Abhanga 2986
Even bitter rejection of God can turn into fearful acceptance, and grief shared with others, sorrow piled on sorrow, can still grow into unity.
The verse
मुख्य आहे आम्हां मातेचा पटंगा । तुज पांडुरंगा कोण लेखी ॥१॥
नको लावूं आम्हां सवें तूं तोंवरी । पाहा दूरवरी विचारूनी ॥ध्रु.॥
साहे संतजन केले महाराज । न घडे आतां तुज भेईंन मी ॥२॥
तुकयाबंधु म्हणे अहिक्यें ऐक्यता । वाढतें अनंता दुःखें दुःख ॥३॥
Literal translation
Mukhya āhe āmhām mātechā paṭangā — the main (foundation) for us is themātā's paṭanga(mother's frame, support); tuja Pāṇḍurangā kōṇa lekhī — who counts you, Pāṇḍurangā? Nakō lāvūm āmhām save tūm tōmvarī — don't stay-attached to us until-then; pāhā dūra-varī vichārūnī — go far, considering. Sāhe santa-jana kele mahārāja — thesanta-jana(saint-people) have made (him) themahārāja(great-king); na ghaḍe ātām tuja bheīna mī — (return) won't happen now — I (am) about to-fear. Tukyā-bandhu mhaṇe ahikye aikyatā — Tukārām's-brother says: inahikya(non-attachment, exclusivity),aikyatā(unity) (grows); vāḍhate Anantā duḥkhe duḥkha — grows, O Ananta — byduḥkhaonduḥkha.
What it means
A 3-verse striking-rejection-and-acceptance verse signed by Tukyā-bandhu. Part of the lament-cluster (2977-2987).
Verse 1 (the striking rejection): Mukhya āhe āmhām mātechā paṭangā — tuja Pāṇḍurangā kōṇa lekhī — the main for us is the mother's paṭanga (support) — who counts you, Pāṇḍurangā? The bhakta-brother declares: the mother's-support is what-counts for us; you, Pāṇḍurangā, don't-matter. This is the bitter-rejection of the Lord-as-source-of-grief.
Dhrūpada: Nakō lāvūm āmhām save tūm tōmvarī — pāhā dūra-varī vichārūnī — don't stay-attached to us until-then — go far, considering. The painful-petition: go-away (until you bring-back the brother).
Verse 2 (the acceptance): Sāhe santa-jana kele mahārāja — na ghaḍe ātām tuja bheīna mī — santa-jana have made (him) mahārāja — (return) won't happen now — I (am about to) fear. The recognition: the saints have-honored-Tukārām-as-mahārāja (great-king); now-the-return-is-impossible. The fear-of-permanent-loss.
Close: Tukyā-bandhu mhaṇe ahikye aikyatā — vāḍhate Anantā duḥkhe duḥkha — in non-attachment, unity grows — O Ananta — duḥkha-by-duḥkha. The paradox: in-separation, unity (of-the-grieving-community) grows; through-duḥkha-piled-on-duḥkha.
For someone today
In this abhang, the grieving brother bitterly tells God that a mother's care is what truly sustains them, and that God barely counts, so God should stay far away until the brother comes back. Then the mood turns: the saints have already honored Tukaram as a great one, and the brother realizes the return will not happen, and fear settles in. In the closing line, he finds an unexpected truth, that even in separation and sorrow piled on sorrow, unity among grieving people can still grow. The verse shows that grief does not move in a straight line, it can pass from bitter rejection to acceptance to something like solidarity in shared pain.
मराठी: या अभंगात दुःखी भाऊ रागाने देवाला सांगतो की आईचा आधारच आमच्यासाठी खरा आहे, तू फारसा मोजण्याजोगा नाहीस, म्हणून भाऊ परत येईपर्यंत तू दूर राहा. मग सूर बदलतो, संतांनी तुकारामांना महाराज म्हणून गौरवलं आहे हे लक्षात येताच, आता परत येणं शक्य नाही याची जाणीव होते आणि भीती दाटून येते. शेवटच्या ओळीत त्याला एक अनपेक्षित सत्य सापडतं, की विरहात आणि दुःखावर दुःख साचूनही, दुःखी माणसांमधली एकता वाढू शकते. हा अभंग दाखवतो की दुःख सरळ रेषेत जात नाही, ते कडवट नकारापासून स्वीकारापर्यंत आणि सामायिक वेदनेतल्या एकतेपर्यंत पोहोचू शकतं.
Where this applies
- When you feel like the people who actually care for you day to day matter more than a distant power you are angry at
- When you tell someone or something you usually trust to stay away because they have not come through for you
- When you finally accept, with fear, that someone you loved has been honored elsewhere and will not return to you
- When sharing sorrow with others who grieve the same loss quietly brings you closer to them