) call the Lord by his protective-title; (3) name the offenses as the qualifying-condition for the Savior-of-the-destitute; (4) ultimatum — honor the title or drop it. The verse permits the honor-or-drop-the-title covenant-challenge. The bhakta is not soft — the Lord's titles must function, not be decorative.
Where this applies
- The make-good-your-brīda-or-drop-it honest covenant-claim
- Coming with heaps of aparādha as the qualifying-condition for Dīnā-nātha
- I'll sing badly but I'll be called yours — performance-independent identification
- The bold ultimatum: honor the title operationally or admit it doesn't function