Abhanga 2756
Even a flawed devotee can boldly ask God to make good on his reputation for saving the destitute, since being full of faults is exactly what qualifies him for that mercy.
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 singvēḍē-vānkaḍē(mad-and-crooked, badly); parī mī tujhā chi mhaṇavīna — but I'll bemhaṇavīna(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) yourbrīda(banner-vow) now. Kelyā aparādhāñcyā rāśīm — (I have) heaps of committedaparādha(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 yourbrīda(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 this challenge to honor the title or drop it. The bhakta is not soft — the Lord's titles must function, not be decorative.
मराठी: एक ठाशीव कराराचं आव्हान देणारी प्रार्थना. मी कदाचित बेसूर, वाकडं गाईन — पण तरीही मी स्वतःला तुझाच म्हणवून घेईन. मला तार, दीनानाथा — आता तुझं ब्रीद खरं करून दाखव. माझ्याकडे अपराधांचे ढीग आहेत — म्हणूनच मी तुझ्याकडे आलो आहे. मला तार — नाहीतर ब्रीद सोडून दे. या अभंगाची रचना अशी आहे: (१) कामगिरी कशीही असो, तरीही स्वतःला तुझाच म्हणणं; (२) देवाला त्याच्या रक्षणकर्त्या बिरुदानेच हाक मारणं; (३) दीनांच्या तारणहारासाठी अपराधच पात्रता ठरवणं; (४) अल्टिमेटम — बिरुद खरं करून दाखव, नाहीतर सोडून दे. हा अभंग बिरुद खरं करून दाखवण्याचं किंवा सोडून देण्याचं आव्हान देतो. भक्त इथे मृदू नाही — देवाची बिरुदं प्रत्यक्षात काम करायला हवीत, केवळ शोभेसाठी नकोत.
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