Abhanga 2988
Fierce, uncompromising love refuses to accept a loss quietly and vows to fight, even through raw grief and tears, to win back what belongs to it.
The verse
लालुचाईंसाटीं बळकाविसी भावा । परी मी जाण देवा जिरों नेदीं ॥१॥
असों द्या निश्चय हा मनीं मानसीं । घातली येविशीं दृढ कास ॥ध्रु.॥
मज आहे बळ आळीचें सबळ । फोडीन अंत्राळ हृदय तुझें ॥२॥
करुणारसें तुकयाबंधु म्हणे भुलवीन । काढूनि घेईंन निज वस्तु ॥३॥
Literal translation
Lāluchāīmsāṭīm baḷakāvisī bhāvā — (out of)lāluchāī(greedy-fondness, attachment) you have grabbed (my) brother; parī mī jāṇa Devā jirōm nedī — but know, Deva, I will not let-(you)-digest-(him). Asō dyā niścaya hā manī mānasī — let theniścaya(resolve) stay in (my) mind; ghātalī yeviśīm drḍha kāsa — I have placeddrḍha kāsa(firm-loin-cloth-tying, vow-binding) in this matter. Maja āhe baḷa āḷīñce sabaḷa — I have the strongbaḷa(force) ofāḷī(insistence); phōḍīna antrāḷa hrdaya tujhe — I will tear-open yourantrāḷa-hrdaya(entrails-and-heart). Karuṇā-rase tukyā-bandhu mhaṇe bhulavīna — bykaruṇā-rasa, Tukārām's-brother says, I willbhulavīna(confuse); kāḍhūnī gheīna nija vastu — pulling-out, I will take-back mynija-vastu.
What it means
A 3-verse aggressive-threat verse by Tukyā-bandhu (Kānhōbā). NON-Tukārām — part of the extended-Kānhōbā-lament-cluster (2977-2997+).
The brother continues-the-protest: (1) the Lord stole-Tukārām out-of-greedy-fondness; (2) but I-won't-let-you-digest-him; (3) I have firm-resolve; (4) I have the force of āḷī; (5) I will tear-your-entrails; (6) I will use-karuṇā-rasa to confuse-you and extract-back my-nija-vastu (= brother). The image of tearing-the-Lord's-entrails and extracting-the-brother-back is extreme bhakti-aggression.
For someone today
This verse continues Kānhōbā's fierce, aggressive protest. Out of greedy fondness, he says, you have grabbed my brother — but know this, Deva, I will not let you swallow him down. Let my resolve stay firm in my mind — I have bound myself to this with unshakeable determination. I have the strong force of my own insistence, and I will tear open your very heart to get him back. Through the raw power of my grief, Tukārām's brother says, I will confuse you and pull out and reclaim what is truly mine. The aggressive tone of the whole Kānhōbā cluster continues here — grief has turned into fierce, uncompromising determination to win back what was taken.
मराठी: हा अभंग कान्होबांच्या उग्र, आक्रमक निषेधाला पुढे नेतो. लोभी आसक्तीपोटी तू माझ्या भावाला ओढून नेलेस, ते म्हणतात, पण देवा, मी तुला त्याला गिळू देणार नाही, हे नक्की समज. माझा हा निश्चय मनात पक्का राहू दे — मी याबाबत दृढ शपथ घेतली आहे. माझ्या हट्टाचे बळ जबरदस्त आहे — मी तुझे हृदय फाडून टाकीन. तुकयाबंधू म्हणतात, माझ्या करुणेच्या, माझ्या दुःखाच्या जोरावर मी तुला भुलवीन आणि ओढून काढून माझी हक्काची वस्तू परत घेईन. संपूर्ण कान्होबा-मालिकेचा हा आक्रमक सूर इथेही कायम आहे — दुःखाचे रूपांतर आता उग्र, तडजोड न करणाऱ्या निर्धारात झाले आहे, जो गमावलेले परत मिळवण्यासाठी लढतो आहे.
Where this applies
- When you refuse to quietly accept a loss and keep insisting, again and again, that you will get back what is yours
- When you feel someone or something has taken a person you love out of possessiveness or greed
- When your grief turns into fierce determination instead of calm acceptance
- When raw emotion, tears and heartbreak become the only real leverage you have in an unequal fight