Abhanga 2970
Once you have truly given yourself to devotion, you can ask boldly, trusting that the Lord, as host, would be shamed to turn away a guest who has already taken a seat.
The verse
झड मारोनियां बैसलों पंगती । उठवितां फजिती दातयाची ॥१॥
काय तें उचित तुम्हां कां न कळे । कां हो झांका डोळे पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥
घेईंन इच्छेचें मागोनि सकळ । नाहीं नव्हे काळ बोलायाचा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे जालों माना अधिकारी । नाहीं लोक परी लाज देवा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Jhaḍa mārōnīyām baisalōm panktī — striking thejhaḍa(front, blow), I sat-down at thepankti(row at the feast); uṭhavitām fajitī dātayāñcī — raising (me) up would be thefajitī(public-disgrace) of thedātayā(host). Kāya te uchita tumhām kām na kaḷe — what (is)uchita(fitting) — don't you know?; kām hō jhānkā ḍōḷe Pāṇḍurangā — why are (you) closing eyes, Pāṇḍurangā? Gheīna icchēñce māgōnī sakaḷa — I shall take all thaticchāwants, by asking; nāhī navhe kāḷa bōlāyāchā — this is not the time to saynavhe(no). Tukā says: jālōm mānā adhikārī — I have become anadhikārī(qualified-one) ofmāna(rank); nāhī lōka parī lāja Devā — there are no (other) people, but (there is) shame on Deva.
What it means
A short bhakta-bold-eater-at-the-Lord's-feast image-verse. Jhaḍa mārōnīyām baisalōm panktī — uṭhavitām fajitī dātayāñcī — struck-through and sat at the pankti — raising (me) up would be the host's disgrace. The image: the bhakta has-pushed-through-to-the-feast-row; if the host raises-him-up, the host is publicly-shamed for-having-let-it-happen.
Kāya te uchita tumhām kām na kaḷe — kām hō jhānkā ḍōḷe Pāṇḍurangā — what is fitting — don't you know — why close your eyes, Pāṇḍurangā? The challenge: don't close-your-eyes; the uchita-action is clear.
Gheīna icchēñce māgōnī sakaḷa — nāhī navhe kāḷa bōlāyāchā — I'll take all my desires asking — not time to say no. The boldness: the time is not-to-say-no.
The close: Tukā mhaṇe jālōm mānā adhikārī — nāhī lōka parī lāja Devā — I have become adhikārī of rank — no other people, but shame on Deva. The claim: I am qualified; even if-no-one-else-sees, the Deva-himself would-be-shamed by-not-acting.
For someone today
This is a bold, playful image of the devotee as an uninvited guest at the Lord's feast. Tukārām says he has pushed his way in and sat down in the row with everyone else — and if the host now tries to pull him back out, it is the host who will be shamed in front of everyone. He asks Pāṇḍuranga directly: don't you know what's proper here — why are you closing your eyes? I'm going to ask for everything I want, because this is not the moment to hold back or say no. Tukā declares he has earned his place at the table: even if no one else is watching, the Lord himself would be shamed to refuse him now.
मराठी: ही देवाच्या पंगतीत अनाहूतपणे जाऊन बसलेल्या भक्ताची एक धीट, खेळकर प्रतिमा आहे. तुकाराम म्हणतात, मी रेटून आत घुसून पंगतीत जाऊन बसलो आहे — आता मला उठवलं तर यजमानाचीच फजिती होईल. ते थेट पांडुरंगाला विचारतात — काय योग्य आहे हे तुला कळत नाही का, डोळे का मिटतोस? मी माझ्या मनातलं सगळं मागून घेणार आहे, कारण आता नाही म्हणायची वेळ नाही. तुका सांगतात, मी या मानाचा अधिकारी झालो आहे — इतर कोणी बघो न बघो, पण देवालाच याची लाज वाटेल जर त्याने मला नाकारलं.
Where this applies
- When you hesitate to ask God, or anyone, for what you truly need out of false humility.
- When you feel undeserving of blessings despite years of genuine devotion or effort.
- When you need courage to hold your ground instead of backing down mid-prayer.
- When you wonder whether it is really your place to expect an answer to your prayers.