Abhanga 2932
Tumhī kāmṭāḷalām tarī — (even) if you have grown kāmṭāḷa (tired, irritated) (of me); āmhām na sōḍaṇe Harī — we will not let go of Hari.
The verse
तुम्ही कांटाळलां तरी । आम्हां न सोडणें हरी ॥१॥
जावें कवणिया ठाया । सांगा विनवितों पायां ॥ध्रु.॥
केली जिवा साटी । आतां सुखें लागा पाठी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे ठाव । न सोडणें हा चि भाव ॥३॥
Literal translation
Tumhī kāmṭāḷalām tarī — (even) if you have grown kāmṭāḷa (tired, irritated) (of me); āmhām na sōḍaṇe Harī — we will not let go of Hari. Jāve kavaṇiyā ṭhāyā — where shall we go?; sāngā vinavitōm pāyām — tell — I plead at (your) feet. Kelī jivā sāṭī — (I have) staked life; ātām sukhe lāgā pāṭhī — now, comfortably, attach (yourself) to (my) back (= you-now-follow-me/be-with-me-comfortably). Tukā says: ṭhāva — (this) place; na sōḍaṇe hā chi bhāva — not letting go — this (very) is the bhāva (attitude).
What it means
A short canonical bhakta-defiant-clinging verse. Tumhī kāmṭāḷalām tarī — āmhām na sōḍaṇe Harī — even if you are tired of (me) — we won't let go of Hari. The opening-defiant-position: the Lord may-grow-tired-of-the-bhakta, but the bhakta-doesn't-grow-tired-of-the-Lord.
Jāve kavaṇiyā ṭhāyā — sāngā vinavitōm pāyām — where shall we go — please tell, pleading at feet. The pragmatic-protest: there's nowhere-else to go.
Kelī jivā sāṭī — ātām sukhe lāgā pāṭhī — staked life — now comfortably-attach to (my) back. The radical-image: jīvā-sāṭī (life-staked) — I have already-bet my-life on this; (so) you (Lord) might-as-well comfortably-attach-yourself-to-my-back (be-permanently-with-me).
The close: Tukā mhaṇe ṭhāva — na sōḍaṇe hā chi bhāva — this place — not-letting-go — this very is the bhāva. The position-claim: the bhakta's-bhāva is to-not-let-go-of-this-place.
For someone today
A useful defiant-clinging prayer. (Even) if you are tired of (me) — we won't let go of Hari. Where shall we go — please tell, pleading at (your) feet. I have staked life — now comfortably attach (yourself) to (my) back. Not letting-go-of-this-place — this very is the bhāva. The verse permits the bhakta's-defiant-clinging: (1) Lord-may-tire of-me; (2) but I-won't-let-go; (3) there's-nowhere-else-to-go; (4) I've-staked-life; (5) Lord, attach-to-my-back-now; (6) not-letting-go is the bhāva. The bhakta-clings even-when the Lord-might-be-indifferent.
Where this applies
- The canonical you-may-tire-of-me-but-I-won't-let-go-of-Hari defiant-clinging prayer
- Recognizing staked-life; come-attach-to-my-back radical-position
- Not-letting-go-of-this-place — the bhakta's-defiant-bhāva
- Pairs with 2920 (contented-bhakta) and 2932 (defiant-clinging) — two-poles of bhakta-stance