Abhanga 2969
Catch your own pride like a thief the moment it shows itself, let its grip loosen, and trust that truly meeting the Lord dissolves doubt for good.
The verse
कोंडिला गे माज । निरोधुनी द्वार । राखण तें बरें । येथें करा कारण ॥१॥
हा गे हा गे हरि । करितां सांपडला चोरी । घाला गांठी धरी । जीवें माय त्रासाया ॥ध्रु.॥
तें चि पुढें आड । तिचा लोभ तिला नाड । लावुनी चरफड । हात गोउनी पळावें॥२॥
संशयाचें बिर्हडें । याचे निरसले भेटी । घेतली ते तुटी । आतां घेतां फावेल ॥३॥
तुका येतो काकुलती । वाउगिया सोड । यासी चि निवाड । आम्ही भार वाहिका ॥४॥
Literal translation
Kōṇḍilā ge māja — (my)māja(pride, intoxication) has beenkōṇḍilā(trapped, cornered); nirōdhunī dvāra — the door (was) closed/blocked; rākhaṇa te bare — therākhaṇa(guarding) is good; yethe karā kāraṇa — do thekāraṇa(cause, action) here. Hā ge hā ge Hari — here, here, Hari!; karitām sāpaḍalā chōrī — while (the call) was being made, the thief was caught; ghālā gāṇṭhī dharī — tie thegāṭhī(binding-knot); jīve māya trāsāyā — to make thejīva-māyascared. Te chi puḍhe āḍa — that very (māja) (became) the obstacle ahead; tichā lōbha tilā nāḍa — itslōbha(greed) (became) its ownnāḍa(snare); lāvunī charaphaḍa hāta gōunī paḷāve — having raisedcharaphaḍa(strife), letting go the hand, (let it) run away. Samśayāñce birhāḍe — thebirhāḍa(residence) ofsamśaya(doubt); yāñche nirasale bhēṭī — (was)nirasale(destroyed) by (your) meeting; ghētalī te tuṭī — (I) took thetuṭī(cut, breaking); ātām ghetām phāvel — now, in taking, (it) will be available. Tukā yetō kākulatī — (Tukā) comes pleading; vāugiyā sōḍa — release thevāuga(false); yāsī chi nivāḍa — this is the onlynivāḍa(decision); āmhī bhāra vāhikā — we are thebhāra-vāhikā(burden-bearers).
What it means
A striking 4-verse māja-as-thief-caught verse. The verse-image is unique: the bhakta's-māja (pride/intoxication) is caught-like-a-thief at the moment of-Hari-Hari-being-called.
Verse 1: Kōṇḍilā ge māja — nirōdhunī dvāra — rākhaṇa te bare — yethe karā kāraṇa — māja trapped — door closed — guarding good — do the cause here. The setup: the māja is trapped; door-closed; guard-it-well.
Dhrūpada: Hā ge hā ge Hari — karitām sāpaḍalā chōrī — ghālā gāṇṭhī dharī — jīve māya trāsāyā — Hari-Hari (being called) — the thief was caught — tie the knot — scare the jīva-māya. The thief-catching-image: while-calling-Hari-Hari, the māja-thief was caught. Now-tie-it-up to-scare-the-māya.
Verse 2: Te chi puḍhe āḍa — tichā lōbha tilā nāḍa — that (māja) became the obstacle — its greed became its own trap. The diagnostic-claim: māja's-own-greed becomes-its-own-trap. Having-raised-strife, the māja goes-pulling-your-hand; let-it-run-away.
Verse 3: Samśayāñce birhāḍe — yāñche nirasale bhēṭī — the residence of doubt — destroyed by (your) meeting. The meeting-with-the-Lord destroys-the-residence-of-doubt.
Close: Tukā yetō kākulatī — vāugiyā sōḍa — yāsī chi nivāḍa — āmhī bhāra vāhikā — Tukā comes pleading — release the false — this is the only decision — we are the burden-bearers. The petition: release-the-false; we-(bhaktas)-are-burden-bearers.
For someone today
This is a striking image of pride caught like a thief. Tukārām says his māja — his pride, his intoxication with self — has been trapped, the door shut, and the guarding is good; now do the real work here. As he calls out, 'Hari, Hari!', the thief is caught in the act — tie it up, and let the fright shake the small, false self loose. That very pride became its own obstacle ahead; its greed became its own trap, and having stirred up strife, it tries to grab your hand — let it go. The dwelling-place of doubt is destroyed the moment you truly meet the Lord; once that breaking-open happens, it stays available to you. Tukā comes pleading: release the false, for this is the only real choice — we who follow are just carriers of the burden.
मराठी: हे अभिमानाला चोरासारखे पकडल्याचे एक ठसठशीत रूपक आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात, माझा माज सापळ्यात अडकवला आहे, दार बंद केले आहे, राखण चांगली आहे — आता इथेच खरे काम कर. 'हरि, हरि' म्हणत असतानाच हा चोर रंगेहाथ पकडला गेला — त्याला बांधून घाल, आणि त्या भीतीने खोटा जीवभाव हादरून जाऊ दे. तोच माज पुढे अडथळा बनला; त्याचाच लोभ त्याला स्वतःलाच सापळा ठरला, आणि भांडण उकरून तो तुझा हात धरून खेचू पाहतो — त्याला सोडून दे. संशयाचे घरटे तुझ्या खऱ्याखुऱ्या भेटीनेच नष्ट होते; एकदा हा तुटवडा झाला की तो कायम उपलब्ध राहतो. तुका विनवणी करत म्हणतात — खोटेपणा सोडून दे, हाच एक खरा निर्णय आहे — आम्ही फक्त हा भार वाहणारे आहोत.
Where this applies
- When you notice pride or self-importance sneaking in right as you try to pray or chant.
- When old doubts creep back even after a moment that felt like real connection with the divine.
- When your pride puts up a fight and tries to hold you back from letting go.
- When you are tempted to hold onto grudges instead of releasing what isn't true.